Using immersion heater

[Primekuts]

My gas boiler has broken and cannot be fixed until monday. We want to use the immersion heater to heat the water over the weekend but cant get it to work, there are two switches next to the tank that are both in the "on" position, one goes to a electric honeywell box the other goes straight to the top of the immersion heater coil which is in the tank, there is a thermostat on the tank which is set at 60 c, how do we get hot water!

[stanleyman]

The one that goes to the top should be connected to the normal mains electricity. If it is not working replace the 13 amp fuse if it has one and/or check the apropriate fuse or trip in the fuseboard. Otherwise the thermostat or element could have failed. It could also be that the Honeywell box is a control for another lower immersion heater connected to a night rate circuit and you won't get anything until the morning. It might also just be for the central heating. It's going to be cold this w/e and a hotel might be an idea!

[Buenchico]

Some older houses had an immersion heater circuit added after the original wiring was installed. (The Victorian house I lived in, in Sheffield, needed no fewer than 4 switches to be in the right position before the immersion heater would work!). If you live in an older house, check the area around the fuse box. There might be a separate power supply which needs to be switched on (or, alternatively, someone might have simply removed the fuse to the circuit; check that all the fuses are present).

Chris

[stanleyman]

Buenchico is perfectly right, there can be more switches for the immersion heater and I should have remembered having installed many of them. A remote switch can be fitted in the kitchen or near the fuseboard to save going upstairs to switch on, can be in other places or as a time switch as well. Usually the on off switch will be marked "immersion" and have a red neon indicator light.