How to turn on the boiler - how to start a water heater?

The procedure for turning on a storage water heater in an apartment

When hot water is turned off, it becomes necessary to find an alternative, and here modern technology comes to the rescue.
In order not to be left without the benefits of civilization to which we are accustomed, we will have to buy and install a storage water heater. Quite often I have to turn it on in the summer, but not because it is some kind of complicated procedure, but because it doesn’t have to be done often, and therefore people forget the sequence of actions, and therefore I decided to write an article on this topic .

Turning on the storage boiler does not require any professional knowledge, but a certain sequence must be followed, since the structure of these devices, regardless of the model (Ariston, combustion, Termex, Electrolux), is the same for all, the order of activation is the same for all .

I’ll make a reservation right away, I’m telling you how to turn on a water heater with the correct standard connection diagram.

How to determine where the cold water inlet and hot water outlet are:

According to the standard, if you look at the boiler, the cold water inlet is on the right and the hot water outlet is on the left, and also the cold is marked in blue and the hot in red.

First, turn off the hot water supply tap to the apartment, even if there is a check valve, since they tend to break, then open the same water on the mixer. It must be opened in order to bleed air if the water heater is empty.
Open the hot tap of the boiler outlet.
Open the cold supply tap to the device and wait for the air to escape from the mixer you opened and liquid to flow.
When the water has flowed, close and plug in the boiler, and after a couple of hours you can use it.

That's the whole process, for greater clarity, watch this video, and I think you won't have any problems. You can turn off the device in the reverse order, but whether you need to drain the water from it is up to you.

Good luck to you!!!

Boiler advantages

Hot water in the house is not a luxury at all, but a necessary condition for comfort. However, residents of city apartments often face the fact that during the summer, hot water is disconnected from the centralized supply for repair work. This forces many people to install boilers - containers that allow water to be heated and used in the local water supply.

The advantage of heaters of this type is that they can be installed in almost any, even the smallest room. Modern models consume little electricity, which saves the family budget. And the most important plus is that there will always be a supply of hot water in the house.

Such devices are quite simple to operate, but if used irregularly, you may forget how to turn on the boiler correctly. The scheme is the same for most models. And provided that a certain sequence of all actions is followed, the water heater will serve its owner for a long time. You can turn it on yourself if you have instructions, or you can seek help from a specialist.

Calculation of annual operating costs

For calculations, you will need information about the energy efficiency class, type and cost of the coolant. Further calculations are performed using the formula:

for gas models, the number of days per year is multiplied by energy efficiency and the cost of a cubic meter of gas;
for electric boilers, the number of days per year is multiplied by energy efficiency and the cost of kW/hour.

Interesting to know! The DOE test for water heaters takes into account cold (15 degrees) and hot (60 degrees) temperatures and determines the unit's performance for a family of 3 as 240 liters per day.

Heating element power as a saving factor

The greater the power of the heating element, the faster the water will heat up. Keep in mind that in houses with a single-phase wiring diagram, from 7 to 10 kW of power are allocated. A high-performance water heater will lead to increased load on the network, huge energy costs and tripping of circuit breakers.

Instructions for starting the boiler for the first time

The boiler is installed. Whether the installation work was carried out by specialists or the owner does not matter. In any case, you need to check the operation of the system. To do this, following the given tips, you need to start the heater for the first time.

We start by checking the correct connection of the systems that are responsible for heating the water. Fidelity, reliability of connection of phase and neutral wires, presence of grounding. The functionality of the circuit breaker should also be checked. To do this, use a device - a tester or a special electrician's screwdriver.
Next comes the search for leaks in the system. It would be useful to control the connection of underwater pipes. Presence and diagnostics of check valve operation.
Running water into the boiler. Attention, the correct sequence of actions for the first and subsequent starts of the system will be described in the next section.
Repeated search for water leaks in pipe installation areas.
Diagnostics of heater operation. Turn on the device by pressing the power button.
Fixing the initial temperature sensor readings.
Recheck after 15 minutes. An increase in indicators indicates the correct connection of the heating elements.

Study the recommendations on how to connect the boiler to the water supply, follow safety rules.

Read how to make an indirect heating boiler with your own hands.

How to drain water from a boiler: tips, recommendations, step-by-step instructions in our article.

Sequencing

It’s worth mentioning right away that the startup sequence below is correct for both flow-through and storage heaters. A couple of nuances - in the case of the first type, you do not have to wait for the tank to be filled with water and close the tap at the 2nd point.

You should start by turning off the hot water supply that comes from the city supply system. If you skip this step, the water heated by the boiler will go into the common riser, despite the check valve.
Open the hot water tap. We wait until the remaining liquid drains from the pipes. Close the tap.
Two pipes go to the bottom of the boiler. One, marked with a blue ring, is underwater, the other, with a red marker, serves to supply hot water to the pipes.
Open the valve on the underwater pipe. Water begins to flow into the device’s storage tank.
Next, unscrew the second valve on the boiler. Allowing the water to escape into the pipes.
Turn on the hot water on the mixer. We wait until the air leaves the system and a steady stream of water flows. We turn off the water.
We connect the heater to the electrical network and set the desired temperature.

In a house where there is no hot water supply, the first step must be skipped. Subsequent switching on of the heater will follow the same pattern. The only difference is in point 6. Then not air, but stagnant water will begin to come out of the heater tank.

Heating mode selection

Set the heating mode. The main thing in this matter is to set the water temperature that is comfortable for the user. However, here are a few tips, the implementation of which will significantly extend the service life of the device. This will save you money on future repairs.

Set the temperature to 30–40 degrees as little as possible. Under such conditions, bacteria will quickly develop inside the storage tank. This will result in an unpleasant musty odor. The walls will become covered with fungus, which is difficult to remove.
Optimal operating mode, 55–60 degrees. In this temperature range, less scale will form on the heating element. The risk of mold will be reduced. It is comfortable for human skin.
Once a week the boiler must be set to 90 degrees. Wait a couple of hours and return to the previous mode. This is done to completely destroy bacteria in the storage tank.
Some devices have an economical operating mode. In this case, the heater does not consume less electricity. The settings will be set as in point 2 and we are talking about reducing the risk of breakdown.
In the case of a flow-type heater, the temperature is also adjusted by water pressure.

How to turn it on?

Scheme

All storage boilers have the same design, regardless of model and brand. The most common devices among buyers are Termex, Ariston, Polaris, Edison, Electrolux. Based on these examples, this process will be discussed.

Let's look at each example separately.

Termex

Thermex with touch screen

The water heater is installed by professionals, and the user can turn it on himself.

The Thermex instantaneous boiler is connected in the same way as others. It is necessary to release the air flow, shut off the hot water pipe, set the settings and start it up. The main difference is that the storage device heats the water in three hours, and the flow-through device does it in 15 seconds.

Instructions:

Shut off the shut-off valves on the pipe.
Release the air flow from the system. Open the hot water and water heater outlet. After this, open the cold water tap.
Close the taps when the water flow is level.
Connect the device to the electrical network.
Before turning on the device, set the temperature and check the operation.

To complete the last step in the instructions, the indicators and temperature are checked. If the device is working properly, the temperature will increase after a third of an hour.

What if the water heater won't turn on? First, you should check the network components, that is, electricity, sockets, residual current devices, circuit breakers. Check with a water heater voltage tester.

The most common problem is electronics. An error should appear on the touch screen, after which you need to look in the instructions for the device to see what it means.

Possible reasons may include:

The tubular electric heater is faulty or dirty.
The thermostat was broken. When the temperature begins to exceed 90°C, the residual current device is activated.
Lack of water in the tank. The air was not released.

Ariston

There is no particular difference in connecting different water heating devices. Let's look at how you can enable Ariston:

If a person lives in an apartment or building where there is a centralized water supply, close the pipe using a shut-off valve.
Open the tap in the place where the device is installed and drain the water. Next you need to close it.
Release the air flow from the water heater. To do this, open the inlet tap. Next, the water tap opens. Wait until the air comes out. The water will flow smoothly without any interruptions.
The cold water tap does not need to be closed. Because the amount of cold water is regulated automatically.
Plug in the device and set the temperature value.
Perform a functionality check. After a short period of time, the temperature inside the tank should increase.

Similar instructions are also suitable for other brands, for example, Polaris, Edison, Electrolux.

Rules for using the device

You can use the storage type device immediately after the first start. To do this, you need to turn it on and select the operating mode. Throughout operation you will have to follow some rules. They will help increase the service life of the boiler.

Before turning on, check the presence of water in the tank. This will prevent the heating elements from failing.
It is recommended to install a filter on the pipe supplying water to the boiler. It will protect against dirt and reduce water hardness.
During the year, descale the drive at least once.
Periodically monitor the performance of the protective anode, change if necessary.

Read how to choose pipes for water supply in a private house.

PVC pipes and fittings for water supply are the key to quality water in the house, read about the benefits.

To make the water tastier and healthier, take care of filters for your private home, read about it at https://klimatlab.com/vodosnabzhenie/filtraciya/filtry-dlya-ochistki-vodyv-chastnii-dom.html

Flow-type devices require compliance with several other rules.

Check the water pressure before turning on the power. A weak stream will not allow the device to function normally.
If the temperature is uncomfortable, adjust it using the buttons on the body or by rotating the mixer tap.
If the heater is installed in a bathroom, provide splash protection.
Hot water is no longer needed - be sure to turn off the device.

Both devices are not recommended for installation in rooms where temperatures may drop below zero. This will cause the water inside the device to freeze and cause it to break.

Equipment reliability depends not only on product quality. Also important: correct installation, switching on and use of equipment. Compliance with the recommendations given in the article will significantly increase the uninterrupted operation of the boiler.