How to properly connect the boiler to the mains?

water heater application The use of an electric boiler for heating is very rarely said,but still there is such an option. It is recommended to use it if the room has no complicated heating system, and the capacity of the unit is sufficient for normal operation( usually 1 kW can serve 10 sq.m.).In order to heat a small house it is necessary to additionally install a circulation pump, otherwise hot water can not effectively spread through the radiators( there is not enough pressure).

We draw your attention to the fact that there are devices of storage and flow type. The first option of the electric boiler spends less energy for heating, but requires a certain place to accommodate the tank. The second option is more compact, but because of its increased power consumes an order of magnitude more electricity.

Requirements for electrical work

To readers of "Sam Electrician" did not put their lives in danger and could easily connect an electric boiler to the network, we provide a few simple rules that should be taken into account:

1. Be sure to turn off the electricity on the main panel during installation work.
2. Connect the wires only through the terminal blocks or by soldering. No "grandfather" twists should not be.
3. Take care of the protection of the RCD water heater and earth. If there is a two-wire network in the house, be sure to make a ground system on the site. As for the apartments of the old type - Khrushchev, in which there is often no grounding, then you can get out of the situation by connecting the boiler through the RCD and the machine. It is also possible to connect to the mains via a difa-automat, which combines two types of protection. In the event that there is no "land" in the country, no difficulties should arise, becausePE protection is not difficult to do by one's own hands.
4. As the water will pass next to the electrical appliances, take care of the quality protection of the electrical wiring against moisture ingress. Acquire sockets with a degree of protection not less than IP44, the circuit breaker and RCD must be in a waterproof housing.
5. If the unit will be connected directly to the network( not through the socket), use a non-combustible VVGGG cable or its higher-quality version - NYM.
6. Attachments to the wall must be reliable. Typically, the capacity of the tank can reach 100 liters. The thickness of the anchor in this case should be at least 8 mm. It is not recommended to install a boiler on a drywall wall. In this case, it is better to place the water heater on the floor.

Basic process

Instructions for connecting the boiler will be provided from the point where the entire heating system is brought to the installation site of the unit. All you have to do is hang the water heater on the wall and connect it to the power supply.

Wall fixing

We will consider a more complicated variant when installing a storage-type boiler,the installation of a pass-through water heater is less labor-intensive( due to the smaller weight and dimensions of the product).First, you need to mark the wall in accordance with the location of the fasteners. To do this, we measure the distance necessary to install the fixing ears, and transfer it to the wall. Be sure to use the building level, so that the ears are placed horizontally.

Any bias will affect the operability of the unit, and therefore its service life and efficiency of use. The tank should be placed perfectly evenly in both the horizontal and vertical planes.

After marking we take a drill, drill holes in the wall and drive in them dowels. Then screw in them anchor hooks and hang the boiler on the wall, as shown in the photo below.

Do not worry about the decorative finish of the walls. If even the repair in the apartment has already been made, with a careful installation you will not damage the surface. Detailed instructions for installing and connecting a wall-mounted boiler can also be seen in the video example:

wall Wiring

When the product is securely attached to the wall, it is necessary to wire it to the wall. Consider the two existing options for connecting the wiring from the meter.

Option 1 - Powered by

This option is used if the unit's power does not exceed 3.5 kW.In this case, it is necessary to connect the outlet to the connection point of the boiler to the mains, as shown in the diagram above. The minimum cross-section of the cable should be 2.5 mm.kv.(veins of copper).It is recommended to calculate the cable cross-section in advance so that it can withstand the loads that arise.

Option 2 - Powered by

If you purchased a device with a capacity of more than 3.5 kW, it is forbidden to use power from the outlet, because it simply can not withstand such a load. In this case, it is necessary to connect the cable to the water heater directly from the distribution switchboard installed in the apartment or house.

Please note that it is possible to connect the boiler to a single-phase network in the event that its power is not more than 4 kW.If the rated power is higher, the network must be three-phase( 380 V voltage).

After you have decided on the way to connect the boiler to electricity, you need to power the device and move on to the next stage.

Installation of

protection As you will be dealing with powerful equipment, as well as the close location of water and current, when building a heating system, care must be taken to protect the boiler and yourself.

First of all, it is necessary to connect the RCD and the circuit breaker to the line that will service the unit. If power is supplied from the outlet, it is recommended to install protective equipment on the switchboard. In the event that power is supplied directly from the shield, the protection devices must be near the facility itself so that it can be conveniently and safely maintained. Do not forget that when you close the RCD and AB, you must protect the devices from moisture. For this, it is recommended to place the products in a sealed box.

In a 220 V network, it is absolutely necessary to connect the electric boiler via a two-pole circuit breaker. Remember the important rule - the automation is installed with the upper connection of the introductory phase and zero.

First start-up of the

When all the electrical work is finished, the equipment must be started. The first step is to check all connections of wires and pipes for integrity and tightness. If no deviations are detected, you can start powering up. To do this, first open the valves on the pipes( cold and hot circuit), after which you can turn on the machine and the RCD.We strongly recommend that you review the video instruction in which the whole process is clearly illustrated:

pipeline In conclusion

It is recommended to install an electric boiler for heating for small houses and apartments. In cottages and spacious private homes it is better to connect an electric boiler, tk.it is more powerful and able to heat the room more efficiently. If you are still tuned to use this type of water heater, be sure to add a circulating pump to the system so that hot water under pressure passes into the radiators, thereby effectively warming up the rooms.
Related:

• Which is better: a differential or RCD?
• Economical house heating system
• Proper grounding of a private house