INTENDED USERS
Instructions in this document are intended for use
by qualified operators and maintenance personnel.
Some procedures require setting and testing parts
inside the heater electrical control panel while it is
open and electrical power is turned on.
Qualified persons are those who fully understand
electrical shock hazards and how to avoid them.
They also know how to take necessary precautions
against being burned when working around hot
surfaces and water heated to temperatures close to
its boiling point.
CALCIUM CLEAN-OUT
Build up of calcium inside the heater can be a mat-
ter of serious concern. Excessive buildup can lead
to heater malfunctions and heater damage. The rate
of calcium buildup varies widely depending on the
amount of calcium in the water supply and operat-
ing conditions.
Frequency of checks and down-time
The heater should be checked at least once a
month while in regular use to make sure calcium
buildup has not reached a point that affects opera-
tion of the heater. If no adverse signs are found,
the checks can be made less frequently. However,
if the heater is moved to a new location or if the
water supply is changed, revert back to monthly
checks.
When excessive calcium buildup is found you need
to plan down-time for clean-out. You may need to
allow a full day for clean-out. Do not delay any
longer than absolutely necessary.
Symptoms of excessive build-up
In due time you should be able to judge when it’s
time for a clean-out by the appearance of calcium
buildup on the packing in the heater.
In order to inspect the packing, shutdown the
heater and allow it to cool. Then open the lower
access door and pull out several pieces of pack-
ing (Fig. 2) from the center of the heater. You will
need to remove packing until you are near the
bottom center of the packing column. Calcium will
build up here first.
As you continue to check packing at regular inter-
vals you should also watch for other symptoms of
calcium buildup.
One symptom is the inability to heat the water to
the desired temperature as you have in the past.
Another symptom is an abnormally high stack
temperature and excessive vapor from the stack.
Another symptom is discoloration of the outside of
the heater shell.
We strongly recommend that you do not wait until
these symptoms appear. Instead you should devel-
op your ability to judge buildup by inspecting the
packing as indicated earlier.
Figure 2. Checking packing for calcium buildup.
Cleaning methods
There are two methods for cleaning calcium from
your heater. The first method requires shutting it
down and removing all the packing. The packing
must be soaked in a chemical intended for dissolv-
ing calcium. Once the calcium has been removed
from the packing, rinse it and put it back in the
heater.
The second method is to clean the inside of the
heater and packing simultaneously. This is done
by introducing a chemical cleaner into the top of
the heater. Do this while circulating water from
the reservoir through the heater with the burner
off. This may take several hours, depending on the
amount of calcium buildup.
To circulate its water, first fill the reservoir. Then
temporarily install a pipe or hose from the water
outlet valve to the secondary water connection
Publication 1-10-218
Page 2
To Next Page
Loading...