My Cylinder Immersion Heater has stopped working what can I do?
Martin Smith an emergency plumber in Bury explains about the cylinder immersion heater stopped working, why this happens, what the problems are and what cures are available. Just below are top 10 questions answered.
- What is an cylinder immersion heater?
- How can I take an immersion heater from out of my cylinder?
- How do I wire an immersion heater?
- How much does an cylinder immersion heater cost to supply and to get fitted?
- Do I require a gas engineer or a plumber to fit a cylinder immersion heater on the cylinder?
- Are there different types of cylinder immersion heaters?
- Why do cylinder immersion heater go and what causes them to go?
- How many hours should a cylinder immersion heater last for?
- How long does it take for an immersion heater to warm up a cylinder?
- What happens if I can’t take my immersion heater out of the cylinder?
What is an cylinder immersion heater?
A water heater is an electrical element that was invented in 1868 by Benjamin Waddy Maughan who invented the first instantaneous domestic water heater. Benjamin was a painter from London. The heating element heats up using electric which then heats the water up. The name of the water heater today is known to us as the Cylinder Immersion Heater as shown in the picture above.
How can I take an immersion heater from out of my cylinder?
To take an immersion heater out of the cylinder in the best fashion is too slightly undo the immersion with an immersion key or spanner then drain the cylinder down enough so that the water line is below of the whole of where the immersion screws in. If the immersion does not undo, then you may need to use a hammer by knocking it a few times until the immersion then loosens. If the immersion does not loosen, then the only other way is to hit it harder, but the warning is that you may break the cylinder in doing so. There are other options such has, heating the immersion up with a blow touch, but then you have to be very careful. Just remember not to completely undo the cylinder immersion heater when the cylinder is completely full.
How do I wire an immersion heater?
When wiring an immersion heater you may need an electrician or a plumber, it is similar to wiring a plug. Wiring an immersion is very easy, due to the dangers in the electrical element we will not give any advice but it does contain of the live, neutral and earth.
How much does a cylinder immersion heater cost to supply and to get fitted?
To buy an immersion heater you would properly expect to pay between £15 to £35 and maybe more on certain types of cylinders. To have an immersion fitted you would most likely going to pay for at least 90-minutes labour or more where the total cost would work out between £100 to £250 depending on the complications. The worst scenario is that you will need a new cylinder. Here are some example costs below.
- 90-minutes Inc Immersion if using an emergency plumber in Bury between £100 to £150.
- 90-minutes Inc Immersion if using an emergency plumber London between £120 to £200.
Do I require a gas engineer or a plumber to fit a immersion heater on the cylinder?
As an emergency plumber Bury I have replaced plenty of Immersion heaters in the area. You can use a gas engineer or a plumber to fit an immersion heater in the cylinder but what the plumber must not do, is tamper with the boiler or any gas appliances.
Are there different types of immersion heaters in a cylinder?
On the standard copper cylinder there are 2 types of immersions which are the sizes. They start at 11-Inches and go to 36-inches but the most common are the 11-inch and the 27-inch. There is also the more special type of cylinders that you have to buy a specific immersion that goes with the cylinder. This type is most likely going to be available at your local plumbers merchant and you may need to make a special order.
Why do cylinder immersion heater go and what causes them to go?
If you are in a hard water area the Immersions tend to go quicker due to the lime scale build up as the element struggle to heat up the water the more scale that sticks to the elements. You may be able to void lime scale build up by fitting a lime scale filter. The other problem why cylinder immersion heaters go before its time is the high amount of use specially where there is no gas in the area and the home only uses electric. In some places where they do use gas and the immersion heater is possibly because the immersion is left on at all time costing more on the electricity bill.
How many hours should a cylinder immersion heater last for?
A commercial immersion has a 12-months guarantee where if your buying a domestic one then you would get a 5 year guarantee depending on what make you buy. An average immersion is built to last about 6000 hours of heating time.
How long does it take for an immersion heater to warm up a cylinder?
Heating up a hot water can depend on a few elements. How cold is the water coming in to the cylinder, the winter can bring in colder water than the summer making it longer to warm up the water. How well insulated is the cylinder. What is the water capacity and the length of the immersion heater. On average a cylinder can sometime take up to 2-hours to warm up if the water is really cold. Our suggestion is to see a immersion heating table, the power used, the temperature of the water and then determine how long the water will heat up. Using your boiler to heat up the cylinder is always the best option as immersion heater are meant as back up.
What happens if I can’t take my immersion heater out of my cylinder?
If you can not take your immersion heater out and you have followed all the hints given and you live in Bury or anywhere else in the UK, then it might be a good idea to give us a call and we will get you an emergency plumber in Bury or the UK to come and see if they can remove the immersion heater with the tools they have.
