Old Heating System. Old Immersion Element?

[agleno]

Hi everyone,

We bought a house built in the 60s a year ago and I am doing all the DIY. I have a question about our heating system. Im very much an amatuer, but does this look like an old immersion element that still exists within the cylinder (bottom center of the pic)?

There is a new'ish gas boiler that is connected to the cylinder, so I assume I can remove the electrical wiring to this (if it is in fact and old element)? It's also very slightly leaking so I would like to resolve that as well.

Here is a piping and wiring diagram. As best I can tell it's accurate. I assume I can remove "spur 2" and have everything powered from "spur 1". Spur 2 has these very old flick switches that say "bath/sink" that look to be connected to the element (again if it is an element).

I also have some follow up questions as the motorized valve has never worked. I would like to replace this valve with a new one and have the Drayton controller swap between rads turning on and hot water. currently when we turn on the heating both are heated so I assume the value is "stuck" in the open position.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

It is an immersion heater. Usually an immersion is useful as a backup for the next time the boiler packs up, so I would be inclined to continue to have one.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Im very much an amatuer, but does this look like an old immersion element that still exists within the cylinder (bottom center of the pic)?

Yes it is.

But the sink/bath switch suggests there should be two separate elements - a high level one and a low lever one for the bath cylinder full of hot water.

There is a new'ish gas boiler that is connected to the cylinder, so I assume I can remove the electrical wiring to this (if it is in fact and old element)? It's also very slightly leaking so I would like to resolve that as well.

If it's working, it's worth keeping as a backup for when the boiler fails. If it is the edge of the element, around the boss, then likely the gasket has failed. They cost just pennies, but the cylinder would need to be drained to fix it, and the element might well be seized in place, and a special spanner is needed to get it out.

 

[stem]

If your wiring drawing is correct, there is some urgent remedial work required.

There are two fused spurs shown. One should be for all of the heating system components (with a 3A fuse) and the other for the immersion heater only (with a13A Fuse).

However, your diagram shows the Gas Boiler / Drayton controls fed from the same spur as the immersion heater and the, heating wiring and motorised valve from the other.