Immersion heater safety risk
You may have read in the papers about the baby that was scalded to death due to a faulty thermostat on the family's immersion heater.
The Health and Safety Executive has issued a safety alert to raise awareness of a "rare but potentially serious" scalding risk from domestic hot water systems which include a fixed all-electric or part-electric immersion heater in conjunction with a plastic cold water storage cistern or tank located in the roof space.
The guidance warns that particular consideration should be given to systems over 10 years old and systems where homeowners and landlords may have other reason to suspect the adequacy of the initial installation or any subsequent work.
An overheating immersion cylinder will normally show obvious warning signs,as outlined below.
- know how old your system is - if it is before 2004 there is a good chance it is fitted with an old thermostat (after 2004, recommended manual reset came onto the market)
- listen to whether your water in immersion is bubbling or gurgling when switched on
- test whether hot or warm water is running from your cold water taps in the bathroom
- check if your toilet water is warm
- check if there is any condensation on the loft access
- check whether your hot water is excessively hot, or noticeably hotter than previously
- take note if you only have an immersion heater as your only source of hot water.
If you think your heating system may be at risk, you should contact a competent plumber or heating engineer to have your system checked.
