Immersion heater literally never works can I get help please?
Posted by sloppybhoy99@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 28 comments
[removed]
Posted by sloppybhoy99@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 28 comments
[removed]
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
If it warms the water but no more, likely the heating element has gone. Assuming you rent, put pressure on the landlord/agent via the council.
sloppybhoy99@reddit (OP)
Unfortunately it’s going through the landlord that’s left the problem unresolved, I’m happy to do it myself if it isn’t too much of a ball ache
Yippym@reddit
You can potentially damage the immersion heater, it is best to get your landlord to act. They are required to fix the hot water within a short timeframe, you then notify the council about your dodgy landlord.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
In some cases it can legally be classed as an emergency and the landlord has 24-48 hours to either fix it, or provide some kind of temporary remedy or bodge.
darS234@reddit
Don’t touch it! The tank looks old so the element can be corroded to the tank. If you damage it or it leaks you’re in a whole world of pain!
100+ litres of water will cause some serious damage.
AllThatIHaveDone@reddit
That's why I said to pressure them to fix it properly via your council. There'll be an environmental health/housing enforcement team who will be able to do more if your landlord won't listen to you.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
Pretty sure having no hot water is considered an emergency and landlords have a legal timeframe to fix it, no?
Old_Introduction_395@reddit
Are you in a hard water area? My mum's immersion got less efficient, then sprung a leak. It was completely full of timescale.
Bossman_Mike@reddit
I had an immersion heater in a hard water area. Every few years one of the elements would fail due to scaling up, often splitting and letting water in which would trip the electrics.
It was a "pain in the arse job" to fix and plumbers got huffy about being asked to do it.
Nipsy_uk@reddit
Blimey, A fortic! not seen one of those in a while, they were popular when I was an Apprentice.
First test electric to the imersion heater. A cheap test scredriver will do the trick 2nd if you have electric, check the thermostat is working, should be live on both sides.
tbh call a plumber, seriously, if you get those tests wrong it could kill you.
if those pass. you need a new immersion fitted (most likely result). not a diy job on a unit of that age.
ArsePucker@reddit
I remember having a similar one , except ours had a copper coil in it instead of an element. The back boiler was heated from the coal fire, that hot water was then pumped thru the coil, that heated the water tank. Radiators were also fed off that back boiler. So no coal fire, no heating or hot water!
Guess who was first home from school and whose job it was to start the coal fire?? Don’t get me started on Feckin coal bunkers either!
jawide626@reddit
I had one of these in my last flat, see that bolt, unscrew it and you'll see the end of the element under it. Make sure it's off at the wall first though.
Then you'll be faced with a small dial and a pinhole to reset it, first things first use a straightened paperclip, a sewing needle, or a toothpick to press the 'reset' button firmly. If it clicks then it means the element tripped but you've now untripped it. If no click then turn the dial up a little bit (like to the next hour if it was a clockface) and turn it on and see if you have hot water after an hour.
If no to both, then could you have a timer that's in the 'off' position rather than the 'on' or 'timer' position?
If no to that then you need a new element and if you rent then harrass the landlord (it's a cheap and easy fix for an electrician) or if you own then get an electrician out to do it (again, cheap and easy fix).
badger906@reddit
The black thing at the bottom. That’s your heating element. Unscrew it and pull it out. Measure it, and order a replacement. Dead easy, no water to worry about
Superspark76@reddit
Usually both the kitchen switch and the one in the cupboard would need to be on for the boiler to work. The one in the cupboard is there for safe isolation for someone to work on the element.
If the switches do not work it would likely be a faulty element or thermostat
taught-Leash-2901@reddit
Likely either the element or thermostat - though it's worth taking that little cover off to check the wiring isnt heat damaged.
You should flip the breaker to kill power before commencing any work (including before removing the cover). Ideally you should have a multimeter - to check that it is the correct breaker and the circuit is no longer live - a multimeter can also be used to indicate if the issue is the element or thermostat, by testing continuity.
The thermostat is adjustable, so theres an outside chance that its been set to the lowest possible cut-off - accidently knocked when some other work was going on? - which would explain why the water only gets luke warm?
Thermostat replacementis a simple job that does not require draining the tank.
Element requires draining the tank and a specialist socket to fit and remove the thing. Be aware that copper is a soft metal - if the Element is seized you can damage the tank and/or weld and find you have a leak once you put it all back together. Or even rip the skin fitting for the Element off all together - I'd look to confirm with your landlord and get him or her to agree if you do damage the skin fitting, that theyre willing to cover the cost of the replacement tank and that you'll have no liability.
Plenty of videos on YouTube will show the process and the tools and materials required; also, how to use a multimeter to check if a circuit is live, and for fault finding - I bought my digital multimeter from Lidl or Aldi over a decade ago for about 15 or 20 quid its a great piece of kit - you can do the job without a multimeter but for me it would be the first tool going in my bag for tackling this type of fault...
Inside-Definition-42@reddit
Doesn’t sound like the fuse or RCD.
Might be the element.
Might be the thermostat.
If it’s the element, the position is a bit of a pain. You’ll need to drain your tank to remove the existing one.
If it’s the thermostat it can be replaced without removing the element.
A new element I would 100% not do in a rental. A new thermostat has a lot less risk.
theabominablewonder@reddit
Replace the heating element.
Pro tip. Make sure the cylinder is completely drained. :) otherwise it’s not too difficult.
d0ey@reddit
Honestly dont do this yourself. potential risks:
damage the tank, when empty these tanks are very easy to damage or even tear. Getting that immersion heater out could be quite difficult looking at the age of it
drain water all over your floor/flats below. To change the immersion you need to completely empty the tank, so also if the rest of the pipework is as old, stop tapsay seize etc
Ultimately if the element isn't working then something between the wiring, the element or the thermostat isn't working.
The one thing that's an easy check is to: turn power off and isolate at box, take off element cover, check thermostat dial - some have a cutout if they get too hot, so there's usually a reset button. However looking at the age of the tank/wiring, it might be too old for that.
Vast_Development_316@reddit
If it’s heating really slowly you could have scale covering the element if you are in a hard water area. That’s a common cause of this issue where I am.
Serious_Badger_4145@reddit
An hour would be for a boost element which would be at the top. That element at the bottom is trying to heat up the whole tank and the water draws from the top so you're drawing water that hasnt heated up yet. Give it longer
sloppybhoy99@reddit (OP)
It’s been weeks not hours. Do you think the element itself is burst?
Serious_Badger_4145@reddit
You said its barely working
Is it heating it up at all?
Are you leaving it switched on all the time?
sloppybhoy99@reddit (OP)
It’s been switched on for days now, the water is warm at first but doesn’t last more than a couple seconds
Serious_Badger_4145@reddit
Sounds like the thermostat.
Yeah so the process for fixing it is draining the tank, then removing the element and sometimes you can fix the thermostat but often you'd just put a new one in. the elements aren't expensive but the cost of fixing the mess it makes if you get it wrong are huge so you really need to get your landlord in to get someone who's insured to do it
Deep_Banana_6521@reddit
call a plumber.
Bicolore@reddit
r/DIYUK is your friend here.
I suspect the element is gone as that tank is ancient. These are often replacable without doing the whole tank. Actually more of an electrician job than a plumber.
sloppybhoy99@reddit (OP)
That’s a good shout thanks
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