Immersion heater sealing.

Hi All,

What is the best method for sealing an immersion heater into its heater boss? Used Boss Green last night but it still seems to be weeping a bit. Any ideas,

Thanks, Matthew

Reply to
Matthew
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On 11 Dec 2006 02:28:49 -0800 someone who may be "Matthew" wrote this:-

Patience.

Catch any drips. See if it is still weeping next weekend.

Reply to
David Hansen

In article , David Hansen writes

Make sure both surfaces are clean and flat. Make sure the sealing gasket is even and isn't distorted in any way.

Put a smear of leak sealant, smells like silicone sealant, much the same thing, and tighten up but take care not to take the thin copper plate of the hot water tank with you and all I've done that way have been fine:)

Reply to
tony sayer

The fibre washer supplied. Nothing else should be required.

Reply to
Andy Wade

I've wrapped layer on layer of PTFE tape into the tread/flange intersect to make a sort of O-ring and this has always worked. I would prefer not to use any sort of sealant which sets as it may make the heater irremovable.

Reply to
Tony Bryer

I didnt want to overtighten the fitting for fear of tank damage. It only tends to weep when the tank is over 3/4 full so it must be a very small area.

Yesterday I tried the following;

1) Just fibre washer. 2) Boss green and fibre washer. 3) Just boss green. 4) A couple of turns of PTFE.

A 160 litre drain down each time! Just boss green gave the best seal. A drip every 5 mins or so. Im tempted to leave it for a week with the temperature cycling and see if it seals itself. Another option maybe is to try another type of gasket sealant, any ideas? or maybe, rather than just a couple of turns of PTFE tape, try several?

Thanks for any advice, Matthew

Reply to
Matthew

Yup, been there. I didn't use the sealant but a previous occupier had changed an immersion heater and looked to have used an engine gasket sealant. Late Saturday, an hour or so before the sheds closed, and bugger it, I need a new cylinder.......

Reply to
The Wanderer

Only ever done one but I just used the fibre washer. I think the trick is to tighten as much as you dare, fill the tank, allow the washer to become totally soaked - it will leak at this point and then give it an extra tighten. The fibre washer will compress a bit more when wet.

Reply to
Richard Conway

Ive just been to the ironmongers and bought two new fibre gaskets. They seem far more chunky than the supplied effort. Will go for ptfe tape on the thread and one of the new gaskets. Hopefully that will sort it.

BTW I highly recommend the company I bought the cylinder through they were IFS and are based on the South coast.

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ordered a new 160 litre Geldhill cylinder along with a diagram showing the custom fittings I wanted on the cylinder and coil type etc. The cost was significantly less than an off the shelf make from my plumbers merchants to the tune of about =A3100 and it turned up in 3 days straight from Gledhills!

Might repost this as a seperate thread as other people may be interested. It saved us a lot of money.

Matthew

Reply to
Matthew

You shouldn't technically need the PTFE tape, as the washer provides the seal.

Reply to
Richard Conway

On a related point, why are hot water storage tanks cylindrical? From a use-of-space point of view I can't think of a less efficient shape, except maybe a sphere. Is it merely for the convenience of the manufacturer, or is there a valid technical reason why they aren't cubic/rectangular?

Pete

Reply to
Peter Lynch

You don't need any sealant as the washer is designed to self seal whe

it absorbs moisture.

The tank is the shape it is because its very thin copper and is under little outward pressure so its the most stable configuration. Strengt in the bottom due to the weight of the water, equal pressure round th sides and domed top to get any air out.

Awaits much better informed replies!!!!

-- freddyuk

Reply to
freddyuk

It reduces the surface area to volume ratio, thus reducing the heat loss for any given volume of water. A sphere would be the _most_ efficient shape...

Reply to
Andy Wade

On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:24:28 GMT someone who may be Peter Lynch wrote this:-

In addition to what has already been said, the corners of the old square hot water tanks had a number of problems. Cylinders are a much better bet.

Reply to
David Hansen

The domes at the end of a cylinder is for strength to withstand pressure and retain shape against side was distortion, ie sheer forces. Just look at petrol carrying and such tankers. It is the mathematics involved telling you to use a concave or convex dome on such vessels - not any dome but what the one structural analysis dictates.

Reply to
Ken chetin

Another 14 year old echo has boomeranged back

Reply to
Andrew

Well, structural analysis will give you the minimum copper solution. In DHW cylinders it is usual to have convex at the bottom, so it will stand upright on a flat floor while convex at the top is probably cheaper to make, as well as making it easy to have a take-off point at the warmest place, and avoiding a trapped air bubble.

Reply to
newshound

Yes this site is very much bugged or should that be buggered? Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff (Sofa

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