Immersion Heater Keeps Tripping - Now Have Little/no Warm Water, No Hot!

heinzeken · Apr 19, 2015

For over a week now we have had hardly any hot water. We contacted our landlord/estate agents when we first had no hot water who sent out a plumber after a couple of days. He said the stat tripped and didn't know why. He said he thinks it was too hot (it was set to 70 when we moved in because the water wasn't hot enough) I believe he turned it down to 65. It took around a couple of hours for it to heat up (as usual) and we were able to shower. The next morning the same had happened.

I thought it was just too low, as described when we first moved in and I turned it back up to 70 (it had already tripped by this point so nothing happened). We waited another day and another plumber came and said it was too hot (even though I explained I turned it up AFTER it tripped because that's what I thought was the problem at first). He reset it and set it to 60 and left.

Now it isn't tripping anymore but the water we have is not hot. It is lukewarm at best and only lasts for 10 minutes - which isn't ideal when me and my partner have to both shower in the morning before uni/work. I've tried contacting the estate agents who manage the property AGAIN as we can't keep taking cold showers and wanted it fixed over the weekend before heading back to uni/work Monday but they are closed over the weekend and have given us no other means of contact (apart from the first plumbers number who I've text twice over 5 days and he hasn't replied).

Around a month and a half ago our immersion heater tripped our electricity several times. We had to have a new element as the old one had rusted away and the electrical wiring was broken and going into the water in the tank. Since this has been replaced our water has been trickling from the hot water taps (even on full) (not the shower) and then this has happened less than a month later. I was wondering if they could all be connected? And also if there is going to be any effects on our electricity bills because of this?

The immersion heater is located in a cupboard with no ventilation as far as I'm aware and a fire-door type door (the same as all of our flat doors) for the cupboard door.

Thank you in advance

Andy™ · Apr 19, 2015

do you have 2 elements? which one is tripping and which one have you played with? are you sure you have it set right, dial may be 180° from where it should be?

NozSpark · Apr 19, 2015

Does the element enter the tank through the top of the tank or through the side near the bottom?

Is there a part number printed on the cap of the element?

ProDave · Apr 19, 2015

If the thermostat is tripping, then the first thing is to replace the thermostat. The landlord really should have sent an electrician not plumber.

As already mentioned, immersion heaters that enter the tank at the top, rather than the side, are much more prone to over heat tripping, in fact I have replaced a tank with a different type to prevent that before.

heinzeken · Apr 19, 2015

NozSpark said:
Does the element enter the tank through the top of the tank or through the side near the bottom?

Is there a part number printed on the cap of the element?

Through the top at the back - I can not reach it to see the number

Andy™ said:
do you have 2 elements? which one is tripping and which one have you played with? are you sure you have it set right, dial may be 180° from where it should be?

Just one element that was replaced a month ago - it was set by a plumber my landlord sent out to us so I'm not 100% sure - I can not reach it to see, it is on the top at the back and don't really want to mess as we need all the warm water we can get right now

ProDave · Apr 19, 2015

The best thing your landlord could do is to replace the tank with one where the heater enters at the side near the bottom.

But knowing most landlords he won't because it will cost him too much.

So just keep putting the complaints of no hot water in to him. Eventually he may get the message when he's getting a call out every other day.