immersion heater covering

Expandite foam from the DIY Stores. It's commonly used to fill gaps around windows and doors, but it is also quite a good insulator. Shake the can really well before using it and keep shaking it between uses. Be gentle with it, as it blows up to nearly three times its liquid state when curing.

Cheers. Is it possible to shape it (with a scraper for example) to the general shape of what's already there or will it look like a growth on top? :-)

It can be cut and shaped very easily with any kind of serrated blade. e.g.. an old hacksaw blade or bread knife.

You can cut and shape it with a sharp breadknife. Or alternatively, if you get the amount just right, cover with a sheet of tough polythene, taped down well. This will give you a similar finish to what is on there now, but as Big Wallop says, it expands to almost three times the size, so go easy!

It will look better if you can get it right without having to shape it (if that matters, being on a HW cylinder!!). But note that there are different varieties of this foam designed to expand to different degrees (it's intended as a filler). Brand names like "No more small gaps" and No more big gaps" if memory serves. You want the one which expands the least.

David

I think No More Small Gaps is like decorator's caulk (but in an aerosol, at an exorbitant price for the amount you get).

No More Big Gaps is the expanding foam. Dunno if you can use what you have left over in the can later after you've started it - it does say something about cleaning out the nozzle with a wet matchstick, but times I've used it I've always arranged things so I finish off the can in one go; filling in other holes, applying a bit of insulation etc.

For a HW cylinder I'd be inclined to just cover the bald patch with some old bubblewrap or suchlike.

-- John Stumbles

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-+ Women always generalise

Thanks for all the tips so far everyone. I'll try the expanding foam stuff. The local "bit's n pieces" shop sells it quite cheap.

If it doesn't work, is it possible to buy the old padded covers that used to be around boilers?

-- Remove N0_SPAM_PLEAZE to email It's a spring thing

LOL !!! Yes, you can still get them, but the expanding foam works well on this type of thing. We use it to fill in between pipe joints and things where we can't get the tube insulation to go.