In The News Again - Death From Boiling Water

[ChrisR]

IN the news - again.
If the thermostat in a hot water cylinder fails, the cistern (tank) in the loft can soften and dump 250kg of near boiling water through the ceiling. This has caused death several times in the last few years.
This is how it happens:

New design thermostats were introduced in 2004. If you haven't changed the immersion heater or its thermostat since then, you will have the old type. When those fail, they fail "on" which means there's nothing to stop the water boiling.
The post 2004 thermostats have an extra safety thermostat built-in, which switches off if the temperature of the water gets above the normal range. It does NOT reset itself when the water cools.
They can be easily fitted by someone competent to do basic electrical connecting, and only cost a few pounds. It's a totally "dry" procedure!

References:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...FOAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2008/01/07/nbaby107.xml

http://www.hse.gov.uk/services/localgovernment/alert.htm

Immersion heater heads:

Note the new type themostat typically has a tiny reset button.

The old ones didn't:

 

[clf-gas]

Excellent post Chris, welldone that man. this is a post the mods should should move round to all the forums in diynot.


I take my hat off to you

 

[ChrisR]

Ta. I'll tidy it up and put it in the FAQ's

 

[namsag]

Did you see the half wit from Pimlico plumbing on bbc breakfast time this morning could not string 2 words together completely missed how to put over what the fault had been and even allowed presenter to mention combi`s , do they not brief them first.

Agree simple and excellent post chris says it all

 

[Agile]

Did you see the half wit from Pimlico plumbing on bbc breakfast time this morning could not string 2 words together

Thats the public perception of a "plumber".

It also helps to explain the people who post on here asking for advice and when you give it to them they argue against what you have told them!

They expect that we are equally uneducated. After all plumbers left school at 14 which explains their lack of education and why they have to read the Sun!

My first encounter with a plumber was on Jury service at the Old Bailey. He was smartly dressed with a tie and read the Telegraph and enthused about the leadwork on the roof!

Tony

 

[Nige F]

Did you see the half wit from Pimlico plumbing on bbc breakfast time this morning could not string 2 words together

Thats the public perception of a "plumber".

!

Tony

well said, Tony...funny about The Telegraph...when I was apprenticed , I read a customer`s one ...and a comment was passed to the guy I was working under

 

[Agile]

I am not surprised, you should not have read the client's paper without asking for his permission first!

That reminds me about a black trade unionst who said that in his first job as a warehouseman in a car plant he used to wear a shirt and tie and read the Telegraph. That raised a lot of comments from the other workers!

After rising to a high position in the trade union he laughed it off saying that as it was cold in this country he liked a tie to keep his neck warm and he read the Telegraph because as a Jamacian he was mad about cricket and the Telegraph had the best cricket coverage.

I saw a bus driver some time ago with a white shirt and tie. Another driver said to the conductor "you've a white collar worker up front"!

Tony

 

[Diyisfun]

Did you see the half wit from Pimlico plumbing on bbc breakfast time this morning could not string 2 words together completely missed how to put over what the fault had been and even allowed presenter to mention combi`s , do they not brief them first.

Agree simple and excellent post chris says it all

Yea I saw that Im not a plumber & I thought what a load of B***ks.
Why Pimlico, well they were on the BBC fly on the wall.

 

[namsag]

Was there a power cut in london this morning because this guy had obviously got dressed in the dark and i bet his grandad was not too pleased at him borrowing his george raft suit.

 

[coops1975]

Hi

This is fantastic and in the light of the item on the news (Baby
Rhianna's Death)
I checked our thermostat on our immersion heater, even though it is only used as a back up and there is a Drayton thermostat on the outside of the tank and this is linked to the boiler in the kitchen (Used Daily).

Anyway I have decided to change the thermostat at the top of the immersion heater cylinder to meet the NEW BS 60335-2-73;2003, that states a replacement should be replaced with a Dual Rod Thermostat.

What I need to know is to find out what length of thermostat I need do I need to Drain the system of water?

I believe that I do need to do this but have read on another post that this is not required.

Could somebody please advise me a to what I should do it this circumstance.

Cheers


Coops

 

[kirkgas]

you don't need to drain cylinder to change 'stat but you do need to confirm power is off, size of stat depends on where immersor goes into tank, horizontal is usually 7" can't remember vertical, but disconnect the two wires and simply lift it out and measure it

 

[namsag]

Did anyone see picture of the tank,, It had split right down its entire side apart from an inch at the top.
As for being adequatly supported it was sitting on half a door so although not correct material it was supported across its entire base.

 

[coops1975]

Cheers KirkGas

I will remove stat and go to the nearest plumb centre to get a replacement.

I was worried that I would remove the stat and the water would start p*ssing out.

Cheers for the advice


Coops