Immersion heater - 2 questions

ssm90

Hello All,

I have 2 questions regarding the same immersion heater - one is about the heater itself and another is regarding insurance. I apologise if they need to be posted in different sub-forums, if so, please let me know and I'll amend.

Insurance
My immersion heater is on its last legs, I live in a flat and have buildings insurance through the management company. I also have my own contents insurance.

Both have said they do not cover my immersion heater and I am at a loss, surely one of them covers it? If not, what am I paying them for? There also doesn't seem to be a stand alone policy to immersion heaters - if there is one, please can someone direct me to this?

Immersion Heater
I have no knowledge about immersion heaters at all, if I have to get it completely replaced (and this looks likely as the insurance won't cover it) where is best to get one from?? I know this sounds like a stupid question but I've reached out to a few traders and only one has got back with a quote of almost £2,000 for a cylinder and expansion vessel.

I live in a 2 bed flat with no gas, everything is electric. Please can you direct me towards suitable heaters? I have a 200 litre heater atm, so I imagine I need a similar one. In addition, my current one was left with no manual so I have no idea to work it. I would preferably want one which is more digital and can be controlled with a timer etc.

Thank you so much in advance!

molerat

You seem to be confusing immersion heater, which is the actual heating element, with hot water cylinder. Your insurance won't cover it because it is wear and tear. What actually is the problem, has anyone actually looked at it ?

Robin9

I think you have got an electric boiler which heats not only the domestic hot water but also the piped heating to conventional hot water radiators - hence the size of the estimates you have. It's similar in principle to a wall mounted gas boiler.

Even so replacing it is standard wear and tear not insurance.

Is there a label on it with a manufacturer, model number?

Can you take a photo ?

ianto11

ssm90 wrote: »

Hello All,
I live in a 2 bed flat with no gas, everything is electric. Please can you direct me towards suitable heaters? I have a 200 litre heater atm, so I imagine I need a similar one. In addition, my current one was left with no manual so I have no idea to work it. I would preferably want one which is more digital and can be controlled with a timer etc.

Thank you so much in advance!

Hi, I presume when you say immersion heater you mean the complete hot water cylinder, not the immersion. The immersion is a small heating element that fits into the side of the cylinder, and is cheap enough to change.
As for your insurance question....this only covers for accidental damage or failure, not for if it's no longer fit for purpose.

Apologies..cross posted with the above members

ssm90

Thank you all for your replies.

Robin9 wrote: »

I think you have got an electric boiler which heats not only the domestic hot water but also the piped heating to conventional hot water radiators - hence the size of the estimates you have. It's similar in principle to a wall mounted gas boiler.

Even so replacing it is standard wear and tear not insurance.

Is there a label on it with a manufacturer, model number?

Can you take a photo ?

I only have an electric boiler in the flat, I may be using the word immersion heater incorrectly then.

Basically it's an unit with a 200 litre cylinder and an expansion vessel on top. It heats the hot water in the flat for showers and washing up only. There are no radiators in the flat, only under floor heating which is heated by elements which are controlled by a separate switch on the wall.

I believe the 200 litre is to cover water for showering etc.

https://ibb.co/Vp5dZV1 please see pic in the link.
The expansion vessel is Zilmet and Cylinder is Albion. The electrician estimates the expansion vessel is less than a year old and the cylinder is 10+ years old. I have only moved in 6 months ago and made no changes.

ianto11 wrote: »

Hi, I presume when you say immersion heater you mean the complete hot water cylinder, not the immersion. The immersion is a small heating element that fits into the side of the cylinder, and is cheap enough to change.
As for your insurance question....this only covers for accidental damage or failure, not for if it's no longer fit for purpose.

Apologies..cross posted with the above members

Yes, sorry, I mean the whole unit which includes the cylinder and the expansion vessel not just the heating element.

I believe the whole unit has failed which is why I believe the insurance comes into play. I was having some other work done recently and had an electrician look at the unit, he has said that the elements are overheating and the expansion vessel has flooded and might completely fail soon. Would this be classed as wear and tear or failure?

molerat wrote: »

You seem to be confusing immersion heater, which is the actual heating element, with hot water cylinder. Your insurance won't cover it because it is wear and tear. What actually is the problem, has anyone actually looked at it ?

The vessel has flooded and the elements are over heating, there are burn marks - all confirmed by an electrician. If I switch the heater off when not in use and then turn it back on, it just floods constantly, last time it took weeks of switching it on and off to get it to work somehow. But now its on 24/7 which is also causing it to overheat and the electric bill is high! The alternative is no hot water.

ianto11

Just noticed your other thread here about your unvented cylinder
I'm assuming that is what you have the issue with again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5942448/immersion-heater-overflowing-no-clue

ssm90

ianto11 wrote: »

Just noticed your other thread here about your unvented cylinder
I'm assuming that is what you have the issue with again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5942448/immersion-heater-overflowing-no-clue

Yes the exact same one...:wall: Its the bane of my life right now.

I managed to get it to work some how, but obviously with some risk and increased costs. And the electrician telling me it would fail didn't help.

ssm90

Just to add, I tried all the fixes suggested by others on the other thread and even watched a ton of youtube videos with no success.

ianto11

Expansion vessels have a diaphragm in them and as such would be deemed to have a limited lifespan..so it's wear and tear I'm afraid

When you say "floods" you mean overflows out of the tundish ?

And if it's overheating and the expansion has collapsed surely you can replace the immersion elements and the expansion....cylinder should be fine

ianto11

Looking at the pic of your the 4 bolt flange between the vessel and the cylinder would indicate you can get a new membrane for it and repressurise it...but a replacement isn't that expensive

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zilmet-Litre-Heating-Expansion-Vessel/dp/B00I8IOG5G

ssm90

ianto11 wrote: »

Expansion vessels have a diaphragm in them and as such would be deemed to have a limited lifespan..so it's wear and tear I'm afraid

When you say "floods" you mean overflows out of the tundish ?

And if it's overheating and the expansion has collapsed surely you can replace the immersion elements and the expansion....cylinder should be fine

Thanks for the quick reply ianto.

Yes sorry, by flooding I mean it kept going straight out of the tundish, I'm talking huge amounts of water over hours at a time.

Just some queries on your suggestion please so I understand - would the overheating be caused due to a fault with the elements? What would prevent the overheating in the first place?

By the looks of it, the expansion is less than a year old and has failed, that doesn't seem right does it?

The electrician has also said that if I replace the expansion vessel alone... https://ibb.co/HFQVJ1x - direct quote. This worries me, because then I would be forced into buying a new cylinder.

Also as a side note, £192 seems a lot for an expansion vessel, am I being unfair or is that the right amount?

Is it also fair to say that if I get just the new elements and expansion vessel, I won't be able to add some sort of a timer to control the heating?


Edit: sorry I posted before I saw your second post- that answers my question of the cost. Is replacing the expansion vessel doable by your average person or would it still be the job of a tradesman?