A lack of hot water may mean that there is a fault with the main immersion heater in your water cylinder. A reduction in the amount of hot water your cylinder provides could indicate a fault with the upper boost immersion heater, either way you will want to have the problem investigated quickly and a replacement immersion heater fitted in the shortest possible time. We are Manchester based and can often call out the same day to Manchester or Liverpool to investigate and rectify faults. Before you call, have a look at our Water Heater – Self Help page. The fault with the water heater may not require specialist repair, it might be the fault of a blown fuse or a tripped switch. If you do need our services we carry the most popular immersion heaters and are quick to respond, call us today.

EasyFlow are based in Manchester and provide an unvented water heater and a thermal store water heater repair and maintenance service in Manchester and Liverpool.

Before we touch on replacing the elements on an unvented water heater, it’s important to first understand what an immersion heater actually is. Really, the concept is simple. An immersion heater is nothing more than a heating element designed to be heated under water. It’s immersed in the water, and then heats to warm the liquid to the desired temperature.

If you have an unvented water heater, chances are good that you have two immersion heaters. You have a primary heater that’s responsible for maintaining hot water at the right temperature during regular usage, and you also have a boost immersion heater, which is designed to kick in if there is a significant need for hot water (higher usage, for instance).

Immersion heaters are designed to last for a long time, often for many years. However, there is a chance that they will fail prematurely. In most instances, an unvented hot water heater will need at least one replacement immersion heater during its lifespan, but yours could require more than one replacement. It really comes down to the amount of usage the hot water heater sees, which ties directly into the volume of hot water your household uses on a daily basis.

The less demand there is for hot water, the less wear and tear there will be on immersion heaters, and the longer they will last, at least in theory. In reality, immersion heaters can fail at any point, and for many reasons. When they do, you’ll suffer from a lack of hot water and the only way to change the situation is to have the heater (or heaters) replaced by a professional service, such as EasyFlow.

If immersion heaters are prone to failure, why do manufacturers use them in their designs? Is this a form of planned obsolescence? Actually, it is not. Immersion heaters are necessary to heat water in electric hot water heater systems where a gas-fired heater is not possible or practical. Many different things affect the longevity of immersion heaters in your cylinder, as well, including:

• The frequency of heating
• The demand for hot water in your household
• The brand
• The model

Making your existing immersion heater(s) last as long as possible is important, and there are several things that you can do to help ensure a longer lifespan. Perhaps the most important is to invest in annual maintenance. Draining and flushing the cylinder can help to prevent lime scale and other types of build up on the heater that might shorten its life. Another important consideration is to reduce your household use of hot water, which will decrease the overall number of heating cycles the heater experiences, leading to a longer use life.