electric boiler - no life to be seen...

[jonshutt]

First post here, could be more to come...
We moved into our house a couple of months ago, never had any hot water, just getting started on trying to fix the problem.

The system is electric, with off peak bottom immersion, and an 'any time' top immersion heater. Immersion heaters are 'pullin' heaters

The top immersion is controlled from a timer in the kitchen.

Nothing works! (although the previous owners say it did)

When i turn on the top heater in the kitchen, the light in the switch comes on.

Up in the loft, the two power leads come up, through a switch and into the boiler, the top heater has a light, but it doesn't light up, even when the one in Kitchen does.

I'm wondering if there are any checks I should do to find out where the system is failing. What's confusing me is that both heaters are independent, on different circuits, but both don't work. The fuse box has both circuits turned on, and I can't see any other switches.
Do the immersion heaters themselves have fuses in them?
or is it just that both heaters have died of old age?


I can send photos of the various parts if people are interested

many thanks

 

[hi-spec plumbing heating]

remove the two plasic caps and see if there is live power there.

 

[jonshutt]

I'll give that a go. If it's live, I suppose I assume it's teh immersions that are gone. Which would then need looking at. Otherwise, it's a trip down the electric circuit to find the break...

When you say 'two plastic caps', do you mean on the immersion heaters or the switch on the power supply, in either case, both should have the same effect!

thanks

 

[hi-spec plumbing heating]

have you any pics of the loft switches and timer.

the bottom one only works off peak from 12 mid night to 6am.
the top one is boost which is for day time if you use all the stored water.

are the switches in loft fused spurs.(they contain a 13amp fuse) they may of blown due to faulty element.

the stat in the top of immersion may have tripped

remove the top immersion cover check for power on in comming cable.
and in loft switchs.

download some pics.

 

[jonshutt]

thanks for the info

i'll have a look in the switches for a fuse.
I took the covers off the immersion heaters themselves, and found both are badly wired (stretch cables, too short etc), the top one has shorted, looks like the wiring has touched, and melted the wires.
So hopefully refixing the wires, and checking the fuse should fix the top boiler.
I'll see if the fuse has gone in to bottom boiler switch too....


here are some photos...

more photos
http://www.northernlightsdesign.co.uk/tests/boiler/


many thanks