We take pride in our expertise when it comes to repairing electric storage heaters and immersion water heaters. If you have a malfunctioning or faulty storage heater or immersion water heater, we can assist you in bringing it back to life.
We undertake repairs and maintenance on a wide range of storage and immersion water heaters, including major brands such as:- Creda
- Dimplex
- Elnur
- Unidare
- Stiebel Eltron
- Subnhouse
- Albion
- Gledhill (Pulsacoil)
- Heatrae (Megaflow)
- Titan
- Tesla
- Telford
Storage heaters
Storage heaters and the standard portable heaters work on the same principle, but storage heaters, as it says in their name, can store heat and are thermally insulated to minimise heat loss.
This means storage heaters can use off-peak energy, known as Economy 7 tariff and store the heat for the rest of the following day. The off-peak electricity on an Economy 7 tariff meter is far cheaper than the electricity in a standard tariff meter.
Common causes of storage heater failure
The most common cause of storage heater failure is a faulty thermostat unit. When the thermostat unit fails, the storage heater stops working.
Sometimes a damaged heating element causes storage heater failure. When the heating element breaks, the storage heater may heat up only partly or may not heat up at all.
A fault in your electrical wiring, damage to the other electrical components within the heater unit (e.g. terminal blocks, switches, etc.) are some other known causes of storage heater failure.
Immersion water heaters
Vented and unvented cylinders are two distinct types of immersion water heater cylinders available on the market.
Most vented cylinders are made of copper, and cold water is fed to the immersion cylinder from the external cold-water storage tank fitted high above the actual vented cylinder itself.
In contrast, modern-day unvented cylinders are available in copper as well as stainless steel, and they are fed directly by the cold-water mains. Therefore, they do not require an external cold-water storage tank.
However, in terms of their electrics, both the vented and unvented systems work in the same way. The only difference is that the modern-day unvented hot water systems are fitted with some extra electronic components to improve safety and performance.
Immersion water heaters work precisely the way electric kettles do. The immersion heater cylinder is fitted with a heating element similar to that which can be seen in most electric kettles. The immersion heating element is immersed in the water inside the hot water cylinder. The only difference is that the immersion heater can heat a large volume of water (given the size of the cylinder) at a time, and store the heated water for later use. These cylinders are thermally insulated to prevent heat loss.
Common causes of immersion water heater failure
The most common cause of immersion water heater failure is a faulty immersion heating element. As with everything else, these elements do deteriorate naturally over time due to corrosion.
However, the primary external factor that escalates the corrosion of the heating element is the hardness of the water itself. The lifespan of the immersion heating element is shorter in a hard-water area than in a soft-water area. This is because of the limescale build-up in the water cylinder.
Limescale builds rapidly in hard water, and the limescale escalates the corrosion of the immersion element, causing damage. Therefore, considering the hardness of the water is essential in selecting the correct replacement immersion heating element.
Faulty wiring, a faulty thermostat and mixing valve, a pressure drop in the pressure tank, and trapped air in the cylinder are other common problems associated with immersion water heaters.
Future of electrical heating systems
Heating and hot water systems have become basic necessities of modern-day living. The energy consumed by heating our homes and water accounts for over 65% of the total energy consumed in homes in Britain today. This includes heating our indoor spaces, water heating and cooking.
Currently, gas is the dominant source of energy used for all types of heating purposes. This is an extremely carbon-intensive source of energy. The use of fossil fuels, such as gas, has an enormous effect on global warming and climate change.
As modern-day electricity generation is increasingly moving towards renewable sources, electricity will be a more sustainable and cleaner source of energy in the future and an alternative to fossil-fuel derived energy.
Evolving new technologies and continued innovation in electrical appliances means that electrical heating systems have already gained massive popularity against conventional fossil fuel (gas) powered heating systems.
In a bid to tackle carbon emissions, the British Government has already announced the end to the fossil fuel heating systems in new homes from 2025. Nonetheless, new purpose-built blocks of flats, apartments and townhouses have already turned to electric-only living spaces.