How fragile are immersion heaters?

[Deluded]

So I went for it and replaced our broken immersion heater element. Took about an hour in all and seemed to be a job well done.

Let the water refill the tank and noticed that it was leaking slightly. Having not tested the heater yet, I turned in on and after a few seconds, it started making noises, as they do. So I turned it off and de-wired it to tighten it further.

I tightened it as much as I could and used a hammer on the spanner to tighten it a little further. The leak as stopped now but the immersion heater doesnt work. I have wired it up exactly as I did the first time but its just not working. I checked the fuse and its fine too. Circuit breaker hasnt been tripped either.

Could the hammer on the spanner have broken the heating element somehow? Are they that fragile?

Edited by Deluded on Wednesday 1st July 23:27

[Gingerbread Man]

What is the resistance across the immersion? Should be 19ish Ohms.

I would have used a jointing compound like LSX or similar to aid in the water seal.

You could have been unlucky and been supplied with a dodgy one?

[Deluded]

I don't have a meter to check the resistance unfortunatly.

I'm going to empty the tank and take it back anyway. Was from B&Q so they will replace it no problem. I'll also get some kind of sealant this time too. It has leaked a tiny bit over night so definatly needs something.

Cheers

[PH5121]

To aid the seal you could use a product such as'boss white',which I think is a linseed oil based compound. (I have used it in the past as it was all I had when changing an element).

[Deluded]

Yup, that was my plan. Just been searching B&Qs website for that LSX stuff and the boss white came up. Not bad price either.

[Simpo Two]

Let's see - you hammered it and then it didn't work.

Hmm.








Nope, I have no idea what broke it, sorry!

[Deluded]

I didn't hammer the actual heater. Just lightly tapped the spanner.

[zcacogp]

Not the most helpful post, possibly, but do go for the sealant compounds and don't try brute force. It is possible to tear a thin-walled copper cylinder by exerting too much welly on an immersion heater spanner.


Oli.