Burning Smell and Flames on Electrical Immersion

[MrGatch]

I have a smell of burning from the immersion on hot water cylinder. The overheat pin had popped out, but when I popped it back in and switched on there were tiny smouldering flames around one of the contacts where the thermostat connects to the immersion.

Separately I've replaced the timer as there was a fault there so the supply current was permanently on.

Is this likely to be a fault with the immersion requiring a replacement or something more simple like swapping out the thermostat?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yep sounds like it’s died

 

[MrGatch]

Thanks. I'll get the immersion replaced.

Out of interest - what sort of fault would cause that sort of issue? i.e. flames around the contacts?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Arcing out due to bad or Burnt contacts

 

[Ben-gee]

More often than not it’s the neutral, usually due to insecure connections as Shaun says above.