Immersion Element

[lukeysim]

Welcome to ElectriciansForums.net - The American Electrical Advice Forum
Head straight to the main forums to chat by click here:  American Electrical Advice Forum

OK so my immersion heating element had been going bang, and blew a few sparks, i went to disconnect it completely from the isolator switch and the actual unit and the cable had been burnt through,everything was shorting itself out, it was only 1.5mm flex. any idea what may have caused this??

 

[sparky-s-w]

loose termination would be my first guess

 

[sjm]

As sparky-s-w says. Also might not be heat resistant flex.

 

[Knobhead]

Have you tested the element? With what you’ve said the chances are it’s OK. The flex has been overloaded, a bit of 2.5 heat resisting flex should see the job done.

 

[Guitarist]

OK so my immersion heating element had been going bang, and blew a few sparks, i went to disconnect it completely from the isolator switch and the actual unit and the cable had been burnt through,everything was shorting itself out, it was only 1.5mm flex. any idea what may have caused this??

Nothing wrong with 1.5mm, though it should be heat-resisting flex. May have been a loose termination, a knackered switch contact arcing, or even the wrong type of switch.
Test the element and thermostat, and if they are ok then it's new HR flex and a new switch.
Incidentally, was it a DP 20A immersion switch, or a 13A switched fused spur unit?