Emmersion Heater Help

[JakesterUK]

Our heating runs on oil, which we've unfortunatley just about run out of due to it being on 24/7 during the cold spell and we can't get a delivery until early next week, heating wise we'll be OK as we've a woodburner and several other heaters throughout the place.

If the boiler ever plays up we normally just turn on the emmersion heater so we have a hot water supply, but when I turned it on tonight it trips the power out.

re-set the trip and the power comes back on again fine, but every time you turn on the emmersion we're in darkness.

can anyone over any advice on.

1. What's causing this.
2. Any suggestions of how to fix?

Thanks

[xllifts]

Yep the immersion element has corroded and each time you switch it on it shorts out !

New immersion element required turn of cold supply to tank drain off as much hot water you can, remove element and replace with new turn on cold supply, switch on immersion fingers crossed it'll work

[JakesterUK]

xllifts said:

Yep the immersion element has corroded and each time you switch it on it shorts out !

New immersion element required turn of cold supply to tank drain off as much hot water you can, remove element and replace with new turn on cold supply, switch on immersion fingers crossed it'll work

OK great, thanks silly question but I'm assumming there's loads of differnt type immersion elements avaialble or is there a standard type one?

[Ferg]

Generally 11" or 14" Side entry.
27", 30" or 36" Top entry (27" is most common)

If you've never changed one before prepare for a whole world of hurt......
A sharp tap on an Immersion Heater spanner is best, gradual force is more likely to rip the boss out of the cylinder. Check price and availability on the cylider at the same time.....

[JakesterUK]

Ferg said:

Generally 11" or 14" Side entry.
27", 30" or 36" Top entry (27" is most common)

If you've never changed one before prepare for a whole world of hurt......
A sharp tap on an Immersion Heater spanner is best, gradual force is more likely to rip the boss out of the cylinder. Check price and availability on the cylider at the same time.....

Thanks just crawled around the boiler again and it's a Heatrae Sadia 27" Gold dot.

Is the world of hurt because these things don't come out of the boilers without a fight?

[x type]

Before you change the whole thing , turn off the power to it ,should be a small screw on the top to remove the cover ,look at the wiring on the top of the element
Mine was burned to hell and back and shorted out , whoever put it in originally didn't use heat resistant wire
changed the wire and it is still working 5 yrs later and a lot cheaper

[Simpo Two]

You can have my old but never used (never been wired up) immersion heater if Ferg ever gets back to me with that quote to change my HW cylinder!

[JakesterUK]

x type said:

Before you change the whole thing , turn off the power to it ,should be a small screw on the top to remove the cover ,look at the wiring on the top of the element
Mine was burned to hell and back and shorted out , whoever put it in originally didn't use heat resistant wire
changed the wire and it is still working 5 yrs later and a lot cheaper

Thanks, I'll give it a try first

[hairyben]

Use an alloy not copper immersion heater. They cost a couple quid more but last better.

You'll need an immersion heater spanner, box type is best. loosen the heater before draining. If it wont loosen tap it gently with a hammer and/or use a blow lamp to warm up the thread. You can change a top entry immersion without draining, so long as the supplys are shut off (supply pipe at bottom, hot feed out at top, 2x side entrys for boiler loop), you'll get a gallon or so of seepage which can be caught with a dustsheet/old towells etc stuffed around the base. A bit of PTFE tape on the thread of the new one is a good idea. Take care not to overtighten (or over-stress when untightening) as you can buckle a cylinder.

[rovermorris999]

What Hairy said. Definitely get the alloy type, they're well worth it.