How to install a boiler with your own hands: instructions + photos and videos and step-by-step instructions

5 tips for choosing a location for a boiler

When the boiler is selected and purchased, you can proceed with its installation. First you need to fix it on the wall. When choosing a wall, it is imperative to take into account the dimensions and weight of the device when filled.

• The boiler should only be mounted on a load-bearing wall, since its weight in a filled state can exceed 100 kg.
• The boiler should be located as close as possible to the hot water delivery point.
• Take into account the dimensions of the product and its design features (vertical or horizontal arrangement, upper or lower communications connection).

The boiler is mounted on a load-bearing wall

The boiler can be mounted at any height. It should be remembered that in houses where the water pressure is "not very", raising the boiler to the ceiling is risky, the water may simply not reach it.

Features of using a flow type water heater

In the case of a stationary installation of an instantaneous water heater, a scheme for simultaneous supply and water intake is used. Installation is carried out in a parallel way to the water supply system of a private house or apartment. This method involves the installation of tees together with valves on each pipe. Due to this, if necessary, the flow-type heater can be completely excluded from the intra-apartment water supply system.

The cold water pipe is connected to the inlet of the boiler, and from the outlet of the device, it is connected to the hot pipe using a reinforced hose

In the case of installing a water heater in an apartment building, it is important to turn off the hot water valve on the central riser in order to prevent the heated liquid from getting into the water supply of the neighboring apartment

As you can see, it is quite simple to install a boiler of both flow-through and storage type and, quite possibly, do it yourself. And if someone still has questions, then the article provides a detailed video on inserting a water heater into the water supply system and connecting to an AC network.

Installing a gas heater

Installing a horizontal gas water heater is more complicated than an electric one. In this matter, it is better to turn to professionals. But in the case of self-installation, you must clearly follow the instructions, designations and rules. The height of the ceilings should be at least two meters, and the area of ​​the room should be more than 7.5 square meters. meters. In addition, the room must have a window, in addition, there must be a door in the room. Most often, such appliances are installed in the kitchen, next to the gas pipe.

A very good way to detect gas leaks is to install a gas analyzer. Such a device detects a propane leak and gives a warning signal. But ventilation is also required. For the gas water heater to work properly, a chimney must be connected to it. It can be included in the general system, or it can be brought out separately directly to the street. It should not have more than two right-angled bends, and its total length should not exceed three meters. When installing the equipment on a wooden wall, the chimney must not come into contact with it. It is imperative to lay thermal insulation, for example, from mineral wool.

You need to know that a gas water heater should not be placed on a load-bearing wall. The distance to the opposite wall must be at least one meter. Gas pipes cannot be installed in walls. But you also need to take into account that gas equipment cannot be placed above the stove. It is undesirable for the water heater to be constantly exposed to sunlight and overheat. In order to check the tightness of the gas pipes, you can use regular soap. It must be dissolved in a container of water, and then applied to the pipe joints with a brush. If bubbles appear, then there is a leak. And it must be urgently eliminated.Do not use fire to check pipes for leaks. This can lead to irreparable consequences.

Installation of a flow-through boiler

Due to the rapid heating of water, instantaneous boilers are equipped with rather powerful heating elements.

For this reason, special attention is paid to wiring. The cable cross-section must exceed 4 mm²

Be sure to find out the current strength of the machine to which the electrical wiring is laid. The current strength for one water heater should be within 32-40 A.

The installation of an electric boiler provides for two connection methods:

• temporary;
• stationary.

The temporary method of installing the boiler involves using a regular shower hose. The algorithm for connecting a temporary water heater is as follows:

• a tee is cut into a pipe with cold water;
• a shut-off valve is being installed;
• a flexible hose connects the tap to the boiler inlet;
• the tap and the water heater turn on;
• the boiler outlet opens;
• after 30-40 seconds hot water will pour out of it.

The stationary boiler installation scheme consists in a parallel water supply relative to the water supply system. The following steps are taken:

• two tees cut into a pipe with cold and hot water;
• cranes are being installed;
• for a high-quality device of all connections, fum tape or tow with paste is used;
• the boiler inlet is connected to the cold water supply pipe;
• the hot water outlet is connected to the stopcock;
• checking the tightness of the connections is carried out by opening the mixer and taps;
• if everything is in order, the water heater is connected to the electrical network.

Owners of an apartment in an apartment building must necessarily shut off the hot water riser. Otherwise, hot water will flow into the neighbors' plumbing system.

Installation of a storage water heater

Storage boilers are more common equipment. This is explained by the fact that they are cheaper and do not need to use powerful electrical wiring.

Do-it-yourself installation of a boiler begins with marking the place of its attachment. The distance between the mounting elements of the water heater is measured. It is transferred to the wall. 2 holes are drilled (depending on the boiler model, 4 holes may also be needed), dowels are inserted into them and hooks are twisted. The boiler is hung on hooks.

The connection of the boiler to the water supply system is carried out depending on whether the elements for connecting the pipes to the water heater are removed or not. If the connection point has already been prepared, then to connect the pipes to the inlet and outlet of the equipment, you can use flexible hoses, which are equipped with rubber gaskets.

The installation of a storage water heater involves the use of a valve, with the help of which the excess pressure in the system is reduced. It is recommended to use a T-piece that is located upstream of the shut-off valve. A tap is connected to the tee, which is designed to drain water during boiler maintenance.

In the absence of conclusions, they need to be drawn. In the presence of plastic pipes, the tie-in of the connecting elements is done for a maximum of 15-20 minutes. If the pipes are made of metal, then in addition to tees, a die will be needed, which should be the same size as the pipe diameter. In some cases, an adapter of the appropriate size will be required.

The sequence of actions is as follows:

• the water supply is turned off;
• at the point of attachment of the tee, pipes are cut;
• using a die, a thread is cut;
• the thread is wrapped with tow;
• tees (or adapters) are connected to the pipe;
• cranes are being installed.

Having connected cold water, you need to connect the outlet of the boiler with a tap that will regulate the supply of hot water. By connecting the water supply, hot and cold water taps are opened. It is waited until all the air has escaped from the hot water tap and water starts to flow. All connections are immediately inspected for leaks.

After all the air has been vented, the boiler is connected to the electrical network. The source can be either an outlet or a separate machine. Normal voltage supply will be indicated by a sensor on the boiler. Temperature control is carried out according to the equipment operating instructions.

Required tools for installing the storage heater

Any editing begins with the preparation of the instrumentation. If he is fully staffed, then the work will be done quickly and efficiently.

To install the boiler you will need:

• a drill with an impact mechanism or a hammer drill plus a set of drills for concrete;
• screwdriver;
• a grinder, if the water supply is assembled from metal pipes, or a pipe cutter - if made of plastic;
• a pair of gas wrenches or adjustable wrenches;
• building level;
• pliers.

Additionally, you may need a tool for installing pipe connections:

• for steel water supply: a welding machine and a set of dies for threading;
• for polypropylene: a heater for welding pipeline parts (it is called a soldering iron or iron);
• for metal-plastic: press tongs, if you intend to use press fittings, as well as calibration to align the end of the pipe before installing the fitting.

In addition to tools, you will need a sealing material to seal threaded connections between pipeline elements. For this, experienced craftsmen use tow or sanitary linen in combination with Unipak paste, while a beginner will find it easier to work with FUM-tape or special linen thread such as "Tanget Unilok".

Installation procedure

The boiler installation process includes the following steps:

• hanging on the wall;
• connection to the water supply;
• power supply connection.

Floor-standing boilers are also produced, but in everyday life you most often have to deal with wall-mounted ones. When filled, the device has a lot of weight, so it can only be attached to a solid wall.

In this case, it is important to choose the right diameter and length of the fasteners:

Sizing table for anchor bolts taking into account the volume of the water heater and wall material

Anchor bolts with hooks are the most convenient - you just need to hang the boiler on them after screwing it into the wall. But some devices do not have hooks for hanging on such bolts - they will require anchor bolts with Phillips screwdriver or Allen heads.

Water heater connection diagram

On a thin brick wall (half or even a quarter brick thick) or folded from foam blocks, gypsum blocks, reinforced gypsum, the water heater must be fastened using ordinary bolts that must penetrate the wall through and through. A washer with a thickness of 1.5 - 3 mm is installed under the nut, the diameter of which should be the larger, the heavier the boiler is and the thinner the wall is.

When fixing devices with a volume of more than 100 liters, pieces of corners are placed under the nuts, with the help of which the load is distributed over a sufficiently large area.

Anchor bolts located at the same height should lie on a strictly horizontal line, therefore, markings for them should be applied using a building level.

The distance between the boiler nozzles and the water pipes must be sufficient to accommodate all the necessary fittings (they are listed below). Usually 30-50 cm is sufficient.

Types of boilers

Modern boilers are of two types, significantly different from each other according to the principle of water heating:

1. Flowing - heats the water as it is used. The volume of hot water produced by such a water heater is unlimited. At the same time, the power consumption is very high.
2. Accumulative - have a reservoir in which water is heated by heating elements. The temperature of the water in the tank is maintained at a fixed level all the time.

The choice of a boiler with a different storage tank volume is based on several rules:

• 10-15 l - such a boiler will provide hot water for small household needs (for example, a washbasin);
• 50 l - this volume will be enough to supply hot water to a shower cabin;
• 80-100 liters - such a volume of hot water can satisfy all needs for it (bath, shower, kitchen sink).

In everyday life, storage boilers are more in demand. And this is quite justified, because they will provide several points with hot water at once. In addition, there will always be a supply of water in the house.

Preparatory work

Connecting a boiler to a water supply system with your own hands is not a super difficult task that any self-respecting owner can cope with.

Preparatory work for connecting the boiler includes:

1. Detailed study of the instructions attached to the boiler.
2. Installing the boiler on the wall.
3. Supply of water pipes to the boiler. If the boiler is located near the water supply system, and besides, it is open - the task is simplified, and this item can be omitted. Otherwise, the water supply must be connected to the boiler using metal-plastic or polypropylene pipes.
4. Preparation of the necessary tools: tape measure, pipe cutter, soldering iron for plastic pipes or welding, adjustable wrench.
5. Purchase of related materials: stopcocks, fittings, tees, pipes or flexible connecting hoses, American women, linen tow and fum tape.

Advice. When choosing accompanying fittings, keep in mind that cheap low-quality materials will not last long.

List of required tools

Before you learn how to properly connect the boiler to the water supply in the apartment, you should start selecting the right tools for the job. It should be noted right away that for the installation it is not necessary to use high-quality and expensive tools, most often, most of the indicated materials are at hand for every owner. If there are none, they can be easily purchased at construction points of sale.

Mounting can be done using:

• construction and assembly gun;
• hammer drill or electric drill;
• metal hooks;
• dowels;
• high quality hose;
• screws;
• cable;
• special branch pipes;
• the unit itself.

Special steel hooks with a diameter of 10 mm or more and dowels are used as fasteners for the tank. All this is fixed with a construction and assembly gun, if there is none, then the holes for the fasteners are made using a drill or a perforator.

If there is a layer of finishing material on the wall, you can use ten centimeter screws, their part made on the basis of plastic should be at least eight centimeters.

Do not use flexible hoses or cheap products when supplying water to the unit. They deteriorate very quickly and need frequent replacement. It is better to spend a little more money once on quality materials and be calm while using the installation. It is also not recommended to use metal products; copper components are ideal for such work.

What's better

To take into account all the necessary details, it is recommended to entrust the installation to specialists. In this case, the cost of installing a storage boiler will be more expensive, but you will receive a guarantee that your device will not fail tomorrow.

However, the assignment of such a responsible matter to outsiders, even professionals, is not to everyone's liking. Therefore, more and more users prefer to install the boiler with their own hands: we have provided a video of such work in our article just below. In addition, in the instruction manual for the product, the manufacturer usually cites the requirements for the correct installation of the boiler.Compliance with them step by step will allow you to do this difficult job successfully and get a number of advantages:

• Save time and money.
• Master the skills of installing a water heater, which will come in handy in case of repair work in the apartment or when servicing the water heater.

Not every boiler can be installed with your own hands: gas water heaters, for example, require only a professional approach. At the same time, the installation of an electric boiler is quite within the power of a beginner.

Boilers Termex

Some Tips

1. Before choosing a boiler, one should take into account not only the width and height of the wall to which the fastening will be made, but also how much the water heater will protrude forward. In addition, the installation of a boiler in an apartment, taking into account the specifics of the wall material, requires the selection of special fasteners.
2. Horizontal water heaters should only be installed horizontally. Vertical ones do not need to be placed on the floor: at the bottom of the water heaters there are devices that ensure their operation.
3. To connect the Termex water heater to the water supply system, it is recommended to use copper pipes in a plastic sheath. This is a more reliable option, in addition, during installation, such pipes look very neat.
4. It is possible to connect Termex to the network only with a full tank. Otherwise, it may fail.
5. It is not recommended to connect any other device in addition to the water heater to the same cable. In addition, the boiler must not be connected directly to the vending machine.
6. Even if the water heater is not in use, it is undesirable to drain water from it.

Advantages and disadvantages of an instantaneous water heater

Installation of a water heater

Advantages

1. Compact dimensions. The flow heater does not take up much space. At the same time, models of heaters are available for sale, complete with a mixer and a shower head, which allows additional savings.
2. Fast heating. Unlike storage-type models, flow-through heaters begin to produce warm water already 30-60 seconds after starting.
3. No restrictions on the volume of heated water. The user can get exactly as much hot water as he needs, in contrast to the storage tanks, the volume of which is limited.
4. Relatively low price.

disadvantages

1. Relatively high power consumption.
2. Demanding wiring, machine and meter.
3. Limited performance. This drawback is relevant only for low-power and compact budget models that can prepare hot water exclusively for the bathroom. If you need to arrange the wiring and the kitchen, you will have to spend more money to buy a more energy-intensive and dimensional model.

4. Comparatively expensive operation due to significant electricity consumption.

Instantaneous water heaters are best suited for houses and apartments equipped with electric stoves. In this case, the meter and wiring will already comply with regulatory requirements.

Fixed or temporary installation?

stationary layout

The stationary option for connecting an electric instantaneous or storage boiler is capable of providing simultaneous supply of cold and hot water. With this option, the work is performed simultaneously with the installation of the main water supply system. The essence of such an installation is to insert tees into the pipe and place valves on each of them. When using this connection method, it is possible to avoid installing an electric boiler in the water supply system. A heating element is used to connect to a pipe with cold water, and hot water is discharged using a flexible reinforced hose or a metal-plastic pipe, which is connected to a shut-off valve.

Installation of gas equipment

Naturally, it is forbidden to install a gas boiler from scratch. This should be done by employees of the gas service. You can independently replace a gas water heater when a meter is installed by representatives of the gas service.

When installing a gas water heater, the following work is performed:

• places for holes for dowels are marked;
• holes are drilled and hooks are mounted;
• a gas boiler is hung;
• the corrugation is attached, which removes carbon monoxide into the chimney;
• the gas pipe is connected to the hole through which gas enters the boiler;
• connections are checked;
• water is supplied to the boiler and the normal operation of the system is checked.

When installing the corrugation, one end of it must fit tightly with the elements of the chimney. The other end of the corrugation is put on the outlet of the water heater. Before purchasing the corrugation, all measurements are carefully made. Its inner diameter must match the outer dimensions of the boiler opening.

A special rubber hose is used to connect the gas pipe to the inlet. After the hose is securely fixed, all joints are covered with soapy water. The gas supply valve opens.

While the gas is directed to the boiler, you need to carefully inspect the connections. If soap bubbles appear in some area, this indicates a gas leak. With the help of a key, the nuts are tightened in the "problem" areas. If the leak could not be eliminated, it is better to contact the gas service specialists.

After correctly connecting the gas to the boiler, you need to supply water to it. Flexible hoses are also used for this. The water supply to the gas water heater is carried out in the same order as the electric boiler is connected.

The sequence of elements is shown schematically as follows: "pipe — adapter — tap — pipe — hose — water heater". The cold water inlet is marked in blue, the hot outlet in red. To increase the operating period of the boiler, a salt filter is installed on the pipe that supplies cold water.

Hot and cold water taps are opening. We check all connections. If there are leaks, they should be repaired by tightening the nuts or using a new tow. Gas is supplied and the hot water tap opens. Hot water should come out of the mixer after 20-30 seconds.

Important nuances of installing a boiler

When proceeding with the installation of an electric water heater with your own hands, you should decide on the most suitable place for its placement and the conditions that must be met so that the device can work correctly and safely.

Installation features

Do-it-yourself installation of a water heater should be done in such a way that it is easy to get to it and its operation control units and perform repairs or preventive maintenance of units.
The place of installation of the water heater can only be a load-bearing wall or a partition that can cope with a double weight load

In other words, if the owner purchased a model with a capacity of 100 liters, then it must be designed for a weight of at least 200 kilograms.
Attention should also be paid to the wiring in the room, which must cope with the full load. If work is carried out in an apartment where the wiring has not been changed for several decades, then it is advisable to bring a new cable of sufficient power to the water heater, taking care of its grounding

For example, if the capacity of the water heater is 2 kW, then you will have to lay a copper cable, the cross-sectional area of ​​which should be 2.5 square meters. mm or it can be replaced with an aluminum wire with a cross section of 3.5 sq. mm.
An inspection of the water pipes should be carried out to assess their condition. If damage is found, it is advisable to replace pipes by installing a metal-plastic pipeline even before installation.

Materials and tools

Even before starting work on installing a water heater with your own hands, you should take care of the availability of the necessary tools and materials:

• A hammer drill with a drill with a diameter of 10 mm, a tape measure, scissors for cutting metal-plastic pipes or a grinder.
• Wrench 24 x 27, 19 x 22, gas or adjustable wrench.
• Flat and Phillips screwdriver, pliers and wire cutters.
• Oiled tow, assembly paste or FUM tape.
• Shut-off valves - when installing a storage boiler, one will be enough, in the case of installing a flow-through one - two.
• Tees with a diameter of 0.5 "- in order to make an accurate choice, you should consider the type of boiler installed. It is possible that during operation you will have to use adapters with a diameter of 0.5-0.75 inches.
• Flexible reinforced hoses.
• Reinforced-plastic pipe - to determine the length of the pipeline, one should proceed from the specific installation conditions.

You should also be ready to lay new wiring or power lines. To carry out these works you will need:

• Three-core cable, corrugated hose.
• Circuit breaker or electrical outlet.

After preparing the tools and materials, you can proceed to the installation of the water heater and the assembly of pipes and valves.

Price for external installation

If, after studying the material on self-installation of the boiler, you still decide to trust the professionals, then the price range will vary depending on the required amount of work and the volume of the device:

• The basic installation of the device includes installation, sealing, connection to the network, as well as to the water supply, valve installation and safety instructions.
• Additional services include the installation of a tee, an automatic machine, taps and valves, as well as wall perforation and cable laying.

With the help of this list, you can understand that the cost of the service varies from the work done. Before making a decision, you need to weigh all the pros and cons, after which you may come to the idea of ​​self-installation. The most important thing is that now you know how to properly install the boiler. You never know what you can do till you try!

Cold water connection and hot outlet

Ithaca, boiler selected, consumables purchased, instrument ready. Self-installation of a boiler does not require permits from utilities, drafting projects and other documentary evidence. In practice, the connection diagram of the boiler to the water supply system is simple. The water heater must be connected to the water supply after the water meter, for example, at the place where the valve is installed on the toilet cistern. Usually, when piping around an apartment, a ½ inch diameter is used. The insertion of the tee for connecting the boiler should be started only after the cold water has been shut off for the entire apartment.

Diagram of connecting the boiler to the water supply.

To create a DHW line, a standard ½ ”fitting must be installed after the valve. All fittings, nuts and valves have a right-hand thread, that is, they must be tightened clockwise. For laying hot water, you can use ordinary fittings with a diameter of ½ "or ¾" - as you like, given the pipes already laid in the apartment. Practice shows that the average life of cheap fittings is 2-3 years, so it is better to buy high-quality fittings. For packing all threaded connections, linen tow is used together with assembly paste or FUM tape.

Both tow and FUM tape must be wound clockwise. Tow will be enough 3-4 turns, FUM tape - 15-20 turns, the excess will be squeezed out when twisting. Do not forget to install a non-return valve on the cold water inlet connection - it must be included with the boiler.The valve is screwed onto the coupling, and a fitting is screwed onto the outlet fitting to go to the inlet pipeline. In the same way, an adapter is placed on the outlet with hot water.

After installing the fittings, the boiler can be hung on the wall and the pipes for cold and hot water can be connected. Pipes are inserted into the fitting to the end; before this, the cut end must be flared a little. Do not use maximum force when tightening the nuts on the fitting, otherwise the non-ferrous metal nut may burst. When pressure testing (checking the water supply system under pressure), it is better to tighten the nuts later if undermining is found. For the entrance and exit of the boiler, ball valves are used, as they are more reliable in operation.

Conclusion

Inexpensive models of boilers are controlled by simple buttons or a rotary knob, a certain position of which gives a command to heat water to a particular temperature. They have an indicator in the form of an LED light switch built into the body or a toggle switch, by which you can navigate in the phases of the unit's operation.

Heater start and stop buttons

Rotary handle version

LCD model

More "advanced" heaters are equipped with an LCD display or a remote control, their operating modes can be set at your discretion, including time. Maybe all these functions are not so in demand, but they are necessarily present in modern smart home systems.