Stuck immersion heater element in HW cylinder

[Paul Cockhill]

Hi

I have a broken immersion heater element which goes directly into the side of a hot water tank (at the bottom)

I have used an immersion spanner with an extension but I still cannot unscrew the immersion heater. I have tapped it with a spanner but an worried about using too much force and splitting the tank.

Does anyone have any bright ideas for unscrewing it??

Thanks

Paul

 

[kay-jay]

Heat. Lots of heat from the blowtorch.
I also use 24" stillsons. The leverage on them badboys means little effort is required to loosen most of them.

 

[gasmanrob]

Stitch drill the brass immersion base and cut across with a hacksaw blade it's take a while but it will come out. If you've got a wet vac stick it in the cylinder to clear up the swarf

 

[MSM]

Immersion heater spanner or stillsons and shock it with a club hammer, usually does the trick.

 

[stevetheplumber]

you need to have the tank full when trying to release it heat and the proper cast spanner and a club hammer has always worked for me
Monument MON361 | Monument Trade Prices | MON361

 

[Paul Cockhill]

Thanks Steve, I understand having water in the tank will make it more stable to release the immersion heater but might it also cause a leak

 

[Paul Cockhill]

Thanks Steve, i have ordered the cast spanner

 

[plumben]

Thanks Steve, I understand having water in the tank will make it more stable to release the immersion heater but might it also cause a leak

If you fill the cylinder too just above the immersion heater then if your worried about it splitting there wont be much water although it is easyer with a full cylinder

 

[gassafe]

It's probably a crappy box spanner your using! There always a bugger, but the cast iron monument one with a piece of 35 copper on the handle for leverage always gets em

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

It's probably a crappy box spanner your using! There always a bugger, but the cast iron monument one with a piece of 35 copper on the handle for leverage always gets em

Be serious use some 1"1/4 barrel :53:

 

[gassafe]

Had a right bugger the other day, it came out like a corkscrew!!

The old immersion was catching on a dip tube in the tank from the hot water draw off!! I still don't know how they fitted it originally! I had to cut the end off the tube with a hacksaw blade through the immersion hole to refit the new one!! Grr!

 

[LaMont5way]

Cut the washer off with a hacksaw blade, well worth a shot. Also I believe it to be the actual shock that is generated when striking with a hammer that frees the immersion. Bear this in mind when striking the immersion, last thing you want to do is use unnecessary force and buckle/disturb old weak metal and cause a leak.

 

[lame plumber]

if it is that old and weak, the cyl needs replacing sooner rather than later anyhow

 

[Allgoode]

I had two like that on an Albion ultrasteel direct the other week. Cast spanner & a good whack got them moving.
Completely shot & twisted on removal of lower one. Took 20 mins to get out as it was that badly twisted.
Owner said that it was fitted just over 14months before????
All working ok now so see how it goes.
Just have patience and if worried about causing leaks pre-warn cust that as immersion is seized in & this is only option to attempt removal.
Then you have shifted risk decision to them and if they give go ahead then there is no come back to you,
cheers

 

[lame plumber]

get a disclaimer signed is my advice........... saves any hassle later on

 

[Paul Cockhill]

Thanks you are right. I was using a box spanner which has always worked up until now. However I now have the monument spanner