How to turn off a gas boiler for conservation: methods, detailed instructions and safety requirements

Modern gas equipment is attractive because it does not require frequent repairs or any serious maintenance. All maintenance work is carried out by representatives of the gas service, with whom the home owners enter into an agreement. But when there is no longer a need for heating or water heating, it’s not difficult to turn off the boiler yourself, right?

Why not perform the equipment shutdown procedure yourself, rather than paying to call a specialist? In this article, we will analyze all the intricacies of this process - consider information on how to turn off a gas boiler while observing safety rules.

Especially for those who are used to doing household chores with their own hands, we offer 4 ways to preserve the boiler, which will reliably protect the heating system during downtime. After all, it is not enough to simply dial a combination of buttons to turn off the unit - it is necessary to properly preserve all connected equipment. Let's take a closer look at how best to do this.

Reasons for turning off the gas boiler

A gas boiler is the real “heart” of a private home. It provides heat to the building and dual-circuit models - and hot water.

Thanks to the electronic filling, the main processes - turning on, turning off, switching to another mode, adjusting the temperature - are carried out automatically, without human intervention.The owner needs to set the program by pressing, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, the appropriate buttons or keys.

Gas boilers are preferred because of the cheapest fuel - gas. Solid fuel units or wood stoves are more often installed if there is no gas main nearby

Shutting down may be necessary for various reasons:

• moving to another place of residence;
• seasonal shutdown for the warm period;
• emergency shutdown due to boiler breakdown and the impossibility of quick repair or replacement;
• scheduled stop for maintenance – removing deposits, flushing the internal circuit or cleaning soot;
• connection of other heating or hot water equipment;
• disabling one of the functions - for example, heating, etc.

Most often you need to turn off the heating. To do this, the operation of 1-circuit units is completely stopped, and for 2-circuit units, only one line is shut off - the heating line.

Double-circuit models perform 2 functions: heating and hot water. Since hot water is also required in the summer, the water heating circuit is left in operation, and the hot water supply line continues to be operated as usual

Many modern models have the option to switch to summer mode. At the same time, the boilers do not fail - they also continue to work, maintaining the optimal temperature and keeping the system “ready” for active start-up at any time.

In summer, especially in the northern regions, there are also cold snaps and even frosts, so the existing equipment turns out to be useful.

Step-by-step instructions for disabling

If the gas burner does not light or goes out immediately after switching on, automatic shutdown often occurs for inexplicable reasons, popping noises occur, the temperature of the water in the circuit does not correspond to the indicators, noise uncharacteristic for the operation of the unit is heard, there is a water leak in the housing, the pressure drops - the equipment should be turned off immediately .

If, upon entering the house, you smell gas, do not turn on the lights, electrical appliances or light a fire. Immediately call your service provider, turn off the equipment and turn off the gas

The shutdown procedure for boilers is carried out differently, but the main stages are similar.

Using the Baxi model as an example, let’s look at how to properly and quickly turn off a gas boiler:

1. Shut off the fuel supply by turning the gas shut-off valve.
2. Leave the fan running for another 15 minutes.
3. Turn off the fan, stop the smoke extraction system.
4. Wait until the temperature in the circuit is below +30 °C, turn off circulation pump.
5. Turn off the power by turning the switch to the “Off”, “0” or other position specified by the manufacturer.
6. Carry out conservation work on the boiler and related equipment.

Not all systems drain the water completely. Some manufacturers recommend adding a liquid to the coolant that prevents the formation of lime deposits. Recognized as the most effective for household communications propylene glycol or antifreeze with special additives.

When force majeure situations occur, you have to quickly figure out how to quickly turn off the gas boiler, while maintaining the functionality of the system and not harming yourself. Next we will consider special cases.

Sometimes, when there is overheating or lack of draft, the boiler automatically turns off. It stops working, and accordingly, the heating of the house stops. If automatic shutdown occurs very often, 5 times in 15 minutes, you should turn off the gas and contact the service department.

When gas equipment automatically turns off, an error code is displayed on the electronic display. In this case, you need to find this code in the instructions and act according to the manufacturer’s recommendations

Problems in the smoke removal system also automatically stop the unit. It usually shows an error on the display and stops working for 12-15 minutes and then turns back on. If the problems are not resolved during this time, an automatic shutdown occurs again - and so on until the problem is completely eliminated. To clean the gas exhaust channel, turn off the gas and turn off the boiler.

Many boilers are frost protected automation. The protection works if the boiler sensors are connected to the power supply, the system pressure is normal and the gas is not shut off.

In case of any malfunction, if the temperature of the coolant in the circuit drops below + 8-10 ° C (depending on the model), the operation of the unit is suspended. As a last resort, if you cannot quickly cope with the circumstances - turn on the boiler and get it functioning - you can try to drain the water so that the pipes and parts of the unit do not rupture.

Methods for preserving gas boilers

Let's consider the main methods of preserving heating equipment, but with one caveat - not all are used in home maintenance. Some of the methods are more suitable for equipment installed in production plant workshops.

For home maintenance, alkalis are used - caustic or soda ash. It is not recommended to use acidic reagents on your own; hydrochloric or sulfuric acid can only be used by qualified specialists

The process of preservation of the heating circuit is preceded by a preparatory stage, which includes several points:

• Disconnecting the boiler from the gas main and central water supply, installing plugs. If water is supplied by the pumping station, the pump stops.
• Removing water or other coolant from the system.
• Cleaning internal surfaces from scale.
• Washing boiler parts and circuit.

Professional cleaning of calcium deposits can only be carried out by specialists - and the service organization has such a service. There are two most effective and simple ways to remove scale - chemical, mechanical (manual cleaning), but the first is considered the most effective.

The internal parts of the boiler, on which large deposits have appeared, are ground with a power tool, and scale in hard-to-reach places is removed manually, with brushes or scrapers.

Method #1 - dry stop

Dry preservation is carried out in production, usually for maintenance activities or during routine inspections, when it is necessary to stop production for up to 30 days. It consists of completely freeing equipment and pipelines from liquid and further drying.

The procedure is called "dry stop". It is applicable to any models of boilers, regardless of pressure, but is contraindicated for units in which the drums are connected to the pipeline with rolling connections

Procedure:

• Natural coolant cooling.
• Stopping the boiler.
• Displacement of liquid under pressure of 0.8-1.0 MPa.
• Drying the system naturally or by ventilation.
• Installation of trays with desiccants in the collectors - quicklime or calcium chloride grains.
• Closing the firebox and flue, plugs - complete sealing of the system.

At home, water is drained through special taps installed at the bottom of the pipeline. Then they carry out repair or maintenance work and leave the equipment in a “dry” state until the next heating season.

The drain valve is a shut-off valve that must be installed when installing a heating system. Most often, brass models are used, selected according to the diameter of the pipe.

Reverse filling the circuits with coolant produced using a pump. The heating function is activated only after the pipeline has been completely filled with water, circulation has been checked and diagnostics have been carried out.

This method is the only correct one if it is necessary to stop the boiler operation for the winter or for an even longer period.

Method #2 - wet preservation option

I use wet preservation if I need to stop the boiler for a short period. The main goal is to keep the equipment in working condition, protect against corrosion, and prevent oxygen from entering the circuit.

To fill pipes at home, a special liquid is used that prevents the formation of rust. It is sold in specialized stores in concentrated or ready-to-use form.

For regions with severe frosts, liquids that do not freeze at low temperatures are used. For example, concentrated antifreeze is in a liquid state down to -60 °C.To prevent the substance from thickening, it is diluted with water. But we must remember that the freezing point of an aqueous solution increases.

Antifreeze has other disadvantages:

• “eats” rubber;
• has a high degree of fluidity;
• cannot tolerate overheating - turns into acid;
• expensive.

Instead of antifreeze, use a solution of sodium sulfate at a rate of 10 g/liter of water. The liquid poured into the system is heated to displace the air, and then all holes are hermetically sealed. A pressure test pump is used to pump water into the circuit.

Method #3 - gas preservation

For private houses, the gas preservation method is not used, since this requires special equipment and professional skills.

The essence of the technology is that gas is released into the pipes, which, when in contact with metal, unlike oxygen, does not cause corrosion. These gases include argon, ammonia, helium, nitrogen.

Some types of gas are hazardous to health, and without following safety regulations, you can easily get poisoned or get burned. All procedures are carried out strictly according to the instructions and in protective clothing.

The conservation process is complex and is carried out in several stages:

• the system is washed with deaerated water;
• connect the gas cylinder and gearbox, controlling blood pressure;
• fill the circuit with gas, displacing water;
• close the drain valve;
• when the indicator is 0.013 MPa, the gas supply is stopped;
• close the pipe, turn off the cylinder.

The main condition for gas conservation is lack of air in the system, therefore, throughout the entire period of inactivity it is necessary to monitor its tightness.

Method #4 - applying excess pressure

High-pressure preservation technology is usually used in enterprises where all conditions are created for this. It is used for water heating and steam equipment.

The main task is to prevent oxygen from entering the system. To do this, a pressure above atmospheric is created inside the circuit, while the usual coolant is replaced with deaerated water

The overpressure method is suitable if it is necessary to stop the operation of a gas boiler for a short period of time - up to 10 days. Typically, during this period, repair work not related to water heating equipment is carried out.

What rules must be followed?

When carrying out measures to preserve boilers in production, they are guided by the requirements set out in RD 34.20.591-97 "Guidelines for the conservation of thermal mechanical equipment."

The same standards should be observed by owners of equipment installed in private homes.

If you are not confident in your knowledge or skills, contact your service organization. Specialists will carry out work to shut down the boiler and preserve the equipment in compliance with all safety requirements

What you need to remember if you decide to mothball your heating or hot water equipment yourself:

• Before any repair work, the gas must be shut off. The main valve is installed at the gas pipeline entry into the house.
• Even the slightest ingress of oxygen into the system will cause corrosion of boiler parts and pipelines, so you need to choose one of the preservation methods and follow it strictly according to the instructions.
• When working with chemical reagents, you must protect your body parts with thick clothing, wear comfortable shoes, gloves and a mask.
• To keep the pipes and components of the unit in working condition, it is necessary to observe the dosage when diluting concentrated compounds and dry chemicals.
• Work with explosive or flammable substances may only be carried out by specialists.
• Upon completion of work, it is necessary to turn off the power supply to additional equipment - for example, a pump.

The above rules must be followed to protect your own health and preserve the equipment.

After a long period of inactivity, the heating and water heating system will require re-preservation - a process that also requires compliance with certain rules.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Some boilers are very easy to turn off:

About transferring a modern model to summer mode and possible errors:

One way to drain the heating system:

If you are leaving home for a long time, you should not leave gas equipment without stopping first. In the absence of the owners, an unforeseen situation may occur that can deprive you of not only the heating system, but also your home. It is better to first consult with specialists on how to turn off the heating and stop the gas boiler, and act according to the recommendations.

Qualified cleaning and preservation can also only be carried out by professionals. Automatic shutdown or switching to a more suitable mode can be done independently, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, but only if you leave the house for a short period of time.

Do you have any questions during the process of self-preservation of gas equipment? Ask for advice from our experts and other site visitors, participate in the discussion - the comment form is located below.