This post is provided by Laura Williams.
Immersion heaters can offer homeowners a wide range of benefits, such as the ability to continue working even if your gas boiler has broken down. Immersion heaters are also super easy to work in general.
However, it is important to know what sort of signs you should look out for that your immersion heater is in need of replacing. Let us explore!
1. Reduced Efficiency
Firstly, if your immersion heater appears to be offering lower efficiency (whether gradually over time or quite suddenly), it could be a sign that your immersion heater is no longer up to the task.
Evidence of reduced immersion heater efficiency can include the water taking longer to heat up, hot taps or hot shower/bath water taking longer to become hot or struggling to reach the levels of heat (per the setting of the tap you have selected) that it would have before.
Of course, other factors could be at play, such as an issue with the pipework in your home (e.g. the building of slide and debris, which can be resolved by a professional performing a powerflush).
As with any of the signs listed in this blog, you will want to hire a heating engineer to come by and take a look. After all, you must hire a professional to repair or replace an immersion heater. Also, the heating engineer will be able to determine the nature of the problem to begin with (e.g. a faulty thermostat may prove to be the real culprit).
2. Immersion Heater Failure
In a similar way to the issues raised above, an immersion heater breaking down entirely could also be a sign that it is time to have it replaced.
Your immersion heater may be offering reduced efficiency, but it could also be simply failing to work. Should you find that your immersion heater is not working at all, while a repair may suffice, it is also possible it is in need of replacing. A professional must make this evaluation and perform the subsequent repair or replacement work if needed.
3. Other Issues
Here are some other signs that your immersion heater has run its course:
There is plenty of rust on your immersion heater element.
The immersion heater is leaking water.*
You notice strange noises coming from your immersion heater.
*Should you notice any water leaking from an immersion heater, it is important to take a very safe approach to avoid electrocution. You must turn off any energy source powering the heater tank.
You can do this much more safely by turning off the relevant breaker at the circuit breaker box. Then, turn off the water supply if it is safe to do so, and you know exactly what to do.
Finally, call out an emergency heating engineer to take a look. They may need to perform work there and then, so be sure to discuss the exact nature of the problem before they come by and briefly check whether they can fix the issue when visiting.
Cost Of A New Immersion Heater
If it turns out you need a new unit installed, you are looking at an average immersion heater cost of £100 to £120.
When looking to hire a heating engineer near you to replace your immersion heater, you should consider asking for quotes from 3+ professionals.
This way, you can compare several quotes, looking at the pricing, levels of experience and any online reviews/ratings (if available) of each contractor/service you are considering. This can be a helpful way of securing good value for money.
