Immersion and Hot Water Repairs in Balbriggan
No hot water, an immersion that trips the power, or a cylinder that's leaking. One local plumber who covers Balbriggan rings you.
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What does it cost in Balbriggan?
A new immersion element or thermostat costs €120–€300 fitted. A full immersion heater is €150–€450. A new hot water cylinder is €500–€1,300. Most no-hot-water calls are the element or the thermostat.
What to do first
- Check the immersion switch is on and the timer is set. Check the trip switch on the fuse board.
- If the boiler heats your water, check it's on and has pressure.
- Put your hand on the cylinder in the hot press. Cold at the top with the immersion on means the element or thermostat.
- If the switch trips the power every time, leave it off. That's the element.
What happens on the day
- The plumber tests the element and the thermostat with a meter to find which has failed.
- The cylinder is drained, the old element taken out and a new one fitted with a new seal.
- A leaking or badly scaled cylinder is quoted for replacement there and then.
- Everything is refilled, the air let out and tested hot before they leave.
What can go wrong, and how a good plumber avoids it
A new element that fails again quickly
In hard water the old scale is cleared out of the cylinder, not left to bake on the new element.
A leak at the boss after the job
A new fibre washer every time, never the old one.
Paying for a cylinder you didn't need
Most no-hot-water calls are a part. A cylinder is only replaced if it leaks or is past saving.
In Balbriggan
Water in Balbriggan is moderately hard: about 238 mg/l in Uisce Éireann's results for the area. Scale builds up on immersion elements in water this hard, which is why they burn out. Turning the thermostat down to 60°C slows it.
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Hot water and immersions: questions
Why have I no hot water?
Most often a failed immersion element or thermostat, a tripped switch, or the boiler. A plumber finds which in a few minutes with a meter.
How long does an immersion element last?
Years in soft water. In hard water, much less, because scale builds up on it and it overheats.
Is it safe to use the immersion if it keeps tripping?
No. Leave it off and get it checked. It's usually the element shorting to earth.
Should I replace the cylinder too?
Only if it leaks, is badly scaled or is too small. A copper cylinder can last decades.
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