Do-it-yourself instantaneous water heater - what and how to do

The main types of breakdowns

Modern manufacturers have learned to create excellent luxury water heating equipment. For efficient operation, it uses gas, rarely fails. However, even the best gas heaters cannot avoid breakdowns. The list of unavoidable faults includes:

• water leaks;
• poor heating of the liquid;
• discharging power elements;
• weak water pressure;
• no gas.

Owners of gas boilers can repair some malfunctions on their own. Any person can change the batteries in the power device. It is also easy to eliminate the weak water pressure - perhaps just excessive scale has formed in the heat exchanger. To remove it, remove the heat exchanger and rinse thoroughly. You can also use special descaling fluids for this purpose.

It is not difficult to solve the problem of poor water heating on your own. The main cause of such a malfunction is often soot contamination of the heat exchanger. The elimination of this problem lies in the removal of the mentioned element and the removal of plaque. In case of more significant malfunctions, you should contact professionals.

Those who have seen enough of the video on YouTube about a homemade gas water heater, which consisted of a coil placed directly on the hob in the kitchen, have probably already been dreaming about how you can get a lot of boiling water cheaply. In fact this is not true. Today we will talk about why you should not do a gas water heater with your own hands.

Advantages

Such a system has its undeniable advantages. After all, the boiler in this case performs two functions at once, which makes it the most indispensable device in a house or apartment. The device has the following advantages:

• wastes significantly less heat than conventional heaters, this is due to a special layer of thermal insulation;
• simple and convenient installation that does not require much energy;
• saves a lot of money and does not require high installation and maintenance costs, heating boilers are much more expensive than the average boilers. Old water heaters are the most economical to use;
• you can independently adjust the required temperature level or stop the heat supply altogether;
• easy to assemble on your own at home, no special tools and plumbing equipment are required, skills and knowledge in this area, it is enough to clearly follow the instructions;
• the heating itself comes from the coolant, which reduces the risks of breakthroughs and improper functioning of the system;
• you can use hot water and heating at any time, even if an accident occurs at the station, this is especially common among pipe breaks at thermal power plants in winter - it will always be warm at home.

As you can see, this device has a lot of advantages, which, without a doubt, approve the boiler device as a source of heating in the house. Less costs than for heating from the management company, but more efficiency, and most importantly - reliability.

Schemes of connection to water of a wall-mounted storage water heater

The fittings for supplying cold and discharging hot water are located at the bottom of the wall-mounted boiler, and are marked in blue and red, respectively. The connection to the trunk can be made in two ways:

• no security group;
• with the security team.

Schemes without a safety group can be used when connecting a water heater designed for pressure exceeding the pressure in the main cold water supply, if this pressure is stable.In case of unstable, strong pressure in the line, preference should be given to connecting through a security group.

In any case, the connection and installation of the water supply system begins with the insertion of tees into the pipelines of cold and hot water after the taps installed at the entrance of the water supply to the apartment.

Attention! If the pipes in the house have not changed for a long time, you need to check their condition before work. It may be necessary to replace rusted steel pipes with new ones. Branches are made from the tees to connect the water heater

When the boiler is in operation, the hot water tap must be completely closed. Cold water freely flows to heating, to mixers, to the toilet bowl

Branches are made from the tees to connect the water heater. When the boiler is in operation, the hot water tap must be completely closed. Cold water freely flows to heating, to mixers, to the toilet bowl.

On the boiler, a check safety valve is screwed onto the cold water inlet. It serves as protection against thermal expansion of water in the storage tank, periodically bleeding off its excess. From the drain hole of the valve, a drainage tube is mounted, which should be directed downward and fall into the tank or sewer freely, without kinks that could prevent the draining of excess water in the tank.

Check relief valve

Shut-off valves cannot be installed between the valve and the water heater. But the tee, on the branch of which a tap is installed to empty the tank, can be installed, and is even recommended by manufacturers. The pipe or hose from it must be brought to the sewer, or connected with a tee to the cold water supply pipe to the safety valve.

At the outlet of the hot water boiler and at the inlet of cold water, immediately after the check valve, it is necessary to install taps that block this line during the period when the water heater is not working. After the taps, the pipelines through flexible plumbing hoses or rigid steel or plastic pipes must be connected to the taps from the tees on the mains.

Water supply without a safety group with a pressure reducer: 1 - shut-off valves for the water supply; 2 - water pressure reducer; 3 - shut-off valves of the water heater; 4 - check safety valve; 5 - drainage to the sewer; 6 - valve for draining water from the tank; 7 - storage water heater

If the main water supply requires pressure adjustment, then the reducer or security group set at the cold water inlet after main taps or on branches from tees. As a rule, for household water heaters in urban areas, it is sufficient to install a pressure reducer that reduces the pressure to the permissible or recommended limits by the manufacturer.

The safety group for an electric water heater is made up of individual elements assembled locally. Not to be confused with the safety group for boilers! The order of their installation is shown in the figure.

Scheme of water supply through the safety group: 1 - pressure reducer; 2 - valve for draining the tank; 3 - security group; 4 - drain into the sewer when the water pressure is exceeded

For horizontal water heaters, the connection is made according to similar schemes.

What can be done from the old heater "Ariston"

The “happy” owners of Ariston water heaters, after repeatedly replacing the heating element, decide to purchase and install a device of another brand.From the same old device, an excellent version of a country shower is obtained, the water for which is heated by solar energy. To convert the device into a hot water tank, you must:

1. Cut the outer case of the device with a grinder and remove it.
2. Clear the inner tank from thermal insulation.
3. Degrease the surface.
4. Paint the tank matt black with any paint for metal.
5. Install and connect the tank to the summer shower system.

The installation of the tank must be carried out at a height of at least 2.5 meters in an area open to sunlight. The most correct would be to install the water heater directly on the roof of the summer shower. The container should be installed in a vertical position, and the water connection must be made to the drain pipe of the device, because, unlike the electric model, in the summer shower the water will be drained by gravity.

This version of the country shower is the simplest, if desired, you can make a more complex design of the device that heats the liquid using solar energy.

Installation location

Put the lid back on and install the heater where it will not be exposed to direct splashes of water.

In this case, the device must be located strictly horizontally.

If you put it on a shelf or hang it on a wire, it may bend and “air up” during operation. The section of the heating element, which turned out to be without water because of this, will simply overheat and burn out.

Therefore, two screws into the wall, while observing the level of the horizon, still have to be drilled.

Mistake #4
The heater, when used as a shower, is not recommended to be installed below the level of a person's head or placed inside a bathtub.

It is allowed to put over the sink.

We figured out the place and wiring, let's move on to plumbing.

Helpful Hints

Before turning on the heater, first open the cold water tap. Failure to comply will result in device burnout.

A self-made instantaneous water heater is best used in places with minimal human activity.

Regularly carry out diagnostics of a homemade device. Repair damage immediately if defects are found.

Only a factory product meets all safety requirements. Without extreme necessity, it is not recommended to make handicraft samples at home.

Read more:

Step by step installation of an induction water heater

How to make a wood-burning water heater with your own hands

How to make do-it-yourself boiler - step by step assembly order

Choosing a water heater - instantaneous or storage

We connect instantaneous water heater correctly

How to install a water heater on drywall in 20 minutes after a bathroom renovation

If necessary, plates from any sufficiently strong sheet material are used.
Flow sensor or its mechanical equivalent This element provides power to the heater at the moment when the movement of water is detected.
But even in this case, it is not recommended to simultaneously turn on several household electrical appliances at once, so that the fuse plugs on the electrical panel do not knock out or, even worse, a short circuit does not occur.
I call a heat exchanger a node in which water is heated, usually a heating element is installed in it. If the seller offers installation services, consider this option, especially when buying an electric pressure model or gas column. The advantage of the device is the instant heating of running water in a tap or shower.
Accumulative water heaters, unlike flow-through ones, have a thermally insulated storage tank from 5 to liters for water, where it is constantly heated - maintaining the water temperature you set. It must be remembered that in this case the light bulb does not display the operation of the heating element - in case of its burnout, it will also glow, but heating will not occur. Installation of metal-plastic systems The use of an aluminum layer in the wall of a water pipe for both cold and hot water is caused by the need to protect the metal parts of the system from oxidation.

Watch video Watch video Connecting the water heater to the mains There is an opinion among consumers that connecting the water heater to the power supply is to plug the plug into the socket. If the pressure in the system is less than permissible, the electricity is turned off, the indicator goes out. The power relay of the Termex water heater Now it is worth considering the control system relay contact group P, which is controlled by the coil current. In design solutions, various mains supply connections can be used.

Article Video Electric instantaneous water heater is most often used if problems with the supply of hot water in the apartment are a frequent occurrence. Electronic control allows the use of an instantaneous electric water heater with several draw-off points.Owners of private houses who are not able to connect to main gas systems will have to give preference to electric options for equipment that prepares sanitary water.

As a result, the power consumption is the same. The power of such devices is usually kW. There are two types of electronically controlled instantaneous water heaters: models with only water temperature control; models with adjustable temperature and fluid pressure. Drawing of dry heating element.
Instantaneous water heater repair

How to make an electric water heater with your own hands

Quite often, in city houses connected to a gas main, a flowing gas water heater is used, popularly referred to as a "column". Also quite popular are appliances on a gas stove that provide hot water to the kitchen and bathroom.

A tank with a capacity of 120 liters should be enough for a family of 4 for several days. By installing a homemade boiler on a tall cabinet, water from it will be supplied by gravity.

Progress:

1. Prepare a container of the required size;
2. Make a coil from copper pipes;
3. Insulate the structure;
4. Assemble instantaneous water heater;
5. Connect heating element;
6. Remove pipes for hot and cold water, install taps at the inlet.

A homemade instantaneous water heater from the mains can be made from an old gas cylinder or purchased a large container made of stainless steel or aluminum.

DIY passive solar water heater: device diagram

A solar water heater is a device for which there is no need to connect to electricity and use pumps to circulate water.The simplest unit, often used for an outdoor shower or homemade plumbing, is a large metal tank filled with water. During the day, the water in it can heat up to 40 degrees. Thanks to the piping, you can put water in both the shower and the kitchen.

The solar convector consists of a storage tank, water pipes, a heat sink and a heat exchanger. A 200 liter tank and a solar convector with an area of ​​2-2.5 sq.m are enough for domestic needs. Such a device will be able to heat a sufficient amount of water in a couple of hours of sunshine.

Scheme of work on a solar convector:

1. Seamless pipes are welded together, forming a lattice. By welding, attach it to a sheet of strong steel and cover it with black paint.
2. Make a frame from moisture-resistant plywood and attach it to a steel sheet by cutting holes for pipes in the frame.
3. Insulate the pipes and cover the collector with glass, connecting the parts with silicone. Also smear the free space between the frame and glass with silicone.
4. Bend the copper pipe in a spiral, bring its edge out. Insulate the tank for better heat retention.
5. Install the collector in place, connect it to the pipes for cold and hot water. Install the expansion tank when hot water enters the tank.

To check the boiler for operability, you need to fill the tank with water, pour water into the convector system. When water is heated, it will rise up and fill the tank, and cold water will flow from it into the system.

Step-by-step instructions for installing a boiler

It is better to work together, if this is not possible, then call an assistant at least just to hang the water heater.

Step 1.Decide on the installation location of the storage boiler, draw up a layout of pipelines. You will need to supply cold water and hot water.

A water heater will be installed here. The dimensions of the room correspond to the dimensions of the boiler

We recommend connecting according to the simplest and most reliable scheme. There is a shut-off valve at the cold water inlet, followed by a safety valve assembly with a return. A valve is not needed at the hot water outlet; for repairs, it is enough to close one. If you wish, you can put valves at every turn and on every pipe, but the result of such work will only be negative. In addition to having to buy unnecessary elements, installation time will increase and the number of possible leaks will increase. Practice shows that all other shut-off valves are never used, only one inlet is always blocked.

If you have new construction and pipe sockets have already been made in the wall, then the work is much simplified. And if the boiler is installed in an already operated bathroom? The water supply is best taken from the sink. Dismantle the connection at the cold water inlet and install a tee there. Connect hot water to an existing shower faucet. You can do this work quickly by using outdoor piping and flexible hoses, or you can ditch the walls and hide communications. The second option is much better, but requires more effort. In addition, it is not always possible to restore wall cladding with ceramic tiles in its original form. Decide for yourself which option to choose.

Step 2. Unpack the water heater and check the contents.What should be in the delivery is indicated in the manufacturer's instructions. In the same place, by the way, an approximate installation scheme is also given. From this diagram, only one point is important for you - how to connect the safety valve. We have already mentioned that it is located in the same building with the reverse.

Advantages and disadvantages

Flow heaters have the following advantages:

• easier installation and lower cost compared to storage boilers;
• compactness;
• fast water heating.

The negative aspects of such devices include:

• high power consumption;
• the need for a sufficiently high pressure in the water supply;
• the inability to accurately adjust the temperature of the heating water.

Choosing the right water heater is very important. These devices differ from each other in many characteristics: power, minimum operating pressure, control methods (for example, stepped or smooth temperature control) and other parameters.

After acquisition water heater, it is necessary to choose a place for its installation.

Tips: how to make an electric water heater with your own hands

Residents of private houses often experience inconvenience due to the lack of hot water equipment. Sufficiently troublesome production of hot water makes life inconvenient and leads to a waste of time. Buying and installing an electric heating boiler that can solve this problem will be quite expensive.

The design of the boiler includes a container with sufficient volume, a heating element responsible for heat and its supply. The capacity for a homemade boiler must be chosen one that will be least prone to corrosion.

How to make coils for a water heater:

• For manufacturing, you can use a metal pipe.
• You can make a coil from a metal-plastic pipe, which has a small diameter.
• To easily make a coil, you can use a pipe that will have a cylindrical shape.
• One end of the pipe must be fixed on the rod, making a slow rotation, which will allow you to control the density of the turns and their freedom.

It is important to remember that scale forms on the metal coil over time, so it needs to be cleaned from time to time. To keep warm, the boiler must have good thermal insulation.

To do this, you can use a wide variety of materials: foam, isolon, polyurethane foam.

First start-up of instantaneous water heater

When turning off the hot water supply, close the hot water tap at the entrance to the house or apartment. Cold water remains open.

Next, open both shut-off valves on the water heater.

After that, turn any hot water tap in the kitchen or in the bathroom for 20-30 seconds.

Thus, you pass cold water through the device, expelling accumulated air from all tubes and cavities. Only after all these manipulations can you turn on the machine in the shield.

At the first start, it is advisable to select the default power, and later change the heating modes and temperature according to your needs.

Such an instantaneous water heater starts up for the entire season of turning off hot water supply. No need to click back and forth every day.

All modern models work on a simple principle - there is a supply of water through it, it heats. If not, it is disabled in standby mode.

That is, it does not constantly heat the water inside itself according to the principle of the same boiler.

After the hot water is restarted in the central system, you perform all operations in the reverse order:

turn off the machine

close the shut-off valve of the heater

open the DHW valve at the inlet

Connecting a powerful water heater to the entire apartment

Those who want to get a full replacement for hot water will have to buy something more powerful.

We are talking about models from 10kW and above. For example, the popular brands Thermex and Clage. Most often they buy for 12-15kW, and for three phases.

According to the factory parameters, such pieces can withstand a maximum pressure of up to 10 bar (1 MPa) and will calmly pull the entire DHW system in the house. The pressure rate for a high-rise building is from 0.3 (minimum) to 6 atmospheres (0.6 MPa).

The consumption-performance of the device is from 6 to 9 l/min, with an increase in temperature from the initial (delta) by 25C.

Preparatory work again begins with the analysis of the water heater.

Unscrew the screws at the bottom of the case and carefully remove the protective cover.

Be careful, there is a loop of wires from the digital display to the control board, don't tear it.

This cable is easily disconnected through the plug.

A wall heater often comes with a short piece of standard cable, which can rarely be adapted anywhere.

Crimping

This term is called a control test, confirming the operability of equipment and plumbing. When it is carried out in an apartment or a private house, a special device is used, with the help of which water is pumped into the system and pressure is increased manually. This is done in the following order:

1. The pressure tester is connected to a water pipe filled with water. The pressure rises to a value of 4-5 atmospheres.
2. The system is inspected to detect leaks and eliminate them as they are detected.
3. A further increase in pressure to 10-12 atmospheres is carried out after their liquidation.
4. In this state, the heater and pipelines to it are left for a day.

Watch the video

The water heater is considered ready for operation if the maximum pressure reached in the water supply does not change during the day.

Tank insulation

To minimize heat loss, the tank must be wrapped with a layer of thermal insulation. For this use:

• isolon;
• construction foam;
• mineral wool;
• foam;
• polyurethane foam.

Some use a foil-based substrate for laminate flooring. The boiler in this case is wrapped, like a thermos. The insulation is fixed with strip ties, glue or wire. We recommend insulating the entire body. This will ensure not only long-term preservation of hot water, but also reduce the duration of heating the tank, this will reduce the flow of the coolant.

Without carefully organized thermal insulation, the water in the tank cools quickly. Most often, they resort to the construction of a double tank: a small container is placed inside a large one. The resulting space between them also performs the function of thermal insulation.

How to install a tankless water heater

As already mentioned, the instantaneous water heater has smaller dimensions, therefore it is easier to find a place for it. It can be hung next to the wall, or you can hide it in a cabinet. Its dimensions are usually 15*20cm*7cm or so. In general, they are small. Weight - from the strength of 3-4 kg, so that the requirements for fasteners are minimal.Usually it is either hung on two dowels of small diameter screwed into the wall, or it has a mounting plate that is screwed to the wall, and the water heater is already hung on it. We figured out how to install a flow-type water heater, now about the connection.

Connecting the instantaneous water heater to the water supply

From this side, everything is simple. But the disadvantage is that it can only supply water to one point at a time. Depending on the installation location, either a shower head with a flexible hose or a gander for washing dishes is placed at the outlet of warm water. It is possible to put both the “gander” and the watering can through the tee (as in the picture on the far right).

How to connect an instantaneous electric water heater

In order to be able to remove the water heater if necessary and not shut off the water in the entire apartment or house, ball valves are installed at the inlet and outlet. They are required equipment. The connection from the nozzles to the tie-in point in the cold water supply line is carried out in the same way as when connecting the boiler: with corrugated stainless steel hoses or plastic pipes. Hot water to the point, if necessary, is carried out by a flexible hose: here, in principle, there are no temperatures that are too high, so it must withstand.

Wiring diagram instantaneous water heater to the water supply

Another feature of instantaneous water heaters is that they can normally only heat a certain amount of water. With an increase in flow or too low an inlet temperature, they do not cope with the task. Therefore, most often such a water heater is used as a temporary one - in the country or when the hot water supply is turned off for prevention (for the summer).

It is not difficult to solve the problem with an excessive amount of water (when the pressure rises above the standard one): either put a reducer at the inlet or a flow restrictor. The reducer is a more serious device and it is recommended to install it at the entrance to the apartment, and the flow restrictor is a small cylinder with a valve. It is screwed onto the cold water inlet. An example of how to install a flow type water heater and where to wind the flow restrictor is in the video.

Electrical connection

With the electrical part of the connection, everything is the same as with the boiler: a dedicated line, RCD + automatic. Others are only ratings and wire cross-section. Rated at power up to 5 kW - 25 A, up to 7 kW - 32 A, from 7 to 9 kW - 40 A. The cross section of the copper wire is 4-6 mm (monofilament).

How to connect a storage water heater in the country

As a rule, cottages have to deal with very low pressure inside the plumbing system, which eliminates the possibility using classic installation schemes water heater. The way out of this situation is a special container installed separately from the heater: the boiler tanks are already filled from it. A non-return valve cannot be used in this scheme.

It is important to choose the volume of additional capacity as accurately as possible: it should be several times larger than the volume of the tank (tanks) of the device. The container for creating pressure cannot be closed (vacuum), so holes must be made in it.

It is better if there is a float valve in such a tank to adjust the liquid level. A tap or valve is installed on the pipe from the tank to the water heater.Before connecting the water heater, the pressure tank is raised to the attic: it must be located above the boiler at a height of more than two meters. If the dacha or country house will not be used in the winter, the contents of the tank must be drained before the onset of frost.

Manufacturing of a device operating from a heating system

How to make a flow-through water heater with your own hands, which operates from a heating system? The basis of the operation of this unit is the heating of the heat exchanger with a coil, which is placed in the hot coolant of the heating system. A heat accumulator can act as its role.

However, inserting such a coil into a new heat accumulator will lead to a poor result. You can cause damage to the insulation, which will drastically reduce the level of efficiency. The manufacture of a thermal accumulator should be carried out independently. The device must be small. Then a heat exchanger crashes into it, and the entire structure is insulated.

Electrical connection

Connecting to the electrical network should be given no less attention than to water supply. First of all, it is necessary to calculate the total power of all electrical appliances in the apartment, including the installed water heater. The resulting figure must be compared with the characteristics of the general circuit breaker.

It should be borne in mind that in many houses of old buildings, switching equipment and electrical wiring are not designed for the power that their consumers load today. Therefore, it is better to replace them if possible.

The power of most single-phase water heaters is up to 9 kW at a current of up to 27A. Given the high power of such devices, it is advisable to stretch a separate line from the electrical panel to power them. When connecting, it is recommended to use a three-core cable PVA 3x4.

At the same time, we must not forget that the current in a damp room is the most dangerous, so electrical safety considerations should come first. Therefore, it is mandatory to install a residual current device in addition to the circuit breaker.

In itself, connecting the wire does not seem to be something difficult. As a rule, the connection diagram is given in the instructions. Under the cover of the water heater there is a terminal block. Three cores must be connected to it: phase, working zero and ground.

it is strictly forbidden to connect the ground wire to the working zero

An instantaneous water heater is one of the most effective devices in the event of a short-term shutdown of hot water supply. It has many advantages over other devices that perform similar functions. Such devices are convenient for use both in city apartments and in small country houses. Installation of water heaters is not particularly difficult and may well be done with your own hands.