A case of Murphy's Law

Rocker

When the installers fitted the solar panels on our roof a few years ago, they replaced the hot water cylinder in the process.  We always had an electric immersion heater in our hot press cylinder 'just in case'.  When I checked it out after the fitters had left, the immersion heater did not work so I put it aside as a job to do myself.

Fast forward to today.  I got a new timer switch yesterday and set out to install it.  No real problems, just 4 connections and that was all there was to it.  Except the immersion did not work.

After checking the connections and the supply voltage, I discovered that the cable [about 2 metres long] was open circuit.  Luckily I had enough cable in my bits press so the new cable was installed  and clipped in place.  The immersion still did not work.

The full supply voltage was present at the immersion heater so I moved the thermostatic control until I heard it click.  Still the immersion still refused to work.  My ohmmeter confirmed that the heater element was intact so there was no alternative other than bypassing the thermostat on the immersion heater.  The immersion heater worked!  The thermostat is actually not needed in our case as the immersion would not be on for any more than a half hour at a time.

Refitted all the covers etc and all is well in the Rocker household hot press.  What should have taken around an hour, actually took half the day.  Always remember, if something can go wrong - it will.

Sporky

That's an amazing story.

richardhomer

I know if I embarked on a job like that, I soon be in hot water....

skunkwerx

None of that made any sense whatsoever to me. I wish I had skills like you! 

Usually if something breaks, I swear a lot, google it, swear some more, get a quote from a real bloke, swear some more, and resign myself to ‘fuck it’ for a few years.. lol  

JezWynd

The thermostat is actually not needed in our case as the immersion would not be on for any more than a half hour at a time.

Always remember, if something can go wrong - it will.

  

Rocker

You are right of course @JezWynd.

Emp_Fab

Don’t immersion elements have their own thermostat built in anyway ?  Every one I’ve seen has.

bingefeller

Glad you got it sorted, Rocker.  

Rocker

Emp_Fab said:

Don’t immersion elements have their own thermostat built in anyway ?  Every one I’ve seen has.

They have Emp but that thermostat was faulty even though the immersion element was new when the cylinder was installed.

ESBlonde

I have been known to replace the odd immersion heater so I've got form. On modern units they will trip and can be reset (little red button on the top). However the period of time between resets gets shorter and so inevitably they need replacing. Yours could just have needed the button pressing. You can replace just the thermostate bit that slides down into the heater element for a fraction of price and without any exposed water! Make sure the cable powering the heater is properly rated, they draw a lot of current and inadequate cable is not a smart idea as it gets hot! There are basicly two lengths of heater, long for top down and short for side access acros the tank.

Rocker

Thanks @ESBlonde. Ours is the long one, it draws a fair bit of current. I will look at the thermostat again (soon).

Phil_aka_Pip

O'Shea's Law: Murphy was an optimist

midlifecrisis

my wife had no confidence in me fixing our electric shower, boy she's in for a shock later

Hootsmon

Thought this was gonna be about Irish whisky