Immersion heater wont seal

[Grey Sage]

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?

[dpmiller]

no chance the boss has cracked away from the cylinder shell? Any and all of those techniques should have sealed the threads.

[Grey Sage]

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

[Marvin]

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.

[Grey Sage]

Thanks Marvin I'm going to try that this morning.

 

[joe90]

If it’s cross threaded the faces won’t be parallel so ptfe tape as above may solve it short term.

[SteamyTea]

Luckily no plumbers have replied.

They woul be getting you to change it to a posh UVC, with dozens of wires, pipes and valves.

[Grey Sage]

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.

 

[ProDave]

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.

[Grey Sage]

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