Hot water is one of the essential elements of comfortable living. The ideal day for a household owner begins with a warm shower and ends with one too. After a hard day at work, the first thing on your mind is always a hot shower. An immersion water heater is among the most efficient systems for providing hot water.
When operating well, this heater makes your bathroom a perfect getaway. You’ll love the hot water on demand through this heating system. However, with the immersion water heater not working, things change. This happens at the most inconvenient times; just when you’re late for work or you have come home tired looking forward to a hot bath.
For situations with an immersion heater not working, no hot water, find a quick solution to overcome the inconvenience. This post explores immersion heaters, how they work, benefits and problems such as hot water immersion heater not working. Read on.
What Is an Immersion Heater?
This is one of the most common water heating systems in the market. It features an electric water heater installed in a tank or container for heating purposes. Consider how a kettle heater in your kitchen works. If you have used one, you’re well versed in these heaters. While the system is mostly known for giving homes hot water, there are other other applications such as heating oil and chemicals.
For a home heater system, the heated water is for the bathroom, kitchen, and other areas. This type of heating system uses electricity to heat water stored in a cylinder or tank. The unit comprises heater/coil or a metal which uses electric current to heat the water for home use. As you shop for this type of water heater, you’ll find different options on the market including:
Flanged System
This is a through-the-side heater which comprises a bent tubular element which is welded to a storage tank wall or an attachment (flange) during installation. During the installation, the contractors also include a wiring box housing the temperature regulation system.
Other electrical components include heat regulation features. The versatile flanged unit has a wide range of applications and is also easy to install and maintain.
Over-the-side System
For this heating unit, installation is done through the top of the tank. To complete the process, the contractor attaches the heating unit to either the bottom or the side of the tank. When the system is on, this heating system circulates heat throughout the tank and you get hot water from your outlets.
Screw Plug System
A screw/ threaded plug heater is a type of heating system fixed directly onto the tank wall, either through a pipe coupling, half coupling, welding flange, or a threaded opening. The attachment also includes a wiring box to hold the critical electrical connections. You can choose from a diverse range of ratings, sheath materials, screw plug sizes or voltages to install a heater that suits your unique heating needs.
For the installation and maintenance of these heaters, always use a qualified contractor for the job. This avoids water immersion heater not working situations. A properly installed heating system offers myriad benefits. Take a look:
- Ideal backup option for an old boiler system. If your old boiler system fails every other time, the immersion heater provides a timely back up for hot water.
- Avoid the cost of buying gas because your heater uses electricity
- Improved energy efficiency, as you can turn the heater on and off whenever required. With an immersion heater thermostat, this is a seamless process when the water attains required temperatures
- Convenience: Adding a timer to the heater means you get hot water when needed. This feature allows you to pre-set the time you need the heater to start
- Affordability in water heating, as this is cheaper than other water heaters
- Cost savings as you can use the heater during off-peak hours when the cost of power is lower
If you’re looking for the best home upgrade idea, consider an immersion heating system. Most homeowners combine central heating/hot water boiler with a heater as a backup. This is an idea solution if you only have electricity in your home or rental space.
How Does an Immersion Heating Work?
To understand how this heater works, consider what happens when you use a kettle to heat water. There’s a heating element that sends a steady flow of electricity through the water to heat it up. The same principle applies in a home’s immersion heating system but at a larger scale.
You have a heating element installed through various designs inside a tank. There’s also an isolating immersion heater switch connected to the mains electrical supply. If there’s a power outage, you’ll still get the preserved hot water from the tank.
When you turn the system on, the immersion heater element heats up the water to the required temperatures. The most efficient water heating systems have an internal or external thermostat to regulate water temperature.
When you turn on the shower or a hot water tap, there’s an influx of cold water that rushes from the bottom of the reservoir. This pushes the less dense hot water out through the top of the tank. There’s adequate pressure to push the hot water out and into the piping system where users need it.
How Long Does an Immersion Heater Take to Heat Water?
When investing in a water heating system for your home, you want to know how efficient it is. How long does an immersion heater take to heat up? This is the first question to ask when considering this type of water heater. For this hot water system, the duration it takes to heat the water in the tank depends on the size of the tank and how powerful this heater is.
The heater normally takes 1 to 2 hours to heat all the water in the tank to the desired temperatures. You can’t use this heating system for just a small amount of water. You have to wait until the water in the tank heats up.
Some household owners might opt to leave the heater running but this means the thermostat will consistently turn on and off and this poses a big risk of failure. It’s advisable to switch the system on only when needed.
The system might have the best lagging jacket, but the water will lose heat and the system will start all over again. At the end of the day, this is not efficient and you’ll use a lot of electricity. To overcome this problem, consider installing a timer.
An immersion heater timer attached to the tank is a great idea to ensure you have heated water at specific times. This system gives you more control over the heating system. You can pre-set the heating for specific times meaning you’ll always have hot water when needed. The timer starts the system and the hot water stays warm in the insulated tank for use when needed.
Why Do I Have No Hot Water?
It’s common to hear homeowners complain about the hot water immersion heater not working. If you have a heating working, no hot water situation, you need to have a qualified contractor to check the system. Nothing is as frustrating as having a hot water system, which seems fine, but there’s no hot water from the tap or shower. Some causes of no hot water include:
- A faulty thermostat
- Damaged immersion heating element
- Limescale buildup
- Insulation breakdown
- Tripped Circuit Breaker
- Faulty switch on the wall
These problems require technical skills to diagnose. Your HVAC contractor has the expertise and equipment to open up the tank and check the electrical components safely and effectively. The last thing you want is an accident when trying a DIY immersion heater repair.
How to Get Hot Water Working
Having trouble with no hot water from your immersion-type heater? Well, your heating contractor will identify the underlying problem and come up with the most effective solution. Some of these solutions include:
- Replacing a damaged heating element: This requires an understanding of the complex immersion heater’s central component to fix a new element
- Servicing and maintenance of the wiring and insulation
- Reset the electrical system to resolve a faulty thermostat
- Fixing a filter in your tank system to prevent limescale buildup
- Flushing the tank with a high jet water system
Who To Call If Hot Water Not Working Immersion Heater?
So you’ve hit the bathroom looking forward to a hot shower only to discover your heater is not working and there’s no hot water. What do you do? Whatever you do, don’t attempt DIY repairs. This is the first thing that comes to mind now that you want a quick solution to get that hot bath. This is an electrical system which requires the right skills and equipment to check and resolve. It’s easy to understand your frustration but you don’t want to expose yourself and the rest of the family to danger.
Aquatek is your most reliable local plumbing and heating service. Our plumbing professionals have the prerequisite skills to diagnose your system and carry out necessary repairs. If you have an immersion heater problem in Romford and the surrounding areas, call us today for prompt heating solutions.