Cleaning the gas boiler yourself

During operation, any mechanism or device is gradually polluted. Gas boiler is no exception. During the operation of the unit, it is exposed to a wide variety of substances, and the principle of operation of the device implies considerable loads on components and parts, with most of the work done in the gas boiler. Conducting timely inspection and maintenance work is one of the necessary conditions for the operation of the entire heating system. How do you clean the gas boiler with your own hands? This will be discussed in the article.

Why does the boiler need to be cleaned?

First you need to give some general description of the question. The operation of the gas boiler system is based on the processes and methods of transferring thermal energy produced during the combustion of gas. The gas burned by the burners heats the heat exchanger and the water circulating inside it. Water, spread through the heating pipes, gives off heat to the room and comes back for heating, and the cycle repeats. The main load at the same time falls on the gas boiler, inside which the combustion of the fuel takes place and a heat exchanger is installed. These elements need to be cleaned first.

If the theoretical side of the question of how to clean the gas heating boiler is clear, then you can start work.

It is necessary to disconnect the boiler from all systems, that is, to shut off water, gas and de-energize the elements.

To conduct the procedure as follows:

• The gas boiler cover opens.
• Next, remove the cover of the combustion chamber of the boiler. There should be no difficulties. Using a screwdriver, several screws are removed and access to the camera is opened. By the way, already at this stage a considerable amount of contamination can be detected inside the chamber, especially if the boiler is equipped with a system of turbines forcing air.
• Then you need to remove the heat exchanger and clean it. As mentioned above, this is done with the help of water with active substances. In places of accessibility, you can additionally apply a brush, but it is worth considering that in this case it is possible to damage the wall covering, rather than provoking a greater accumulation of contamination in the future. In addition, you can do it easier and take the heat exchanger to a car wash, where you can wash it with special tools.
• When the heat exchanger is cleaned, it remains to remove contamination from the nozzles of gas burners and you can return everything in place. Reassemble in the reverse order.

Burner cleaning

During the operation of gas burners, carbon deposits are gradually formed, which accumulate and may interfere with the proper operation of the unit. Element cleaning involves mechanical removal of contaminants. This can be done in various ways - remove the carbon with special brushes or apply chemical solvents. Here everything will depend on the degree of contamination.

Heat exchanger cleaning

As for cleaning the heat exchanger, then the situation will be somewhat more complicated. The fact is that the element is exposed not only to external influences, but also is polluted from the inside, and therefore the question of its cleaning requires more detailed consideration.

Cleaning outside

Externally, the heat exchanger has some similarities with the automotive radiator of the cooling system. It is a tube bent into a coil and surrounded by transverse plates that serve to increase the efficiency of heating. Plates are usually made of metals having a high thermal conductivity. Over time, the plates of the heat exchanger are covered with carbon from the gas flame, which accumulates and hinders the normal functioning of the device. The element is cleaned in the same way as gas burners are cleaned - using brushes or chemicals and a sponge, the external surface of the heat exchanger is cleaned of dirt.

Cleaning the inside

As mentioned above, during operation of the gas heating system, water is circulated and heated inside the heat exchanger. Salts contained in its composition are gradually deposited on the walls of the pipes and reduce not only their physical permeability, but also affect the heat transfer, as a result of which the overall system efficiency is noticeably reduced, therefore cleaning is necessary. The process is usually carried out with the help of chemicals that are added to the water. As such active substances, various acids can be used, such as adipic, sulfamic or even citric. In addition, there are special gels and compositions for cleaning the pipe from scale, so you can use them.

After cleaning the gas boiler, a trial run of the system should be carried out for troubleshooting.

Cleaning the gas boiler is a necessary part of measures to prevent serious malfunctions. In addition, due to the procedure, considerable savings can be achieved, since the contaminated elements reduce heat transfer, which leads to fuel consumption up to 10–15%, which is a considerable amount for the season.

Work with gas equipment should be carried out by qualified specialists. A gas boiler is not a testing ground and improper assembly or damage to any element can lead to an explosion of the equipment.

Video

This video shows how to clean the gas boiler Mayak 12 KS from soot:

Flushing the heat exchanger of a double-circuit gas boiler is important to improve its heat transfer. With the progress of the work you can find out by watching the video: