How to disassemble a water heater with your own hands

During the operation of the boiler, various situations occur. Accumulative models need regular cleaning and change of protection. When replacing parts, you will also need knowledge on how to disassemble the water heater. If you are used to solving problems on your own, do not want to wait for the wizard – read our article.

Reasons for dismantling the boiler

In what cases will you have to disassemble the equipment yourself? There may be several reasons. First, we will give the signs by which you can recognize the problem:

• The water has an unpleasant odor and a cloudy color.
• Scale flakes are noticeable.
• The body is energized.
• Often the RCD is triggered. Why the water heater knocks out the RCD, read in a separate article.
• The water heats up for a long time or does not heat up at all.
• The recruitment is slow, the flow is weak.
• Hull leakage.

These signs indicate problems with the boiler. What could cause the problem:

• Delayed tank maintenance. If the region has hard water, magnesium and potassium salts settle on the walls of the case and parts when heated. As a result, an unpleasant smell, turbidity appears. Water heats up for a long time, since the thermal conductivity of the heating element decreases. Once every six months, it is recommended to look into the tank and check its condition, replace the magnesium anode and clean the parts.
• Gasket wear. If the tank is leaking, the gaskets are inspected first. If the casing is corroded, it will need to be replaced.
• The heating element burned out. In such cases, a new element must be installed.
• Broken thermostat.

DIY dismantling

You need to start by draining the water. Disconnect the device from the mains immediately; if the wire leads to the shield, you need to disconnect all the contacts.

Wait until the water in the tank has cooled down. How to drain water from a water heater of different brands, we already wrote in a separate article. Recall the main methods:

• With a tee between the valve and the nozzle.
• Through the check valve. Lift it up and the drain will start. It will take a long time, especially if the volume of the tank is large.

Quick way:

• Prepare a deep container and a rubber hose.
• Substitute the container under the location of the check valve.
• Turn off the check valve. The water flow will be large, so you can connect a hose and bring it to the sewer.

This way the contents will quickly merge and you can get to work.

Disassembly features

Boilers “Termex”, “Ariston”, “Combustion” may differ in device and design. Therefore, immediately decide what type you are dealing with.

It can be:

• TENovy heater – “central nut 55”.
• Economy class – with an oval flange.
• Medium-class – bolts in a circle.
• With flat tank.

Heating element heater

This is the cheapest and simplest model – there are no adjustment devices on the case. The heating element is fixed with one central nut, which is convenient to dismantle with a 55 mm hub wrench or gas No. 2.

Sequence of work:

• Remove the two screws that secure the bottom case cover.
• Disconnect the thermostat wiring and remove it.
• Substitute a deep container under the tank, the remaining liquid may pour.
• Using a wrench, unscrew the nut counterclockwise.

For convenience, the case can be removed from the wall and installed upside down.

• Now you can remove the heating element. Remove it from the case – be careful not to damage the element.

If the part does not come out due to scale, clean the hole a little using a plastic knife.

Economy class

This is more modern technology. Most often, devices with an oval flange are manufactured by Ariston.

Important! This type of boiler must not be disassembled by turning it upside down. During dismantling, the heating element will fall inward, which will damage both the element and the walls of the tank.

• To remove the cover, you need to unscrew the two bolts. They are located near the inlet and drain hoses.
• You can remove the thermometer by pulling it down, but the movement must be quick and accurate.
• A special nut secures the flange bar. Unscrew it and remove the flange.
• Before pulling out the part, scroll it.

Medium class

The most common design found in manufacturers Gorenje, Polaris, Ariston, Atlantic. The heating element is located on the flange, which is fixed with nuts in a circle. There may be five or six of them.

During operation, the check valve may interfere with you, it is better to twist it. A common problem is finding bolts to remove the cover. Sometimes manufacturers hide self-tapping screws behind stickers. Remove them and unscrew the fasteners.

• Remove the cover.
• Remove the temperature sensor. First disconnect the contacts from the heater.
• Loosen the flange bolts using a socket wrench.

In the latest Ariston models, the manufacturer does not use screws, but studded nuts.

with flat tank

The Termex and Polaris models are equipped with a flat body.

• Loosen the cap nut.
• Remove the plastic shields.
• To open the cover, you need to unscrew the screw in the center. It can be hidden behind a plug or a sticker.
• You will open the wires and contacts. Take a photo of the correct placement.
• Unscrew the nuts and screws that secure the electronic board and thermal protection. Take them off. Loosen the ground nuts.

To remove the control board, disconnect its connector from the external board.

• Twist the flange nuts and remove the heating element.
• If the device has two heating elements, as shown in the photo, take a picture of the connections before disconnecting.

After disassembly, the tank is cleaned and washed from the inside. How to clean a water heaterread the previous article. You can use special equipment from scale, rinse the product in the shower.

The heating element is also mechanically descaled, then lowered into a solution with citric acid. The magnesium anode is replaced when worn: it protects the product from corrosion by attracting harmful impurities in the water.

When assembling equipment, it is desirable to dry all parts. Pay special attention to sealing, all gaskets must be intact. To extend the life of the product, follow the recommendations:

• Perform maintenance on the device.
• Do not heat water over 60-70 degrees.
• Install cleaning filters.

Watch a video that will help you do the work yourself: