any plumbers here?

[maffew]

or does anyone know about immersion heaters? Just moved house and mine is rubbish it doesnt get anywhere hot enough and seems to run out of warm water after about 3 inches. Is there a dial or something I can alter? Its from the dark ages.

PS just posted on the classified forum a free computer desk

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Not a plummer but could be Limescale build up so therefore it will not heat up efficiently are you in a hard water area?

 

[Yorkie]

You should have a thermostat to alter the heat setting.
That's just the electrical side of it. I don't know anything about the plumbing side.

 

[Rangdo]

You should have a thermostat to alter the heat setting.
That's just the electrical side of it. I don't know anything about the plumbing side.

Yep. Remove the cap on the top and, being very carful of the live terminals, there should be a thermostat that you can turn up with a screwdriver. That is the simplest and cheapest thing to try first.

 

[maffew]

Yep. Remove the cap on the top and, being very carful of the live terminals, there should be a thermostat that you can turn up with a screwdriver. That is the simplest and cheapest thing to try first.

ok cheers sounds like easy enough so the caps on the top of the thing? that might be hard to get to its quite high up in a cupboard, is it possible the caps on the front of the thing with some writing on?

 

[maffew]

ok cheers sounds like easy enough so the caps on the top of the thing? that might be hard to get to its quite high up in a cupboard, is it possible the caps on the front of the thing with some writing on?

am I likely to get hurt doing this I dont like the sound of those live terminals!

 

[Rangdo]

am I likely to get hurt doing this I dont like the sound of those live terminals!

Not if you pay attention to what you are doing. It should be fairly obvious.

Have a look here to see what you are looking at:

http://www.diydata.com/problem/immersion/immersion_heaters.htm

It shows the inside of the immersion but obviously you don't want to remove the thermostat just alter the temperature.

If you are at all worried just make sure you switch off the power to it first.

 

[Bakesy]

If the copper cylinder is under 42" high, the immersion should be on the top.
If however you are on Economy 7, then you may well have a cylinder with 2 immersions(1 down low to heat the whole tank at night, and 1 up higher as a daytime top up........both of which will be on the side of the cylinder.


TURN THE POWER OFF BEFORE REMOVING THE COVER.

OR

HOPE THAT HELPS.................

 

[maffew]

Not if you pay attention to what you are doing. It should be fairly obvious.

Have a look here to see what you are looking at:

http://www.diydata.com/problem/immersion/immersion_heaters.htm

It shows the inside of the immersion but obviously you don't want to remove the thermostat just alter the temperature.

If you are at all worried just make sure you switch off the power to it first.

cheers

 

[maffew]

If the copper cylinder is under 42" high, the immersion should be on the top.
If however you are on Economy 7, then you may well have a cylinder with 2 immersions(1 down low to heat the whole tank at night, and 1 up higher as a daytime top up........both of which will be on the side of the cylinder.


TURN THE POWER OFF BEFORE REMOVING THE COVER.

OR

HOPE THAT HELPS.................

I'm definately gonna turn the power off. I'm thinking its the second type it looks like it might have 2 tanks it dips in the middle and theres like a petrol cap looking thing on the side which says 11" Superlay 800 2.9KW. From Rangdos link I guess 11" is the thermostat type

 

[Yorkie]

Economy 7 is the 7 hours overnight that you get your electricity at a third of the price during the day.
You should also have a timer which tells the heater to warm up the water overnight so as to save money.
With a thick lagging jacket or coating on the tank then that should be sufficient to last you all day unless you have 6 kids and they all take a bath every morning.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

always when looking at electrical equipment turn the breaker off on your fuse box.

I see people all the time messing about with computers with the "kettle lead" still plugged in and not switched off...its no good just switching the computer on/off button!!!!

 

[Lammy]

OK I've got a combination boiler that makes my shower and taps run hot then cold then hot then cold etc.

-edit-

sorry I meant to say combi not emersion

 

[Rangdo]

always when looking at electrical equipment turn the breaker off on your fuse box.

I see people all the time messing about with computers with the "kettle lead" still plugged in and not switched off...its no good just switching the computer on/off button!!!!

Isn't that slight overkill? You could just unplug the appliance.

 

[Yorkie]

OK I've got a combination boiler that makes my shower and taps run hot then cold then hot then cold etc.

-edit-

sorry I meant to say combi not emersion

Is the water pressure high enough (sorry my expertise is electricity not plumbing but that would be something to check)

 

[Lammy]

Is the water pressure high enough (sorry my expertise is electricity not plumbing but that would be something to check)

Yep. I think it is something to do with the temperature controller when the hot and cold water gets mixed. In fact I pretty sure that is the problem but I have no idea if this is a DIY job.

 

[Lammy]

Going back to the emersion heater. It is most likely lime scale on the element. I have a Bruheat boiler for making beer. I couldn't get it past 65C so I took the element out, srayed it with Cilit BANG! and scrubbed it a bit. Hey presto, good as new. Wo Hoo!!

 

[Rangdo]

Yep. I think it is something to do with the temperature controller when the hot and cold water gets mixed. In fact I pretty sure that is the problem but I have no idea if this is a DIY job.

If the problem occurs at one place e.g. only the shower and not the taps then the problem is the shower. If it occurs at all taps and shower then it is the boiler.

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Check Friend of the albion!!!!!

 

[Lammy]

If the problem occurs at one place e.g. only the shower and not the taps then the problem is the shower. If it occurs at all taps and shower then it is the boiler.

Definitely the boiler.