Immersion Heater or MCB

[nunney]

Hi Chaps,

My Consumer Unit MCB that runs my Immersion Heater trips when the water is cold. It also buzzes whilst it's drawing the load. To combat this it's basically on all the time. So I'm wondering if the immersion heater element is on the way out (scaled up)

Consumer unit is Harok & the MCB is 16Amps.Whats the best practice as far running an immersion goes ie leave on all the time or use a timer? I'm guessing that the heater element is drawing too much juice & that's tripping the mcb, any help greatly appreciated.

 

[Agile]

Well you can guess if you like.

If I am going to fix anything then I have to be more specific!

I would be measuring the current with my clamp ammeter!

Tony

 

[matt1e]

Hi Chaps,

My Consumer Unit MCB that runs my Immersion Heater trips when the water is cold. It also buzzes whilst it's drawing the load. To combat this it's basically on all the time. So I'm wondering if the immersion heater element is on the way out (scaled up)

Consumer unit is Harok & the MCB is 16Amps.Whats the best practice as far running an immersion goes ie leave on all the time or use a timer? I'm guessing that the heater element is drawing too much juice & that's tripping the mcb, any help greatly appreciated.

getting scaled up will not make the element draw anymore current than it normally would not scaled up, it may effect the amount of time its switched on though
I will persume it's a domestic 3kw unit in which a 16A mcb should suffice
I suspect the element may be intermitently shorting to earth as they tend to
you would have to megger it out to be sure though
It could of course be a faulty MCB but i'd suspect the element first

Matt