In this video Razor demonstrates how to remove an immersion heater element from a copper cylinder. This can be a difficult job if you do not follow this advice. Brought to you by www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/
Great video. Spent a good 2 hours trying to remove this without heat with no joy. I could feel the tank bending so this was very nerve racking. Heat is defo the way to go. I heated mine for about 3 mins which seemed to do the job. I also took a hack saw blade and carefully cut through the old rubber seal as someone else suggested. So if you are struggling I'd recommend trying both. Not a better feeling on earth than when you feel the element thread loosen.
To anyone removing a well stuck immersion heater who can’t or don’t want to use heat, there is a trick that nearly always works. I picked it up from an old Plumber during my apprenticeship. By cutting round the old sealing washer all the way round, with a hacksaw blade in a pad handle (for cissies) then once the old washer has been cut (it isn’t a quick task but doesn’t take too long) a gentle tap on the head of the heater should release it. This worked on bottom installed immersion heaters in old tall combination cylinders and by god they took some shifting without this little trick as they were in an extended boss which tended to twist and make removal impossible (new cylinder required). If you can use heat without setting fire to the airing cupboard great, if not try this, it works.
With your advice I managed (eventually) to remove a 30 year old immersion from a copper cylinder. Bashing & heating didn't do it as I just bent the rod, so went for it & after much more heating (5 mins) I put a 24" pipe wrench on the box spanner and just after heating it came free :-). I cleaned the thread thoroughly but had to put lots of PTFE thread tape to get the new element to seal. Hooray! Thanks for the blowtorch tip & video. Essential to have a box spanner - the flat ones are useless.
I do not have a propane burner so I gave each flat on the "nut" a few smaks with a hammer - then the freakin thing finally came lose. I made sure I did NOT use any sealing gunk, But I did put plenty of thread tape above the washer and some on the thread. Plus I cleaned out the thread and put on some grease. Result NO leaks Total cost £17 for element and £14 for the humungus box spanner.
Top advice, couldn't get it ours to budge at all. I showed our plumber this video and after draining some water from the tank and heating it with a blow torch it shifted with arm power only.
Useful video, thanks. Just to share my experience, I used a box spanner, heat from a gas torch and then a heat gun when the torch started playing up, some fairly gentle tapping with a lump hammer, then lots of long hard pulls, but the one that clinched it was moving the box spanner to a different position on the heater so that I was pulling at a different angle. As soon I did that, it moved. Took probably about 90 minutes altogether.
Really good thank you for this, as a note mine didn't give until a few second after the heat was applied, it works, be confident don't use to much muscle and you won't have a problem. Great Post 👍
brilliant, old video i know but i used the blowtorch method today after trying without success to remove both elements. after heating and one tap it was turning. thanks so much👌
Looks like good advice. I would have thought it needed heating up with the blow torch on the outside to expand the bush to loosen it. I was presuming that heating the brass heater nut would expand it and make it even tighter. I'm going to attempt exactly what you showed tomorrow. Will report back with the result...
Thanks for the vid. The element came out after the second go with the blow torch, about 10 mon in all. And I was the one that stuck it in with sealant, know better this time.
Help needed - Do you know if there is a burning smell if the element/thermostat inside breaks down in the immersion heater? Also whats the point of this immersion heater as I thought the water was heated by gas?
Thank you for this I was wasting my time with a cranked spanner that i bought at wickes ,a total waste of time if the element is stiff i would still be there now if not for this video.. bought the box spanner and hey presto :). thanks again.
i had wrong eqipment for the job those flat spanners are useless, i borrowed box spanner from my brother,,,,all sorted now....thank you very much. I wish I could put on a youtube video to help people out, but I am jack of all trades and master of none...I have never had a man in my life that could mend anything, also never had enough money to pay someone to do it for me. thank you internet,thankyou youtube and most of all THANK YOU. your videos easy for me to understand.
great video, I used the 'shock method' hitting it with a hammer, then tried a blowtorch, then tried some freeze spray - nothing worked, the blumin thing is stuck solid in the tank....and now weeping small amounts of water from the seal. I'm tempted to drill out the center of the heater element so there is just a small ring left in the cylinder, then use a chisel to hammer that remaining bit out ?
I had one of these and it was an absolute pig to turn the big nut thing. I did have a box spanner and large bar which bent with the pressure and the boiler was at least 30 years old cos I know since i live there. The steel bar that bent is as thick as a finger which gives some idea of the force exerted. It just would not budge at all either backwards or forwards with a 3lb lump HAMMER AND THE BOX SPANNER until heated with a blow torch and then it turned fairly easily. If its stuck use a blowtorch and save yourself a lot of trouble. I think it has some sort of sealant that sets like glue that wont be moved until its heated up. I wasted about a week hammering away at it with the recommended box spanner + an extension bar to get more leverage and force to no avail,.Get a blowtorch on the fucker! You need the box spanner that looks like a round shape with a bar a shown here and not the crappy cheap one that looks like a ringed spanner. This video is totally right and skipping the heating it up with a blowtorch is at your peril.
I'm sitting here struggling to remove my immersion element. stressing I will tear the cylinder. I am going to try this heating technique and get back to you later. this reeks of poor design. you use jointing compound to create a good seal but then its impossible to break this seal and get the damn thing off when it needs replacing. I ask myself is joining compound needed.
I have NEVER failed to remove an immersion element. Just put the spanner on it and tap tap tap with a hammer. It will eventually give way and loosen off.
I set fire to my airing cupboard , electrocuted myself and finally flooded the place ......now if only I had listened to that soothing music first , I would have sat in my armchair smoking hamlet, while a guy with nice leather gloves did the job for 140 pounds for me !
Why oh why do so many use sealants on threads - the sealing is done by the fibre washer - the thread is to clamp the faces together. I suppose it adds to the plumbing mystique to be seen to be applying some special trade goo.
Do NOT try using heat on an immersion tank while it's still in the hotpress...flames will bounce off it and hit the ceiling ..very dangerous !!!....this video is only if you have disconnected the tank and are attempting to try to get it open outside...take it from me.
False economy, the tank is empty, it’s been in for years, bite the bullet and get a new tank and immersion heater, forget the arsing around with propane and box spanner’s , the majority of the time this doesn’t work anyway, you end up ripping the thread or buckling the top of the tank trying to undo it.
