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What are the advantages of immersion heaters?

If an immersion heater sounds like a good option for your home, you’re probably wondering what benefits come with these heaters. Well, you can look forward to:

• Convenience - Immersion heaters make a great, convenient back up if anything happens to your boiler.

• Insulation - Choosing to add insulation to your immersion heater means water will stay hot for hours.

• Easy to use - Immersion heaters are really easy to use, just press a switch to activate your heater.

• Functional - Many immersion heaters have added features. For example, some will switch off automatically once they reach the right temperature and others have timers that control when they turn off and on.

What are the disadvantages of immersion heaters?

As with anything, immersion heaters aren't perfect. Some of the drawbacks of using an immersion heater include:

• Running times - In order for an immersion heater to be effective, it needs to run for several hours a day, which can push up your energy bills.

• Running cost - Immersion heaters can be expensive to run, especially compared to using gas boilers.

• Planning ahead - As immersion heaters take time to heat up, you need to plan ahead if you need hot water.

• Bacteria - Your immersion heater will need to heat water to at least 50 degrees centigrade to eliminate any bacteria.

The average cost of adding an immersion heater to your hot water cylinder is £15 - £60 for parts. Alternatively, replacing an immersion heater costs an average of £250 including installation. Check out our immersion heater replacement cost guide for more details and prices.

The price will depend on these factors:

• Type of immersion heater - There are a few different types of immersion heaters, each with a different price tag.

• Size of immersion heater - Larger immersion heaters can heat more water, however they’re more expensive.

• Property size - The bigger your home is, the larger an immersion heater you need, pushing up the price.

• Number of residents - More people living in your home will increase the amount of hot water you need. This will increase your immersion heater installation cost.

• Ease of access - If it’s difficult to get access to install your immersion heater this will increase labour costs.

How much does an immersion heater cost to run?

As we mentioned above, running an immersion heater can be quite expensive. Plus, depending on the type of immersion heater you choose and how often you use it, the average immersion heater running cost will vary.

We recommend hiring a professional to install a new immersion heater. However, if you’d like to learn how to replace an immersion heater, use the below tips:

• Switch off the mains power and your water supply

• Run your taps until water stops flowing

• Remove the old immersion heater

• Unwind your new immersion heater

• Cover the fibre seal with jointing paste and fit to your immersion heater

• Install the new immersion heater in your tank

• Refill your central heating system and turn your mains power back on

There are a few common reasons you may be having trouble with your immersion heater. Below are some examples of immersion heater issues:

• Broken or damaged thermostat

• Build up of limescale

• Broken immersion heater element

• Tripped circuit breaker

• Insulation issues

Want to speak to immersion heater experts in SM2?

If you need help with immersion heater repair or installation in SM2, it’s important to find a professional you can depend on. All our members pass 12 checks with us and come with the recommendation of your neighbours.

We can help with your search for immersion heater specialists in SM2 in two ways. One option is to use our online search feature. It’s completely free to use, just type in your postcode to see a variety of professionals in your area.

Alternatively, fill in our request a quote form with the details of the work you need doing. We’ll then pass this to three tradespeople near you to get a quote.