primatic ... wot to do?

[mikell]

Hi GuYS,
I know its old but its worked fine and funds are tight to start with.
Anyway the heating element packed up (i Checked with a screwdriver ,power going in to it but nowt coming out so would that be enough to say the element is dead?) . I know the boiler gives us hot water but we do rely on the element also.
I have tried to remove the element tono avail its well and truly stuck ,I have tried heating it up with my paintstripper gun and tapping away at the spanner but nothing,except the small signs of a buckle in the tank so I have stopped as if I tear it ,im a dead man!!
What im asking is : if I cannot remove the element are thses things easy to find and install as all posts seem to date them back in th 70s or the antiques roadshow! Or should I call a proffesional in just to remove the element,as he knows what hes doing.
and if I remove the whole tank what other thing would I replace it with ? would I have to pay through the nose for a whole new boiler system and cylinder all for the sake of one 27 pound element?!
p.s there is no thermost switch on the top of the tank just a cap covering the wires which are attached to the the heating element,so I couldnt even guess at the thermostat being dead.
All help gratefully recieved,thanks!!

 

[hi-spec plumbing heating]

why don't you check it first
do a continuity test on the element
check the stat for continuity
check the re-set
do a ohms test on the element.

then try get it out

 

[JohnD]

throw away your neon screwdriver and splash out £5 - £10 on a multimeter

 

[mikell]

I will ask the spark in work to lend me his,is it basically the same way of testing,the flow of current in and out of the element? Sorry to sound like a dunce but I have a pointy hat on here with a MASSIVE D!! doh

 

[JohnD]

the electrician probably has a much more expensive one and will be very sad if you damage it.

get yourself up to the DIY shed or hardware store. A cheap one will be fine for what you need to do

What you need to do is to test for 230v arriving at the terminals in the immersion heater (you are testing voltage, not current, and you are looking for supply of voltage, not flow of current). If it isn't there, you travel towards the consumer unit (fusebox) testing at every point - switch, timer etc) where the cable has something on it. You ae testing between the Phase (rd) and Neutral (black) wires (more modern installations use brown and Blue instead)

If 230v is there, you need to test on the other side of the thermostat.

Obviously you must be very careful not to touch any electrical part with anything except the metal tips of the insulated probes, and not to work on live parts unless you are competent and confident. Always switch off at the main switch before opening or unscrewing anything, then examine it by eye before using your tester.

 

[hi-spec plumbing heating]

if you have power at the element
do a ohms test across the element you should have 18 - 20 ohms.

 

[stardanny]

Hi.

I had a problem with this customer's cylinder, with the heater boss breaking off the top, it had half full of limescales in it. The Primatic is no longer made. The only way, if you don't want a new boiler system, is to fit a normal indirect cylinder and a F&E tank and run a vent and feed pipes from tank to flow and return pipes at the side of cylinder.

Dan

 

[mikell]

thanks for the help gents,will look for one at the w/e
but dont understand hi spec,
check the stat
check the reset ,
whats the reset please.,I know a lot of things have a trip out switch and reset button but theres nothing like that on this ,just two screws holding the cables to the element thats all (and the cap).
thanks again.

 

[JohnD]

modern immersions have an overheat reset button

older ones don't

 

[hi-spec plumbing heating]

thanks for the help gents,will look for one at the w/e
but dont understand hi spec,
check the stat
check the reset ,
whats the reset please.,I know a lot of things have a trip out switch and reset button but theres nothing like that on this ,just two screws holding the cables to the element thats all (and the cap).
thanks again.

you sure it is only a little pin and easy missed, check for power bothsides of stat

 

[mikell]

I took another look , and ( I think the BIG pointy hat must have got in the way before) there was a link briding two screws so undid link took it off and schloop,out pulls trhe thermostat ! it is a sunval thing so rang them up gave them the serial number on it tqb/ a - but they said that was discontinued years ago,have tried other places to no avail but at least im getting somewhere!!
It smells burnt out a touch so hopefully it is this and not the element (that I cant get out anyway!)
It is about 5 inches long and 1/2 inch diamiter ,like a silver cigar case,the modern ones are I think 7inches long and about the width of a pencil.
One guy said what I could do is use the 7 inch slim thermo and pack the hollow in the chamber where the thermo sits ,pack it with wire wool so it could conduct the heat and transferit to the thin 7 inch termo .
Not ideal but sounds feasable,what do you think?
hopefully I will end up with the tqb/a soon but in principal,is the other idea o.k/safe to go with!
Its took me days to post this as I was embarrased to do so! How did I miss the thermostat!! thanks again.

 

[mikell]

fitter in work checked it with a meter thingy and it reads as if a circuit is there ,( no power running through it just when he touches both screws with both points of the meter reader,it lights up,but it still could have blown couldnt it ,even though it reads a circuit?).
If this thermo is working o.k then I ant a chance with the element and will have to ask some one with more nouse than me to have a go!! (I know ,I know,dont tell me!! ).fingers crossed.

 

[mikell]

after all that it was determined to be the element,spark popped round to check it for me,so have spent days scraping out the gunge from under the fixing and have eventually got to the thread wd40ing all the way and gently tapping away with the big spanner ,when a tiny pinprick of water shot up from the cylinder about 1 inch below the point where the element srews in. I have put a crease in the tank ( a little one but enough to make it spring a tiny leak!) . and I still aint got the element out!
So now what do you reckon,call it a day get a plumber in change my whole system over,or see if I can get another primatic tank to replace it with? Are they about in plumbers shops and the like ,or what kind of cost would I be charged for getting one fitted? Just a (close) rough quote would help me out please guys!

 

[undercover]

If its sprung a leak then i'm afraid its done for.

Primatics are just too expensive to replace. You'd probably be looking at spending £500.

Just change it to a more efficient indirect cylinder with an F&E tank.

 

[Bobbo 85.]

were in liverpool are you and ill tell you were to go to