Electric Immersion tripping switch board when I turn it on

harry999

Is the immersion element in copper cylinder gone ? any other checks I should do before replacing element ?

Screenshot 2023-02-04 at 18.07.15.png

harry999

 In putting in a new immersion element - the old one has earth, brown live , blue neutral, and black. The new element - I see no black wire so do I just not connect the black wire coming in ? 

oldelement-wiring.jpeg

new-element-wiring.jpeg

oldelement-wiring2.jpeg

new-element-wiringBrochure.jpeg

meercat

You are replacing a duel immersion with a single immersion.

if you don’t use the black wire then the sink part of your time switch (boost) won’t work

harry999

ok thanks - when replacing - do you put jointing compound around rim - on both sides ? is this necessary ? would it make it hard to remove element when needs to be changed in future ? what name of compound you use ?

Cerco

Just wondering why you would replace a dual element with a single one particularly with the price electric power of these days?

cnocbui

If you have an insulated cylinder, you aren't really saving anything with a sink element vs the full one. It's a silly relic from the past when people bathed once a week, it seems to me.

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120210974#Comment_120210974

Boss white and horse hair on immersion thread and boss white both side of washer.

kirk.

The dual immersion seems to be a relic fullstop

Theres too many of them wired up wrong and loose connections

Now theres some posters fitting smart switches and thinking they can fit separate controls for the sink and bath.I forgot about that myself when I was trying to comment on smart controls

Calahonda52

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120211844#Comment_120211844

You will save something as a longer element will heat more of the tank so a greater area for heat loss through the insulation, which only reduces the rate of loss, does not eliminate it.

The other issue is why heat say 90 litres when 45 might do, if its not used, then the energy is lost.

every litre of hot water that is not used and goes cool is costing you, roughly c 20 kW per annum if it occurs every day.

You might say thats not a lot, but my pipe run from tank to sink is 3 litres so c. 60 kms per annum, if done once a day, which is enough to drive 320 kms in my leaf.

looking forward to being pi$$ed in upon by the usual suspect who has already posted in this thread.😎

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212292#Comment_120212292

Does it not jam them up

I seen some that were seized up after it

harry999

I tried without 'Boss white and horse hair on immersion thread and boss white both side of washer.' and getting a slight leak - so if i just try the horse hair would that work ? or I should use the boss white also ? Thks

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212950#Comment_120212950

Both, to get a good seal.

boss white on thread first

wrap horse hair around ( against the thread)

boss white again

leave some of the thread visible so you can get a good start

do both sides of washer then.

harry999

ok thanks - with the boss white on will the element be able to be taken off in 2 or 3 years if need to change again ? Does it make it more difficult to remove element ?

kirk.

Are any sparks fitting immersions now

I wouldn't have thought so with the high risk of leaks springing up

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120212413#Comment_120212413

I shower every day, as do the other occupants of my house, so we'd always be using up that 90l in a day, and then some, so there is no saving to heating just a sinks worth when vastly more HW will be required than that - every day. As I said, it's nonsense from an era when people bathed once a week and had uninsulated cylinders.

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120213134#Comment_120213134

If you have hard water, you should perhaps consider getting an element jacketed in stainless steel, as it should last longer. That said, my water is so hard it's gone through two stainless elements, so the next one will be jacketed in titanium, which I'll have to source from the UK.

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120214032#Comment_120214032

Is stainless the "incaloy" type

Used to be about twice the price and then there was titanium

Nobody ever seems to fit them , always the cheap copper

cnocbui

Yes, they were incaloy. The one that came with my SS cylinder barely lasted 12 months and has rotted through as fast as a copper one. It's currently dead with a short to ground so it's offline. I will be replacing it with a titanium jacketed one. I can only find mention of them in the UK - do you know if any local places have them?

I swear I must have the hardest water in the country.

kirk.

No Google brings up a lot of single element ones

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120218472#Comment_120218472

Well single element is all I am after and seems to be all thats available in titanium anyway, but thanks. Uk it is then.

kirk.

I reckon they should phase out the dual if there's no need for them

The regulations tend to make everything domestic idiot proof cos householders and DIY can be working on the installation and they're at risk from it anyway

It's simpler just to have a double pole switch and people can add a smart control without the risk of putting the 2 on together