immersion heater mandatory with new combi-boiler?

[180turbo]

Does anyone know if its a legal requirement to have the immersion heater in the hot water tank wired up when you still use the tank with a new combi boiler?

I have to remove some wiring as its non compliant which will mean the immersion heater switch not being supplied, which is no problem as we dont use it, we use the combi boiler to get hot water and supply the heating.

I've got a feeling (need to check) that the previous occupiers have put the immersion heater and 2 kitchen sockets and 1 light switch on the same circuit (15A?) so its not been cleverly at all.

 

[plugwash]

normally with a combi boiler you don't even have a tank.

I don't belive there is any requirement to have a fuctioning immersion heater in a hot water tank though I do belive it is a bloody good idea.

 

[Spark123]

Is the hot water pressurised connected to the mains water supply on the new system? If it is then you don't really want it connected to the old tank as it may blow it up like a balloon!! (or end up with water coming out of the overflow)
Maybe one for our friendly plumbing forum??

 

[holty]

is your hot water cylinder vented or unvented?.to me it sounds as though your combi is runing an unvented cylinder delivering high pressure hot water, if this is correct an immersion wont be necessary only if your boiler packs in,and you need stored hot water.

 

[JohnD]

"if"?

 

[John M]

"if"?

Ohhhh the irony

 

[Agile]

If you have a working immersion heater and no supply spur available there is a simple solution.

As its only a backup for boiler failure just fit a long ( heatproof ) cable with a mains plug and just plug it into the nearest socket in the unlikely event the boiler fails.

Of course if you have bought one of the unreliable combi makes then it might be better to reinstate a proper spur as it will often be required!

Tony

 

[John M]

in the unlikely event the boiler fails.

Sign here Guv & add ya insurance details @ the bottom

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Theres a ferret loose here! Are you sure it is a combi?

Boiler make and model? please

 

[180turbo]

Does anyone know if its a legal requirement to have the immersion heater in the hot water tank wired up when you still use the tank with a new combi boiler?

I have to remove some wiring as its non compliant which will mean the immersion heater switch not being supplied, which is no problem as we dont use it, we use the combi boiler to get hot water and supply the heating.

I've got a feeling (need to check) that the previous occupiers have put the immersion heater and 2 kitchen sockets and 1 light switch on the same circuit (15A?) so its not been cleverly at all.

Sorry guys, i may have mis-informed you earlier!

The boiler is a Baxi Solo 3 which was installed by british gas, nothing wrong with the plumbing at all, i'm just tidying up some cables in the house (as we recently moved in) and the chap who was in before had a wheelchair and he had the immersion heater switch extended down into the downstairs toilet. This cable goes back up to the original immersion heater switch next to the hot water tank, and the immersion heater only gets power if both switches are on, to save him going upstairs to turn it on. I don't know if he ever used it, but the hot tank is now fed from the above boiler (sorry if its not a combi as i said earlier).

I'd like to remove the cable and switch from the downstairs loo which may mean it not powering the original immersion heater switch upstairs (for now anyway until we look at re-routing the cable anyway). It won't make any difference to us now as we don't use it (have been in the house 8 months now), tis just an eye sore downstairs as they've bodged a light switch in the loo onto it too which need re-doing.

 

[JohnD]

a photo of the tank and switches would be an enormous help

if you can show the pipes and pump too that would be great