Leaking immersion heater

barbs706

Hi, I recently moved into my first house and was happy to find it had a new hot water immersion tank and pipework installed.
I just come home from work and went into the airing cupboard were the immersion is located to get myself a towel for a shower and noticed an orange run mark down the right-hand side of the tank.
I removed the top cover of the thermostat to find it was full of orange rusty water. How it has not shorted out is unbelievable! I cut off electric to the heater, mopped up the water and set the thermostat to 40 degrees and switched on the electrics. The thermostat cut off after about 10 minutes so the thermostat is definitly working.
Here is a picture. You will have to add .jpg to the end. Im a new user and not aloud to post links

imageshack.us/photo/my-images/3/img20110927165004 .jpg

Where is this water coming from? Can it be fixed?
Thanks

HappyMJ

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/3/img20110927165004.jpg/

Bit hard to tell isn't it. It can be fixed though.

barbs706

Thanks happymj for posting the link properly, what do you think it is? How do you think it can be fixed? Thanks

aboard_epsilon

You need a new immersion ..if it was leaking at the edge of the big nut ..it would be new washer ..but yours is from the centre ..so i reckon the tube that goes inside the tank that holds the thermostat is cracked or corroded ..this tube is part of the whole immersion assembly and is soldered in ..to fix it the whole lot has to come out ..and the soldering fix may not last very long..

so i would buy a new immersion heater .

they arent that expensive ..but you need a big spanner to undo them ..the spanners are about a fiver.

all the best.markj

gas4you

If you can get it undone! Many are so tight they won't budge and you end up splitting the cylinder

Owain_Moneysaver

Spray it with penetrating oil 24h before, then use a big immersion spanner and tap it with a hammer to break the seal, don't push continuously as that will twist the cylinder.

If it's new did the previous owner leave you any guarantee paperwork?

mikey72

I shifted one using a lump hammer, it was that tight.
The tank was fine, but I bent the spanner.

gas4you

Don't empty the cylinder completely.

Drain just enough to get below the immersion boss level.

This will help support the cylinder.