No drain off tap on hot water cylinder...new cylinder required?

[psychopomp1]

Hi,
A few days ago I was getting a tiny water leak on my Range Tribune HE hot water cylinder, i called a plumber, he ascertained the immersion heater was faulty (corroded) and needed to be replaced. He told me afterwards there's no drain off tap on the cylinder so he pulled the immersion coil out which caused the water to gush out, come through the ceiling and nearly flood the kitchen downstairs. The plumbing company have agreed to fix the damage to my property at their own cost. In the end they managed to get a new immersion heater installed.

My question is, to stop this happening again do i need to ensure i have a drain off tap fitted to the cylinder/pipework and is my only option to buy a new cylinder? The cylinder was installed By Barratts homes when i bought the house in Nov 2008, obviously Barratts don't want to know now (only offer a 2 year warranty). NHBC 10 year warranty won't cover this as water cylinder is classed as a fitting/fixture. Perhaps if my plumbing knowledge was more than zilch then i would have noticed this far sooner, so need to know what are my options now.
Thanks

 

[steadyon]

As you may already know, only those holding a "G3" qualification are allowed to work on unvented cylinders. If the person who just took out the immersion heater was G3 qualified, it doesn't say much for the qualification.

There should be a drain off valve fitted where the cold feed enters the bottom of the tank. However, these quite often seize up and prove useless.

Once again - only G3 qualified people are allowed to work on unvented cylinders, which should be serviced annually.

 

[Riley]

There are any number of better ways they could've done that and live was right at the bottom of the list. There are self tapping drain offs to get you drained in the first instance then replace and fit a proper one

 

[quality]

Nobody with any idea of what they are doing would attempt to replace the immersion in that cylinder live

 

[Riley]

So obviously non-G3 then

 

[townfanjon]

I am sorry he is an idiot . Barratts bought the Tribunes but their site plumbers at the time want shafting for not fitting drain offs, no doubt all your development wont have any fitted .

Next time the cylinder is drained is when one should be fitted

Out of interest where are you ?

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks for the replies. I am in Inverness and the plumber was a fella called Mick from Korrie's. I will look at getting a drain off valve fitted next time the cylinder is drained.

Re: payment,Korrie haven't sent the invoice yet but how much should i pay them for the so called 'work' they carried out? I'm thinking perhaps i should just pay for the immersion heater part only?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

im sorry to say no prices will be given but you can ask advice once you receive a figure to see if its about right

 

[plumben]

He's a brave man for pulling that Emerson live with those electrics right under Neath or maybe just a fool, surely shutting the main and opening the prv to drop the level the hose down the top union would of been the sensible option

 

[plumben]

Thanks for the replies. I am in Inverness and the plumber was a fella called Mick from Korrie's. I will look at getting a drain off valve fitted next time the cylinder is drained.

Re: payment,Korrie haven't sent the invoice yet but how much should i pay them for the so called 'work' they carried out? I'm thinking perhaps i should just pay for the immersion heater part only?

As above we dont give prices out, But if they've agreed to fix all the water damage then i'd pay in full if/once they complete all works and your happy, is that cylinder on chipboard flooring?

 

[psychopomp1]

im sorry to say no prices will be given but you can ask advice once you receive a figure to see if its about right

No worries. Sorry i forgot to login when posting a few mins ago...didn't know you could post without registering!!

 

[psychopomp1]

He's a brave man for pulling that Emerson live with those electrics right under Neath or maybe just a fool, surely shutting the main and opening the prv to drop the level the hose down the top union would of been the sensible option

Well he got soaked in hot water so at least that's some consolation :hurray:

 

[Old Account]

Hi,
A few days ago I was getting a tiny water leak on my Range Tribune HE hot water cylinder, i called a plumber, he ascertained the immersion heater was faulty (corroded) and needed to be replaced. He told me afterwards there's no drain off tap on the cylinder so he pulled the immersion coil out which caused the water to gush out, come through the ceiling and nearly flood the kitchen downstairs. The plumbing company have agreed to fix the damage to my property at their own cost. In the end they managed to get a new immersion heater installed.

My question is, to stop this happening again do i need to ensure i have a drain off tap fitted to the cylinder/pipework and is my only option to buy a new cylinder? The cylinder was installed By Barratts homes when i bought the house in Nov 2008, obviously Barratts don't want to know now (only offer a 2 year warranty). NHBC 10 year warranty won't cover this as water cylinder is classed as a fitting/fixture. Perhaps if my plumbing knowledge was more than zilch then i would have noticed this far sooner, so need to know what are my options now.
Thanks

Wondering if the guy burned himself with roasting hot water ... Can imagine that's must have been a real shock for him

 

[Best]

He must be Mick the Dick.
The cylinder could have been drained easily without doing anything special and would have caused no water spill. I am G3 qualified, but don't need that qualification to know how to drain that.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

No worries. Sorry i forgot to login when posting a few mins ago...didn't know you could post without registering!!

not a problem if it happens again, make sure you have the keep me logged in checked/ticked

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Well he got soaked in hot water so at least that's some consolation :hurray:

but big drips dont get wet

 

[psychopomp1]

As above we dont give prices out, But if they've agreed to fix all the water damage then i'd pay in full if/once they complete all works and your happy, is that cylinder on chipboard flooring?

Yep, the cylinder is on chipboard flooring in bedroom airing cupboard.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yep, the cylinder is on chipboard flooring in bedroom airing cupboard.

but what happens if chip board gets wet

 

[psychopomp1]

but what happens if chip board gets wet

It gets weak and could cause the cylinder to come crashing down into our kitchen downstairs, probably when we're having our Valentine's dinner on our kitchen dining table?:dizzy2:

 

[ShaunCorbs]

It gets weak and could cause the cylinder to come crashing down into our kitchen downstairs, probably when we're having our Valentine's dinner on our kitchen dining table?:dizzy2:

could yes if been that wet

 

[stevetheplumber]

one i went to recently had a lever valve as a drain of and the pipework was teed into the blowout pipework which i thought was a good idea

 

[Unregistered]

Not sure if there should be a valve on the hot outlet either...

 

[Tjdservices]

I can't believe any plumber, G3 or not would do a live Immersion swap with a low level immersion. What a tool.

 

[snowhead]

Not sure if there should be a valve on the hot outlet either...

You mean like the taps on the sinks and basins also are?

 

[plumben]

Yep, the cylinder is on chipboard flooring in bedroom airing cupboard.

I'd want the flooring under the cylinder replaced to 18mm ply wood as part of the repair works, from my experience with chipboard floor it might not look wet and might seem fine, but that didn't stop my legs dangling through a kitchen ceiling after I took a bath out and stood where the bath was