Immersuns causing faults???

[BruceB]

I have had x3 faults appear recently on plumbing/electrical systems to which I have fitted Immersun:

- A Cotherm immersion on a Megaflow cylinder went open circuit after about 2 years of Immersun use. Needed to be drained and new immersion fitted.

- A Cotherm immersion on an Albion cylinder which was new went open circuit after a few months. Needed to be drained and new immersion fitted

- A standard 18" immersion thermostat on an old cylinder went open circuit a few months after replacing a Mk1 for a Mk2 Immersun. Needed new thermostat.

I have not done enormous numbers of Immersun, so I just wondered whether my experience was typical, or my clients have been unlucky. Perhaps the standard immersions and thermostats are just not built to take the duty cycle imposed by a Immersun?

 

[The Solar King]

Had a mark one have an immersion element go. Do you think this is due to old burstfire technology causing stress to the element. It was effectively turning the thing on and off continually. If an outlet had a indicator light, you could see the flicker rate.

 

[BruceB]

Possibly. I really don't know. I was wondering whether others had had failures.

 

[SibertSolar]

Digital thermostats Bruce? MK1 or MK2 Immersun units? (On the Cotherm systems)


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[BruceB]

I have had x3 faults appear recently on plumbing/electrical systems to which I have fitted Immersun:

- A Cotherm immersion on a Megaflow cylinder went open circuit after about 2 years of Immersun use. Needed to be drained and new immersion fitted. Built in standard analogue dual thermostat. Mk1 Immersun which would not start, so replaced with Mk2 under warranty. Immersion element open circuit not thermostat.

- A Cotherm immersion on an Albion cylinder which was new went open circuit after a few months. Needed to be drained and new immersion fitted. Built in standard analogue thermostat. Mk2 Immersun. Immersion element open circuit not thermostat. No fault with Immersun.

- A standard 18" immersion thermostat on an old cylinder went open circuit a few months after replacing a Mk1 for a Mk2 Immersun. Needed new thermostat (screwfix standard).

I have not done enormous numbers of Immersun, so I just wondered whether my experience was typical, or my clients have been unlucky. Perhaps the standard immersions and thermostats are just not built to take the duty cycle imposed by a Immersun?

Have added some extra detail above.

 

[Gavin A]

are you sure it wasn't the over temperature cut out on the immersion?

We've had that go multiple times I think on the same immersion, they're apparently only specced for emergency back up use, not for regular usage.

 

[BruceB]

On the two immersions, it was definitely the elements that had gone as I had access to the terminals.

On the thermostat, the backup had tripped a few times and been reset by the client a few times before the thermostat went open circuit. I could not tell for sure which bit of the thermostat was open circuit; could have been the backup. The main thermostat 'clicked' when it should have done so the main contacts were not welded shut.

 

[whinmoor]

We had one go like this after about a year. It was an Immersun Mk 1 installed alongside a 4kW system.

 

[The Solar King]

Wonder if warranty liability had anything to do with their demise?

PWM is also expensive compared with phase angle. Interesting that new SolarEdge device uses the former. They are normally in the money with their product offerings.

 

[Worcester]

According to Sibert, I believe the SolarEdge device is a rebadged Elios4You

 

[SibertSolar]

Correct, it's 4-Noks' Power Reducer


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[Gavin A]

with 20A fuses?

I'm really starting to hate all these add on devices. Have to placate v ****ed off customer due to the 16A fuse blowing twice, and us trying to work out why despite not faults on the system.... thanks for arranging for the 20A fuses to be sent out anyway Andy, I just need to find the time to go do the 2 hour round trip to replace it.

 

[BruceB]

Resurrecting an old thread but I have had another immersion heater break wth an Immersun, the immersion having been previously replaced two years ago. I think the problem is that the plumber used the cheapest possible copper sheathed immersion (the client had the box). With immersions that are used regularly (i.e. with power diverters) you should really go for a more expensive incoloy or titanium sheath. The difference is peanuts compared to plumber's labour.

 

[The Solar King]

Also had another immersun fail, a Mk2. Unit stated to connect via bypass at night without proportional control and then went up in smoke, tripping out the breaker.

Had to attend on a Saturaday evening to bypass the unit as householder used PV and immersion in summer rather than heat pump so had no hot water.

As installer we hold liability under Sale of Goods Act. Another £250.00 plus our time down the toilet.