[Stoots]

I have a 3kw immersion, ive tried it but i darent leave it on overnight, the cable and plug get very hot.

I will change it for a 2kw

[chris turner]

I have a 3kw immersion, ive tried it but i darent leave it on overnight, the cable and plug get very hot.

I will change it for a 2kw

What cable are you using?

[chris turner]

Another noob question for you heating pros..
If I switch on my element at say 10pm and by 5am it reaches the set temp on the thermostat, does the thermostat just cut out, or will it come back on if the water temp drops below the set temp?
Also what is the best temp to set at this time of year so odont crack glass? Is 60c too hot, considering i have a proper insulated tank??

[Ched]

Thermostat will switch element on and off to maintain approximate temp.
As for temp I would start at 45 to 50 at tank. In this weather and with lack of experience be careful to keep water moving on glass. Don't dwell too long on the glass, keep brush moving. That should minimise risks of cracking a pane.

[NWH]

If you clean windows with temperatures like that  this week you’ll crack glass.

[KS Cleaning]

If you can get a qualified electrician to give you a ticket for it,that was the plumbers dilemma he didn’t seem to think you would do.

What are you and your plumber friend on about? You don’t need a ‘ticket’ to get a socket added to your property.

[Ched]

If you clean windows with temperatures like that  this week you’ll crack glass.

You have way more experience of hot water than me.
What temps in tank do you think are safest and any tip on using hot water?

[AuRavelling79]

Over ten years I've fitted three 3kw elements in 3 Wyedale tanks and one 2kw element.

If you are going 3kw I would get an electrician to wire into your circuit board and leave you with a 16 amp socket. Then you can put a 16 amp plug on your heater and away you go.

I removed my 3kw heater and put in a 2kw and reverted to 13 amp extension lead off of my garage spur.

The worst that happened to me is the element blew when I dopily didn't have enough water in the tank to cover the element. It just immediately stopped working. The next day I screwed in a new element.

As for insulation I use 50mm celotex which is easily sawed to size but also have plywood on top to put a reel and battery on.

I leave a gap in the panel at the back of the tank  about 1000mm x 400mm so that the warm water warms the van space too.

[NWH]

M8 at the moment I would use warm water my frost stat has been on a few times today and has just gone off again,I would get the reel hot then turn it off.
If I turn it on in - temperatures it’s on minimum we are talking about cleaning windows in -6-7 so thermal shock will happen as everyone will have the heating ramped up indoors,this week is sacked off m8 the roads are like glass anyway.

[deeege]

So hot water is no good on cold days too? Who’d have thought it.

Seems like an expensive way to keep your van warm. I personally prefer a £45 space heater.

[dazmond]

Another noob question for you heating pros..
If I switch on my element at say 10pm and by 5am it reaches the set temp on the thermostat, does the thermostat just cut out, or will it come back on if the water temp drops below the set temp?
Also what is the best temp to set at this time of year so odont crack glass? Is 60c too hot, considering i have a proper insulated tank??

You wont have 60c water coming out of the brush once you've reeled out half your hose on frosty ground......you lose a lot of heat from the hose....itll be just warm at the brush end which is what you want or you d be cracking a lot of glass!👍😄

[dazmond]

If you clean windows with temperatures like that  this week you’ll crack glass.

You have way more experience of hot water than me.
What temps in tank do you think are safest and any tip on using hot water?

The water will be nowhere near 60c at brush end once it's gone through 100m of hose and its lay on cold ground...

The only thing I would watch out for is if the glass has even the tiniest crack in it warm water can make it worse and cause it to go bigger.....

[windowswashed]

The hotter the water on the glass, the quicker it will freeze actually on the glass on conservatories where there is no heating inside 
 The ones you got to watch out for are the old single pane glass with putty because if a nail is touching the glass the hot water will just crack the glass.
Snowed today whilst working and sills were freezing up with ice as I was cleaning them but only used water at about 30degrees, won't go hotter when temperature doesn't get above zero until the afternoon.

[NWH]

If you clean windows with temperatures like that  this week you’ll crack glass.

You have way more experience of hot water than me.
What temps in tank do you think are safest and any tip on using hot water?

The water will be nowhere near 60c at brush end once it's gone through 100m of hose and its lay on cold ground...

The only thing I would watch out for is if the glass has even the tiniest crack in it warm water can make it worse and cause it to go bigger.....

You and your hose on the ground Daz you should stop using that refrigerated hose m8,hose on the ground or not mine gets piping hot m8 this week has been sacked off,the only thing missing this week would be a begging bowl cleaning in this kind of weather if you tripped over at the moment and fell on grass it would be like falling on a bed of nails lol.

[dazmond]

The hotter the water on the glass, the quicker it will freeze actually on the glass on conservatories where there is no heating inside 
 The ones you got to watch out for are the old single pane glass with putty because if a nail is touching the glass the hot water will just crack the glass.
Snowed today whilst working and sills were freezing up with ice as I was cleaning them but only used water at about 30degrees, won't go hotter when temperature doesn't get above zero until the afternoon.

my water was around 45 c today even with 100m out...it was a lovely,cold,bright, sunshine day......id much rather work in this weather than the wet days we ve had!

i even picked up  6 weekly £60 office job.........happy days....

[NWH]

I don’t know Daz before long m8 you’ll be back to full time with no spare time the amount of work you say your picking up week after week lol,might be time for sorting some Chaff.

[Splash & dash]

If you can get a qualified electrician to give you a ticket for it,that was the plumbers dilemma he didn’t seem to think you would do.

What are you and your plumber friend on about? You don’t need a ‘ticket’ to get a socket added to your property.

You do need to get a certificate  from the electrician that fitted it to say it’s been tested and is fitted safely , if you sell the house any alterations have to be tested , I had a socket put on the garage wall outside and the electrician gave me a certificate and said to keep it as if we moved we would have to supply it to the new owners for  the survey firm to see and prove that it had been fitted according to the standards required not just done by myself .

[Ched]

If you can get a qualified electrician to give you a ticket for it,that was the plumbers dilemma he didn’t seem to think you would do.

What are you and your plumber friend on about? You don’t need a ‘ticket’ to get a socket added to your property.

You do need to get a certificate  from the electrician that fitted it to say it’s been tested and is fitted safely , if you sell the house any alterations have to be tested , I had a socket put on the garage wall outside and the electrician gave me a certificate and said to keep it as if we moved we would have to supply it to the new owners for  the survey firm to see and prove that it had been fitted according to the standards required not just done by myself .

Exterior sockets, as long as they are added to an existing circuit, are not notifiable but it's always good practice to have the test certificate. In the event of a fire you have proof that the socket install was done correctly. Selling wise it is also good to have certification as some surveys/solicitors documents will ask if you have any electrical test certificates including EICR (Electrical Inspection Condition Report). If you have them if saves aggro plus stops buyers 'renegotiating prices'.

[NWH]

You have a heating element that’s going into a plastic water container that is not designed for that,you know an electrician that’ll do that then forget the external sockets I have them that’s totally different.

[Smudger]

This may help

Polypropylene (PP) was developed in the 1970’s since then it has become a standard material used in chemical applications. It can be fabricated into different size tanks and can handle solutions up to 190°F. The larger tanks with high solution temperatures and “wave action” from parts on hoists create an increased possibility of tank failure.

Immersion heaters used in Polypro can range from just about any heater (Over-the-side, L-shaped or bottom, Screw-plug or screw-in, flanged) we manufacture. Temperature control and liquid level sensors are a Must-Have in any plastic or Plastic lined tank. If there is tank failure, solution evaporation, pump hose evacuating the tank, or a faulty drain valve then the level safety device will shut the heater off safely.


190 f is about 85 degrees c so setting to 65 c is well within a safety margin - although I doubt anyone has a water level switch an immersion element blows almost instantly if exposed to air

Darran