I have had to admit defeat today on a dodgy immersion element, tested it and found its cause of rcd tripping, so try to get the element out...
easier said than done, I tried usual box spanner, taps with hammer, plenty of wd40, still not come loose... its been in since 2002 according to the customer as he recalls the football world cup being on at the time in japan!
heat gun is not viable due to amount of foam and insulation surrounding the tank... would be just my luck to end up burning the place down.
I have told him now that if i keep trying to get this thing out then he runs risk of me damaging the tank, possibly beyond repair, so he needs to call a plumber to either get it out or if hes skilled enough make a hole for a new replacement element, leaving the old in situ... I will then return to connect up.
This is the bit where it gets funny... he already called a plumber who said its an electricians job! but is now going to call a proper plumber!
Whats peoples methods for getting the stubborn old ones out of the tank?
Some times i think its best to admit defeat, go home and relax. I have once before seen a tank split where somebody used a tube to get extra leverage on the box spanner and yanked so hard it pulled the tank out of position and tore the metal. I did not want it to be me this time, especially as i only included £60 + materials for this part of the job. The other bits I have done and charged for apart from this.
easier said than done, I tried usual box spanner, taps with hammer, plenty of wd40, still not come loose... its been in since 2002 according to the customer as he recalls the football world cup being on at the time in japan!
heat gun is not viable due to amount of foam and insulation surrounding the tank... would be just my luck to end up burning the place down.
I have told him now that if i keep trying to get this thing out then he runs risk of me damaging the tank, possibly beyond repair, so he needs to call a plumber to either get it out or if hes skilled enough make a hole for a new replacement element, leaving the old in situ... I will then return to connect up.
This is the bit where it gets funny... he already called a plumber who said its an electricians job! but is now going to call a proper plumber!
Whats peoples methods for getting the stubborn old ones out of the tank?
Some times i think its best to admit defeat, go home and relax. I have once before seen a tank split where somebody used a tube to get extra leverage on the box spanner and yanked so hard it pulled the tank out of position and tore the metal. I did not want it to be me this time, especially as i only included £60 + materials for this part of the job. The other bits I have done and charged for apart from this.
