An autonomous heating system is, in most cases, the only way to ensure comfortable living in a country house. Its use is also common in apartments where hot water supply failures often occur. The most popular type of equipment for an autonomous heating system is a storage water heater (aka a boiler). Its tasks include direct heating of water and its storage (with maintaining the achieved temperature). You can install the equipment yourself. Step-by-step instructions on how to install a storage water heater can be found below.
Installation of the boiler begins with preparatory work
Before installing a storage water heater in an apartment or a summer house, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory works. These include:
- preparation of space for equipment;
- checking the reliability of the wall;
- checking the condition of the water supply system pipes.
It is recommended to install the water heater together. The average installation time for such equipment is 1.5 hours. To install the boiler, you will need: a hammer drill or a drill, keys, screwdrivers of various types, drills, nippers, pliers. The standard package of necessary components includes: tees, FUM tape, tow, connecting hoses, pipes, shut-off valves. It can be supplemented with components recommended for use by the manufacturer of the heating device.
Installation of an electric storage water heater
An electric storage water heater is a heating device, the main element of which is a heating element. Cold water is taken in and the heated water is supplied through two different tubes hidden in the body. The water heater is simple not only in its design, but also in its installation. The equipment can be installed by yourself.
The installation of an electric storage water heater begins with determining its location. The equipment should be placed in close proximity to the outlet of the water supply system and the power source. In everyday life, wall-mounted models are considered the most popular. They are mounted on the wall using two (if the equipment is vertical) or four (if it is horizontal) brackets. This entire process can be divided into 3 stages:
- Preparation: mark the places for fasteners with a pencil, select the type of the latter (dowels, anchors, screws);
- Making a hole: using a drill or hammer drill, make a hole in the wall, then insert the previously prepared fasteners into it;
- Equipment installation: hang the device on the fasteners.
As for floor-mounted equipment, its installation requires only a stand. But remember that such a storage device must stand level. There should be no distortions.
Installing the equipment is already 50% of the installation. To start the device, you need to do 2 things:
- Connecting the water heater to the water supply. The cold/hot water supply pipes are connected to the tank at the appropriate places (marked in blue/red). When connecting the system to the water supply, it is recommended to equip both mains with shut-off valves. A non-return safety valve should be installed on the cold water supply pipe.
- Connecting the equipment to a power source. The operation of the water heater is provided by a powerful socket. It should be installed as close to the device as possible and limit the possibility of moisture getting on it. It is not recommended to use extension cords. The electrical part of the heating device system is assembled by its manufacturer. You only need to plug the plug into the socket (while observing the PUE).
The installation of the electric storage water heater is completed by preparing it for operation. This process involves removing air from the secondary circuit. To do this, you only need to completely fill the heating circuit with water.
The final stage of installation is to check the reliability of all connections and test run the device. If the device functions clearly and there is no extraneous noise, you can start using it on a permanent basis.
Installing a storage water heater in the bathroom with your own hands
There are no fundamental differences in the installation scheme of water heating devices in different rooms. But when installing such equipment in the bathroom, several important nuances should be taken into account. The first concerns the location:
- Try to install the water heater in the toilet (if the bathroom is separate) or in the hallway (if the toilet and bathroom are combined). Here the device will be completely safe and in close proximity to the water supply system.
- If you decide to install a water heater in the bathroom, choose a place as far away from the shower cabin or bathtub as possible. This will reduce the degree of fogging of the device and prevent possible discomfort when using it (in other words, the heater will not interfere).
An important point is the water supply. It is recommended to make its supply from the sink. Connection of cold water supply to the storage device and hot water to the mixers is carried out using a standard adapter.
You should also pay attention to the device itself. It is recommended to install water heaters for 80-100 liters in bathrooms. This volume is quite enough for a family of three to take a shower and a bath. For larger families, devices with a capacity of 120-150 liters are suitable.
It is not recommended to connect the kitchen to the storage heater that works for the bathroom. In this case, in order to wash several plates, you will have to constantly maintain a high temperature of a large amount of water. If possible, install two storage heaters: a large one in the bathroom (80-100 liters) and a smaller one in the kitchen (10 liters is quite enough).
Bathroom walls are often made of foam blocks. They imply a special way of fixing the heater: creating a conical hole of a large diameter, filling it with cement-sand mortar and fixing a bracket in it. Only in this case can you count on a strong fixation of the equipment on the wall.
Installation of a storage heater at a summer house
The installation of a storage water heater at a summer house is carried out according to the algorithm described earlier:
- Selecting an installation location.
- Applying markings to the wall (if we are talking about suspended equipment).
- Connecting the boiler to the water supply system.
- Connecting the device to a power source (socket).
- Test run of the water heater.
The only significant difference in installing a boiler at a summer house is the height of its installation. If possible, install the water heater 2 meters above the nearest water intake point. This is necessary to ensure normal water circulation (since its pressure is unstable in country houses).
Tips for using boilers
In order for the storage water heater to serve you for the maximum amount of time, it is necessary not only to install it correctly, but also to follow certain operating rules. When using such equipment, you should not:
- drain water from the appliance while it is connected to the network;
- turn on the device when there is no water in the tank;
- disregard the manufacturer’s recommendations;
- ignore safety regulations;
- expose the power source to the risk of getting wet.
The level of pressure supplied by the water supply system is also an important point. It is not worth connecting the device to a water supply system with a pressure higher than 6 atmospheres (in apartments its value does not exceed 3 atmospheres).
Conclusion
The lack of a continuous supply of hot water is a common problem, typical for both private houses and apartments. But, fortunately, it cannot be called serious, since it is quite easily solved by installing a storage water heater. Such equipment is capable of providing a continuous supply of hot water at any time of the day.
It is impossible to call independent installation of a boiler in an apartment or in a summer house a labor-intensive process. To successfully carry out such an operation, it is necessary to have basic knowledge of the structure of the pipeline system. Even a person who is far from installation work can handle the rest (hanging the device and connecting it to the network).