Any tips,, because it is really tight... I bought a big box spanner from screwfix and it feels as though it might slip.. It is too tight for me to move... Struggling here...
I just wanted to see if i could move it before i drained the tank,, Left water in so it would sit solid...
It is one of those square combo tanks with insulation boxed around it...
ok, good move - that usually keeps the tank more rigid...
You may be better off with the large ring spanner, and then hitting it rather than attempting to apply a continuous torque. Also check round the threads make sure there is no jointing compound or leak sealer built up round the interface. Raking any of that out first can help greatly.
OK,,,Cancel on that guys..?
Job Done..
"Rupert Bear" wrote
OK,,,Cancel on that guys..?
Job Done..
How exactly?
Angle grinder.
One danger is that you tear off the whole copper fitting that the heater is screwed into. Can you get a big stilson around the neck of the copper bit?
Robert
Curiousity is a great thing...
I cut about 18 inches of three inch galve tube and welded it on to the horrid box spanner to get away from the tank and clear the loft hatch...
Drill 18 mill hole through the end a find a decent sized tommy bar...
You end up with something like a giant wheel brace and you can put loads of torque on..
Run a little bead of weld around the flat walls of the box spanner and it tightens up a little and strenghtens the walls,, that might have been overkill ,, but it did no harm,, it definately gave it a more solid grip.. The risk was that if you put too much weld around it you could shrink the box spanner too much.....
Old element is now loosened and all probs are sussed..
I should have said job sussed ,, cos here I am sitting at the puter again.. Ill get to it later..
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Not possible,, it is resessed... on this tank..
Nice job! It was either going to undo it, or turn the tank into a spiral!
(that's almost worth a wiki article with a picture!)
Lol, the true spirit of DIY... the intellectual challenge is now over - all that remains is finishing the job when enthusiasm permits ;-)
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D\
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0|
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0|
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D/
You are an understanding soul..
TTFN..
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I had about 8' of bar on such a contraption last year, and one of the elements in my dual-element tank still wasn't shifting :-)
The bar was around 1" OD, 1/8" thick walls - and just kept bending. I swear previous owners must have sent some rodents into the tank with welding equipment and welded the element in place from the inside ;)
One day it'll fail (at the time, I just wanted it out to gain better access to de-sludge the tank) and I'll spend some time trying to drill it out, I suppose, and give in and just buy a new tank if needed - maybe the dip-tube will have failed and rendered it junk before then anyway.
I like the shrinking tip, though; the first spanner that I had was utterly useless and probably would have benefitted from this.
cheers
Jules
That's how I did the last one. Took the element to bits with the grinder and peeled the threaded portion inwards, off the tank thread. Took ages, but it's easier than tearing the tank and having to repair that.
What you need is a hacksaw blade wrapped in tape to make a handle. Use this to saw the washer out. They are quite thick.You must go all the way through and all the way round. The tank is very thin material, if you use any force on it, it will rupture.
We used to heat it up with a blow lamp when I was a lad.
You usually find someone has used "boss white" or similar on the washer. Blowlamp won't help if they have.
Well, there was jointing paste there. We used to heat up the copper in the hope that it would expand before the immersion heater did. It always worked ......38 years ago ........arggggg!
If they're the same coefficient of expansion then the larger diameter will expand more than the smaller - so if you've in effect a tight nut then heat will always help.
Obviously if you can keep the inner cooler, even by a bit that'll help.
Is it possible that when you see traces of boss white,, It is an indication that the person who originally fitted the element had little faith in the gasket.. and has also cranked it up extra tight from the outset...
I agree with the use of heat as a cure for most stubborn or rusted fittings... in general,, apply enough of it and something will eventually give..
Course on a copper tank the heat will disipate so fast,, you would end up with the whole tank roasting hot i expect.. There would perhaps be only a small moment of time when the heat expanded the outer more than the inner,, virtually making it a two man job,, one to hold the blowlamp and one to apply pressure on the tool..
What with the tank being boxed in like it is,, I just did not fancy trying the blowamp trick up in the loft.. Dangerous if it fell over..
Anyway,, I went up there last night and tackled the job and me poor old bodily particules are still in recovery... I do not bend and flex like i used to,, the moment i kneel i get a cramp in my little toes... It is fair to say that any and all work in awkward places involves pain and sufferin today... Shattered after a we job like that,,stiff and sore all over,,grumph grumph grumph...
I dint expect so much interest,,, rummy suggested I took a couple of piccies,, of the beastly box spanner.. I will try an post sometime...
Might stick some other DIY snaps up there too...
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And copper will expand quicker. It was a long time ago, I never liked the job.
>
Is it possible that when you see traces of boss white,, It is an indication that the person who originally fitted the element had little faith in the gasket.. and has also cranked it up extra tight from the outset...
I agree with the use of heat as a cure for most stubborn or rusted fittings... in general,, apply enough of it and something will eventually give..
Course on a copper tank the heat will disipate so fast,, you would end up with the whole tank roasting hot i expect.. There would perhaps be only a small moment of time when the heat expanded the outer more than the inner,, virtually making it a two man job,, one to hold the blowlamp and one to apply pressure on the tool..
Heat up the copper, turn off and drop the blowlamp. We used to use a BIG pair of stilsons. Those spanners were always crap. We also used the original seal cleaned up & with jointing paste when we put the immersion heater back in... hmmm.
What with the tank being boxed in like it is,, I just did not fancy trying the blowamp trick up in the loft.. Dangerous if it fell over..
Anyway,, I went up there last night and tackled the job and me poor old bodily particules are still in recovery... I do not bend and flex like i used to,, the moment i kneel i get a cramp in my little toes... It is fair to say that any and all work in awkward places involves pain and sufferin today... Shattered after a we job like that,,stiff and sore all over,,grumph grumph grumph...
I dint expect so much interest,,, rummy suggested I took a couple of piccies,, of the beastly box spanner.. I will try an post sometime...
Might stick some other DIY snaps up there too...
..............................................
then apply freeze spray or indeed WD40 to the inner. Classic way to free siezed threads.
:
Yea that sounds like a nice touch too...
You are aware of copper annealing I take it..
Heat it up and quench it in water,, it then becomes very soft...?
I have no idea exactly how hot it has to be for this to work,, but I do know that it does and have used it on occasion to soften old copper washers that were leaking oil out of a sump plug..
Just been looking at the old immersion element,,, I would think if one was stuck one could drill a row of holes across the inside and then place a chunky piece of flat bar through the slot... That would make all sorts of gripping methods available..
Or maybe just two big holes and devise a tool with suitable lugs...
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