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help to unseize immersion in calorifier please!


IainW

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On 17/04/2017 at 09:06, IainW said:

only a few, the reason i don't think a flat one will work is that the immersion in sunk into the boiler by a few cms, this may just be insulation that i could scrape away but that would be a massive pain. Also, the plumbing looks like it would get in the way. Check out the photos above if you're interested...

 

As Tacet explained in post 10, the insulation needs cutting away to properly expose the head of the heater element to get the spanner on. This is five minutes' work with a kitchen carving knife. I agree about the pipework being in the way though. It will need removing for proper access. Looks easy enough to take off to me. Most of the fittings are push-fit or compression. Simpler than it looks to remove then replace after swapping the element. 

 

 

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I think I might start by removing all that straining plastic pipework, then you'll have more room to do the immersion boss like MtB suggests (and you'll now have a bit more room for a hacksaw if you resort to violence). Then I'd re pipe the lot to tidy it up, remove bend stresses and excess joints and make the thing look less like  Bizzard's invented a set of hydraulic bagpipes! :)

 

ETA - blow me if MtB didn't suggest the same thing whilst I was typing!

Edited by Sea Dog
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sorry, can't add much to the advice about shifting the thing but I have had a real job to stop the blanking boss on mine from leaking. Thread tape, sealant, washers, every type of goo and the b****** still dripped. Ended up by removing the tank and bringing it home to check for cracks, all perfect with no cracks or uneven bits, spent a couple of days in the shed trying everything I could think of and eventually with some gasket sheet from e bay have managed to stop it. The mating faces are very narrow and if you tighten it too much it will distort the gasket. If it does it again I will solder the sod closed permanently, I don't use an immersion heater by the way.

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i am very novice at plumbing, i have no idea why that plumbing is good or bad!

If i turn off the water pump and remove the pipes from being in the way at the top, will it spill a lot of water or just a wee bit? I don't mind a litre or so, but don't fancy a lot more...

I presume i use spanners to do the copper stuff, and just release the pressure to do the plastic stuff?

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The plastic fittings are "JG Speedfit". You press the small ring where the pipe enters towards the body of the fitting and the plastic pipe will pull out. Google or YouTube will show you how so you can feel confident and understand what you're doing - just search for "JG Speedfit disassembly" or similar.

Turn off your fresh water cock at the tank, depressurise the system and let the pump push as much water our of the pipework as possible by opening taps before you switch it off too: most fresh water pumps, like the Jabsco for example, will run dry without an issue, so letting it run whilst you do that will be fine. There will be water left in the pipes though, so be ready with appropriate containers and a sponge.

Despite what I said earlier, you might want to refrain from a redesign if you're unfamiliar with plumbing, but you ought to be able to make yourself some working space to work on that pesky immersion heater boss! Good luck! :)

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2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

 

Turn off your fresh water cock at the tank, depressurise the system and let the pump push as much water our of the pipework as possible by opening taps before you switch it off too: most fresh water pumps, like the Jabsco for example, will run dry without an issue, so letting it run whilst you do that will be fine. There will be water left in the pipes though, so be ready with appropriate containers and a sponge.

  

You need to let air into the suction side of the pump to do that, I loosen the top of the inlet strainer on the pump to do that, I drain my sytem every time I leave the boat November to end of March

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the new spanner arrived thanks to amazon drone or something! now to chip away the insulation and remove the plumbing...

thanks again for the advice, i feel like i may just get there...

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On 16/04/2017 at 20:05, IainW said:

IMG_20170416_200328984.jpg

IMG_20170416_200254789.jpg

It looks to me as though if you undo the lowest nut on that brass compression tee, the whole of that arrangement of pipes on top can be lifted and swung out of the way. There are enough flexible pipes and push-fit fittings (which swivel without being dismantled or loosened in any way) to allow this.

No need to drain anything to remove those pipes or the immersion heater. Just turn the water pump OFF and all hot and cold taps ON, and wait for water to stop flowing. Then turn the taps OFF again and start dismantling!

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2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

You need to let air into the suction side of the pump to do that, I loosen the top of the inlet strainer on the pump to do that, I drain my sytem every time I leave the boat November to end of March

Nah, on this occasion he only needs to depressurise and let out what he can at the taps cos he's working quite high up. There'll be a bit of water in the pipes, but nothing an ice cream tub and a sponge won't cope with. If he re plumbs the lot so he's working lower it's worth faffing a bit more, but I don't think he'll be doing that.

For the OP and your query about getting the element out - if you're bursting to get on with the job, I think you'll be ok as it'll probably be quite a short 1kW job and you have quite a bit of headroom. Anyway, if you get the thread undone, you'll quickly find out! MtB is yer man here though, so if you can wait til he's back you'll be better informed! 

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On 17/04/2017 at 18:33, Sea Dog said:

Nah, on this occasion he only needs to depressurise and let out what he can at the taps cos he's working quite high up. There'll be a bit of water in the pipes, but nothing an ice cream tub and a sponge won't cope with. If he re plumbs the lot so he's working lower it's worth faffing a bit more, but I don't think he'll be doing that.

For the OP and your query about getting the element out - if you're bursting to get on with the job, I think you'll be ok as it'll probably be quite a short 1kW job and you have quite a bit of headroom. Anyway, if you get the thread undone, you'll quickly find out! MtB is yer man here though, so if you can wait til he's back you'll be better informed! 

 

You're too kind. All of wot u rote is krekt except the last bit.

The OP doesn't need to get the thread undone to find out how long the element is and if there is enough space to get it out. 

1) There is ALWAYS enough space to get it out as one can bend and mangle it up (technical term) to get the old one out.

2) The OP must already have the new one in a box, so he can take it out and measure it, and see if it fits the gap:)

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13 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Seeing as he's already replaced it once I think we can safely assume that there's space to do so. 

Ah, it was Bod who asked that! Your right, the OP might well know then, although if OP's done it before it begs the question...

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12 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Ah, it was Bod who asked that! Your right, the OP might well know then, although if OP's done it before it begs the question...

Read the OP :)

it seems that no-one does that these days.

He used silly amounts of gloop when fitting the new one and said gloop is resisting letting go. 

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22 minutes ago, bizzard said:

You could always put the spanner on it and jamb it to stop it moving and by bear hugging and turning the calorifier instead. A good grip and better leverage might be obtained that way.

And it would keep you warm. 

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1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Ah, it was Bod who asked that! Your right, the OP might well know then, although if OP's done it before it begs the question...

Oop's lesson learnt!

 

Bod

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cheers folks, its only a 11" element in there, i think they originally fitted a 27" and then put the calorifier in. No way i could do that now, but i got a 14" which should be fine to get in. It seems a shame to only have the element working in the top half of the calorifier. I like the idea of turning the calorifier instead of the wrench, but it'd be easier to attache the wrench to the bank and turn the boat :-) 

If i scrape away the insulation on the top i'll have another shot with the blow torch, less chance it will set on fire again (did i mention that haha) if i scrape it clean...

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29 minutes ago, IainW said:

cheers folks, its only a 11" element in there, i think they originally fitted a 27" and then put the calorifier in. No way i could do that now, but i got a 14" which should be fine to get in. It seems a shame to only have the element working in the top half of the calorifier. I like the idea of turning the calorifier instead of the wrench, but it'd be easier to attache the wrench to the bank and turn the boat :-) 

If i scrape away the insulation on the top i'll have another shot with the blow torch, less chance it will set on fire again (did i mention that haha) if i scrape it clean...

Similar as how a bunch of 7 men went to drill a hole in a wall.  1 to hold the drill and 6 to turn the wall.

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On 17/04/2017 at 21:33, BEngo said:

If it is full of water, as it should be, a blowtorch is a waste of energy.  It ain't gonna get hot.  Hit it wiv a nammer instead.

N

As has been recommended about seven times already!

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