Water heaters
Ramadan Drain CleaningHeating element and thermostat in Abdullah Al-Salem
Heating element and thermostat work in Abdullah Al-Salem suburb often starts with calls from flat tenants saying water will not heat in the morning or heats very weakly. Abdullah Al-Salem has government and private flats, most with older electric heaters, and the element and thermostat need regular maintenance or replacement.
Which part
Element, orthermostat.
These signs point at the part before anyone takes a cover off.
01
Warm but never hot
The element is still working but the heat is not reaching the water, because the sheath is wrapped in a scale layer that insulates it. The water feels tepid and never quite gets to a comfortable shower temperature however long you wait.
02
The temperature drifted
The tank used to give the same temperature at the same setting, and now it is colder or hotter with the dial untouched. The thermostat has drifted off its reading, and that is a part you replace rather than adjust.
03
A new element failed early
When an element burns out again soon after it was changed, the part itself is rarely the reason. A floor full of sediment or a thermostat that will not switch off will cook any new element, which is why both get checked with every replacement.
04
A weep at the flange
Water seeping around the plate after a change means the gasket is tired or was seated on a face that was not cleaned. This is not the tank leaking. A fresh gasket, a cleaned face and even tightening across the bolts settles it.
This area
What setsthis area apart
The apartment blocks in Abdullah Al-Salem suburb near the British Embassy area are mostly from the nineties and two thousands, fitted with small wall-mounted heaters in the bathroom and kitchen. Mineral deposits from salt water build up on the element and internal pipes, so the heater takes longer to heat water. An old thermostat does not switch the unit off at the right time, wasting electricity. We test with a multimeter and listen with a stethoscope to hear if the thermostat clicks on and off.
Abdullah Al-Salem suburb lies in Kuwait governorate, a relatively older residential area with apartment blocks.
Most heaters in Abdullah Al-Salem flats are 60 or 80 litre units and are old, requiring more maintenance than newer models.
Parts at a glance
The two parts.
Service
Heater element and thermostat replacement
Parts
Element, thermostat, thermal cut out and flange gasket
Fits
Central cylinders and small wall heaters alike
Before fitting
We measure the old part and inspect the tank floor
Hours
Daily, 6:00 in the morning to 12:00 midnight
Fitting
How a part ischanged.
Four steps, and each one is there for a reason rather than out of habit.
We confirm the part
Before anything is undone we read the element, the thermostat and the cut out. The meter names the failed part, and some heaters come back with both of them gone.
We drop the water level
The element comes out of a flange on the body of the tank, so the water has to fall below it first. A thermostat is reached from outside and needs none of this.
We fit an element that matches
The replacement has to be the same length, the same power and the same connection as the one that came out, so it clears the tank floor and suits the circuit already there.
We tighten evenly and pressure test
A new gasket goes on, the bolts are tightened evenly and in turn, and the tank is filled so we can watch the flange under pressure before the power goes anywhere near it.
Common questions
Questions about Heating element and thermostat in Abdullah Al-Salem
Usually the thermostat cannot hold a steady temperature, so it cuts the unit on and off repeatedly. The thermostat may need cleaning or full replacement, and sometimes the element itself is weak and does not heat properly.
If your water is moderately saline, one or two basic cleaning visits a year is enough. But if the water is very salty or the heater is very old, you may need an inspection every two or three months.
Other services
Other services in Abdullah Al-Salem
Other work we do in the same area.
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