How to check a water heater heating element

Currently, boilers for heating water have become widely popular. Their use is relevant not only for people living in houses. Such equipment is often installed at various enterprises, in hostels, as well as catering establishments and other areas. And water heating in such installations occurs thanks to the heating element. But sometimes this component breaks down, causing the water to no longer heat up, and there is a need for urgent repairs.

That is why we decided to tell you about ways to test the heating element for functionality, as well as about the most common breakdowns of the part.

How to check the heating element for serviceability

Inside the heating element there is a wire spiral having a high electrical resistivity. And at the moment current is passed through it, it heats up. This helps fill the space between the spiral and the body with heat, which is why the water is heated. But sometimes heating devices stop performing their direct function, and the main reason for this is the breakdown of the heating element

Checking 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 touch them to the terminals of the component.If the spiral is broken, then the value “1” will appear on the device, which will replace the real resistance. And this is the same as endless resistance. This indicates that there is a break in the circuit, and the part must be urgently replaced.

But in situations where “0” appears on the device display, they will indicate a short circuit has occurred. And in this case, an urgent replacement of the component will also be required to resume heating the water.

It is also mandatory to check for current leakage. For these purposes, we activate the buzzer mode on the multimeter. We lean one probe against the terminal, and the second against the body of the heating element. If the buzzer makes a characteristic squeak, the part needs to be replaced.

Checking with a contact lamp

You can check the heating element without a multimeter, using a test light. This device includes two copper wires with one core. Probes are located at one end, and the opposite ends are connected to the cartridge. The latter contains a 220 V lamp, which is protected by a durable casing. If you want to make such a device, you can do it yourself, and this task will be simple even for an inexperienced craftsman.

In order to check the heating element, you will need to connect a zero from the network to the first contact, and a test lamp to the second contact. If the light comes on, then there is no break, but in the opposite situation, an urgent replacement of the part will be required.

The most common causes of breakdowns

There can be many malfunctions in the operation of heating elements, but there are the most common breakdowns, which will be presented below.

1. The filament coil has burnt out.
2. Shorted the glow wire going to the body of the part.Using equipment with this type of malfunction may result in electric shock.
3. A large layer of scale 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 if this reason is not eliminated in a timely manner, 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, save yourself from unnecessary financial waste, you just need to regularly check the part using the methods indicated above!