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Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

This post provides a comprehensive guide to making sure that your annual gas water heater runs safely and efficiently. It includes instructions on how to inspect, clean, service, and repair the heater and also offers expert advice on preventative measures to take. The post also details evaporation prevention, flue and drainage system maintenance, and other related safety tips. All these resources provide both safety and cost-saving benefits, making this post an invaluable resource for homeowners.

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A flow-through gas water heater, like any gas equipment, needs periodic preventive maintenance, which should preferably be carried out at least once a year. In this work, the process of prevention is described step by step using the example of a water-heating flow-through gas household VPG-18 apparatus.

It should be noted that the article is offered for informational purposes only, since gas hazardous work is the lot of specialized organizations that have the necessary permits. However, it is necessary to control the quality of work performed by such organizations, because your life and the life of your family may depend on it..

It is necessary to carry out preventive maintenance of the equipment at least once a year, in the case of a long downtime of the column, inspection and diagnostics are required without fail. And these are not unnecessary precautions. Indeed, sometimes even a small web woven in the chimney is enough to disrupt the draft. This, in turn, causes an incorrect combustion mode, the release of soot and complete clogging of the equipment flue ducts. As a result, the combustion products do not go into the chimney, but into the room, poisoning the residents. The task of prevention is to notice and eliminate the malfunction in time.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Preparation for work

To perform preventive cleaning, we need the following tool:

  • Phillips screwdriver;
  • flat-head screwdriver;
  • open-end wrench 8 mm;
  • brush with long bristles;
  • metal brush;
  • rags;
  • vacuum cleaner with attachments.

Work order

We turn off the gas supply valve to the column. We unscrew the screw that secures the handle of the blocking gas valve with a Phillips screwdriver. Remove the handle by pulling it towards you.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Using a flat screwdriver, unscrew the two screws securing the case.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Pulling the lower part of the case towards you, we disengage it in the two lower grooves.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Holding the case with two hands, move it upward, removing the case from the two upper mounts.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Unscrew the four screws securing the front cover of the combustion chamber with a flat screwdriver. If necessary, hold the nuts with an 8 wrench.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Remove the cover.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We unscrew the two screws securing the upper cover of the cavity in which the combustion products are removed, and remove it.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We inspect the burner for debris.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We cover the burner with a rag over the entire area so that during the cleaning of the remaining units it does not clog.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We start cleaning from the very top of the column, moving sequentially down to the burner. We clean the smoke outlet with a brush or rag.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We brush the reflector.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We clean the parts of the case from the cobwebs with a brush.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We clean the fins of the heat exchanger with a brush. We do it with pressure. First the top of the heat exchanger, then the bottom. After cleaning, the gaps between its ribs should be easily visible.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Tip: If you cannot clean the fins of the heat exchanger with a brush, you can do it using a hacksaw blade. This is more time consuming, since it is necessary to manually pass each cavity sequentially, but effectively.

Remove the rags from the burner and use a metal brush to clean its holes.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We clean the burner with a vacuum cleaner.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We clean with a brush all the remaining parts of the column, including the lower part of the burner, through which the air necessary for proper gas combustion is supplied.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We brush the upper cover of the cavity in which the combustion products are evacuated, and install it in place, fixing it with two screws.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We disassemble the front cover of the combustion chamber, which consists of two parts. To do this, unscrew the two screws with a flat screwdriver, holding the nuts with an 8 wrench.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We clean the inner and outer surfaces of the cover with a brush. Reassemble in reverse order and put in place.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We clean the body with a brush.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We assemble the body by hanging it with fasteners on the two upper grooves.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

It is more convenient to remove the automation button during the installation of the case, since it is not fixed in it. We install it at the final stage of the assembly. To do this, we deflect the lower part of the case towards ourselves and start the button, placing it in the hole.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We combine the fasteners with the two lower grooves of the case.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

We fasten the two screws that secure the case. We put on the handle of the blocking gas valve, fix it with a screw. We open the gas supply to the column. We make a trial run.

Master class: annual gas water heater prevention

The result of the work done

We did not find excessive clogging when cleaning the column. Timely preventive maintenance is a guarantee that the column will not have to be repaired. It is imperative that it is also necessary to inspect the chimney of the column, because if it malfunctions, there is little sense in cleaning.

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Comments: 1
  1. Josiah Cooper

    Can you please provide some tips or guidelines on how to conduct annual gas water heater prevention? Specifically, what are the essential steps or tasks that should be included in this preventive maintenance routine?

    Reply
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