Currently, boilers for heating water have become widely popular. Their use is relevant not only for people living in homes. Such equipment is often installed at various enterprises, in hostels, as well as catering establishments and other areas. And the heating of water in such installations is due to the heating element. But sometimes this component breaks down, due to which the water is no longer heated, and there is a need for urgent repairs.
That is why we decided to tell you about the ways to check the heater for operability, as well as the most frequent breakdowns of the part.
How to check the heater;
Inside the heater is a wire spiral having a high electrical resistivity. And at the moment of conducting current through it, it heats up. This helps to fill the space between the spiral and the body with heat, which is why water is heated. But sometimes heating devices cease to fulfill their direct function, and the main reason for this is the breakdown of the heater
Test with a multimeter
At the initial stage, the device will need to be activated in the minimum resistance measurement mode. Then we take the ends of the device, and we touch the conclusions of the component. If the spiral is broken, then the value “1” will appear on the device, which will be a substitute for real resistance. And this is like endless resistance. This indicates that there is an open circuit, and the part must be urgently replaced.
But in situations where “0” appears on the display of the device, they will indicate a short circuit. And in this case, an urgent replacement of the component will also be needed to resume heating the water.
Also a prerequisite is a leakage current test. For these purposes, activate the buzzer mode on the multimeter. We lean one probe against the output, and the second to the housing of the heater. If the buzzer emits a characteristic squeak, it is necessary to change the part.
Check with a contact lamp
You can check the heating element without a multimeter, using the control lamp. This device includes two copper wires with one core. Probes are located at one end, and the opposite are connected to the cartridge. The latter is equipped with a 220 V lamp, which is protected by a durable casing. If you wish to make such a device, you can do it yourself, and this task will be simple even for an inexperienced master.
In order to check the heater, you will need to throw zero from the network on the first contact, and a control lamp to the second vase. If the light comes on, there is no break, but in the opposite situation, an urgent part replacement is required.
The most common causes of breakdowns
There can be many malfunctions in the operation of the heating element, but there are the most common failures, which will be presented below.
1. Blown spiral.
2. Closed the filament wire going to the body of the part. Using equipment with such a malfunction may result in electric shock.
3. A large scale layer has formed on the surface of the device. Over time, it will simply begin to interfere with the heat transfer of the part, and as a result, the equipment will work inefficiently and the water will stop heating. And in case of untimely elimination of this cause, serious damage to the heating element may occur, which will require expensive repairs or the need for urgent replacement of parts.
To prevent the malfunctions indicated above, and as a result to save yourself from unnecessary financial waste, you only need to conduct a regular check of the part using the methods indicated above!
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