Grey Sage Posted November 19, 2021 Share Posted November 19, 2021 Looking for advice from plumbers. I have an a ancient copper cylinder with a warped top and possibly crossed thread. It is due to be replaced in the next few months. Replacing a blown immersion heater I cannot get it to seal. It weep continually when I increase the water static head by filling the header tank,. I've tried PTFE on the thread, one and more fibre washers, plumber's mait, & guttter- sealant. Now I'm getting p****d off with it. I want fitted. it'll never have to come apart again - the heater will be scrapped, with the cylinder, in a few months. Are there any plumbers out there with a method for permanently sealing a recalcitrant immersion heater? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted November 19, 2021 Share Posted November 19, 2021 no chance the boss has cracked away from the cylinder shell? Any and all of those techniques should have sealed the threads. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Sage Posted November 19, 2021 Author Share Posted November 19, 2021 1 hour ago, dpmiller said: no chance the boss has cracked away from the cylinder shell? Any and all of those techniques should have sealed the threads. I don't think so. When it leaks it seems to leak from the top of the washers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted November 19, 2021 Share Posted November 19, 2021 Any pictures? Sometimes the fiber washers crack. Try undoing the heater a couple of turns and wrap a whole roll of PTFE on the exposed thread and then do it back up. Plumbers mate and gutter sealant no good. Clean these all off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Sage Posted November 20, 2021 Author Share Posted November 20, 2021 Thanks Marvin I'm going to try that this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 If it’s cross threaded the faces won’t be parallel so ptfe tape as above may solve it short term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 Luckily no plumbers have replied. They woul be getting you to change it to a posh UVC, with dozens of wires, pipes and valves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Sage Posted November 20, 2021 Author Share Posted November 20, 2021 1 hour ago, SteamyTea said: Luckily no plumbers have replied. They woul be getting you to change it to a posh UVC, with dozens of wires, pipes and valves. Ha ha. I know what you mean Steamy. It will be replaced with an UVC in a few months. Until then I just want to bodge it up to have hot water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 Put a LOT of CT1 on the threads, both the internal thread and external thread and screw it together. Wait for it to set before filling with water. You will probably never get the heater out again, but that doesn't bother you. If that won't fix it, the leak is unfixable. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Sage Posted November 20, 2021 Author Share Posted November 20, 2021 3 hours ago, ProDave said: Put a LOT of CT1 on the threads, both the internal thread and external thread and screw it together. Wait for it to set before filling with water. You will probably never get the heater out again, but that doesn't bother you. If that won't fix it, the leak is unfixable. I don't know what CT1 is, ProDave, but the good news is that the bugger is finally sealed. Two fibre washers, a whole roll of PTFE and then the entire thing packed round with "Leak and Repair Mastic" from Homebase. Thanks for the help, All The Grey Sage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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