How Much is a New Immersion Heater?
The average cost that you pay for a replacement immersion heater will depend on several factors, such as the size of immersion heater that you need, the type that you need, and your location in the UK.
Those based in the London area can expect higher labour costs than those based in the north or other parts of the UK.
If you are looking for a replacement copper immersion heater, this will cost around £120-£155, an incoloy immersion heater will cost around £125-£150 and a titanium immersion heater will cost around £140-£230.
What else can affect the overall cost of the job?
Some other factors that may affect the cost include the ease of access and the heating engineer’s labour rates. If the contractor is very skilled and has a lot of experience, then they may charge more for the labour portion of the job.
Immersion Heater Replacement Prices
Below are tables highlighting the average cost of replacing an immersion heater, which includes supply and fit. Tables are split by size required:
11 Inch Immersion Heater Replacement Costs
| Job Description | Immersion Heater Replacement Cost |
|---|---|
| 11 Inch Copper immersion heater | £120-£140 |
| 11 Inch Incoloy immersion heater | £125-£145 |
| 11 Inch Titanium immersion heater | £140-£160 |
14 Inch Immersion Heater Replacement Costs
| Job Description | Immersion Heater Replacement Cost |
|---|---|
| 14 Inch Copper immersion heater | £130-£150 |
| 14 Inch Incoloy immersion heater | £135-£155 |
| 14 Inch Titanium immersion heater | £145-£165 |
27 Inch Immersion Heater Replacement Costs
| Job Description | Immersion Heater Replacement Cost |
|---|---|
| 27 Inch Copper immersion heater | £135-£155 |
| 27 Inch Incoloy immersion heater | £130-£150 |
| 27 Inch Titanium immersion heater | £160-£230 |
- How Much is a New Immersion Heater?
- Supply Cost of an Immersion Heater Replacement
- Additional Immersion Heater Replacement Costs
- Labour Cost of Replacing an Immersion Heater
- Immersion Heater Replacement Timeslines
- Types of Immersion Heater
- Benefits of an Immersion Heater Replacement
- Cost of Immersion Heater Removal
- FAQs
Supply Cost of an Immersion Heater Replacement
If you are planning on installing an immersion heater as a DIY job, or if you would like to purchase the immersion heater before hiring a contractor to install it, then you may be interested in the supply costs alone.
Below is a table showing the average costs that you can expect to pay for the various immersion heaters, split by size:
11 Inch Immersion Heater Supply Costs
| Types of Supplies | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 11 inch copper immersion heater | £20-£25 |
| 11 inch incoloy immersion heater | £25-£30 |
| 11 inch titanium immersion heater | £35-£45 |
14 Inch Immersion Heater Supply Costs
| Types of Supplies | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 14 inch copper immersion heater | £28-£35 |
| 14 inch incoloy immersion heater | £35-£45 |
| 14 inch titanium immersion heater | £40-£55 |
27 Inch Immersion Heater Supply Costs
| Types of Supplies | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 27 inch copper immersion heater | £30-£40 |
| 27 inch incoloy immersion heater | £35-£45 |
| 27 inch titanium immersion heater | £50-£130 |
Additional Immersion Heater Replacement Costs
If you are replacing your immersion heater, there may be additional jobs you want to do to maintain your heating system at the same time. Below is a list of jobs that you may want to consider when replacing your immersion heater:
Upgrading Your Thermostat
Older immersion heaters often have basic controls such as just an on/off switch or a mechanical thermostat. Upgrading your thermostat to a programmable thermostat or a smart thermostat can offer energy savings as well as better control.
Installing a programmable thermostat typically costs around £140-£170. Alternatively, if you choose a smart thermostat, such as a Hive thermostat, it will cost around £250-£300 to install.
Radiator Maintenance
If you are already having to drain your heating system for the immersion heater replacement, it’s the perfect time to check your radiators, especially if they have cold spots, are making noise or are leaking around the valves.
This could include jobs such as:
- Bleeding - to remove trapped air
- Power Flushing - to remove sludge build up
- Upgrading manual valves to TRVs - To give better heating control
Boiler Service
Even though an immersion heater provides hot water via electricity, many homes use a gas or oil boiler for both space heating and water heating. The immersion heater is often used as a backup or off-peak option.
If this is the case in your home, now is a good time to get your boiler serviced. This will help to ensure its reliability, safety and efficiency.
The average cost of a boiler service is £100 to £130 for a one-off servicing.
Labour Cost of Replacing an Immersion Heater
If you are replacing an immersion heater in your home, it is recommended that you hire a professional to do the work for you. If you are planning on buying your immersion heater separately, then you may be interested in the labour costs alone for this type of work.
You can usually expect the labour costs for replacing an immersion heater to be around £90-£100. However, this may vary depending on your location and the contractor’s experience and qualifications.
If the contractor comes upon any complications or if the area is difficult to access, then this may add some additional fees. The contractor will usually work these out as hourly fees and the typical rates are around £50-£80 per hour.
Immersion Heater Replacement Timeslines
Wondering how long the job will take? If you're hiring a professional to replace your immersion heater, the process is usually quick and straightforward.
On average, it will take around 1-2 hours to replace an immersion heater. This is based on the contractor not coming across any complications with the removal or installation.
However, if the immersion heater is difficult to access, such as being located in a tight space or requiring the draining of the hot water cylinder, the job could take a bit longer. Any complications, like seized fittings or corroded parts, may also extend the time it takes.
To avoid delays, it’s a good idea to clear the surrounding area before the engineer arrives and have any relevant paperwork or warranty details to hand.
Types of Immersion Heater
If you are replacing an immersion heater, it’s important to choose the right type of immersion heater for your hot water cylinder.
Below is a list of the different types of immersion heaters:
Copper Immersion Heater Cost
Copper is usually the cheapest and most budget-friendly type of immersion heater. You can expect this type of heater to cost around £20-£40 on average.
These heaters are suitable for soft and natural water areas such as domestic hot water tanks. You can usually get these heaters in 11-inch, 14-inch, or 27-inch sizes.
Copper immersion heaters are easy to install; however, they are not compatible with thermal store units or stainless steel tanks. If copper is used with stainless steel, this may cause the copper parts to corrode and can lead to some costly repairs.
Pros
- Easy installation
- Various sizes to choose from
Cons
- Incompatible with thermal store units
- Can corrode if used alongside stainless steel
Incoloy Immersion Heater Cost
An incoloy immersion heater is made up of a mixture of superalloys that work in both hard and soft water areas. This type of water heater is a mid-range option that costs around £25-£45.
One of the main benefits of this type of immersion heater is that it is highly resistant to corrosion and designed for hard water areas. This type of immersion heater is also very robust and can withstand high-temperature environments while also resisting oxidation.
Pros
- Withstands corrosion
- Ideal for high temperatures
Cons
- Slightly more expensive than copper
Titanium Immersion Heater Cost
A titanium immersion heater is a premium type of immersion heater. This variety is usually best in hard water areas and will usually cost around £35-£130.
One of the main advantages of this type of immersion heater is that it is very long-lasting as it has the ability to withstand scalding temperatures.
It is also highly resistant to limescale build-ups, and so they require less maintenance and offer the best value for money. These models are more expensive than other immersion heaters as they are harder to manufacture than other metals.
Pros
- Limescale resistant
- Low maintenance
- Available in various sizes and fittings
Cons
- Harder to manufacture
- Expensive
Benefits of an Immersion Heater Replacement
There are many advantages of installing a new immersion heater. Below is a list of the main benefits of this type of work:
Automated Controls
A major benefit of immersion heaters is that they usually feature thermostats that automatically switch the heating element off when it reaches the desired temperature. This allows you to save money and prevents you from wasting electricity.
Low Maintenance
Immersion heaters usually require very little maintenance, unlike boilers. This means that they are a lot easier for homeowners. This also allows homeowners to save on a significant amount of repairs and maintenance.
Hot Water Efficiency
Another benefit of immersion heaters is the fact that they keep water hot for a significant amount of time. This is especially true if your cylinder has high-quality insulation installed on it.
Cost of Immersion Heater Removal
When you are replacing your immersion heater, you will need to remove your existing heating system first. Alternatively, you may need to have it disconnected if you are having a gas system or a boiler installed instead.
Regardless of the method, you can expect to pay around £45-£50 to hire a professional heating engineer to complete this work for you, and dispose of your old immersion heater. It will usually take around an hour to remove your old immersion heater.
If the contractor comes across any issues or if the area is difficult to access, then the job may take a little bit longer. If it does take longer, then you may have to pay a little bit more for the work.
FAQs
Q: How long does an immersion heater take to heat water?
A: It usually takes around two hours for an immersion heater to completely heat a full tank of water. However, this will depend on the size of the cylinder and the amount of water that the cylinder holds.
Q: How does an immersion heater work?
A: An immersion heater has a jacketed heating element that inserts into the water cylinder. This is usually controlled by an adjustable thermostat. Sometimes, however, it may work via just an on or off switch or a timer. The element heats the water in the cylinder just like the element in a kitchen kettle.
Q: Why is my electric immersion heater not working?
A: There are several reasons why your immersion heater may not be working. The main reasons for an immersion heater not working are the following:
- There is no electricity supply to the heating element
- The temperature trips in the immersion heater
- Your thermostat cuts out
- The thermostat is faulty
- The immersion heater has failed to earth
- The immersion heater has gone open circuit
Q: What is the ideal temperature for an immersion heater?
A: Your immersion water heater will need to be set to at least 50 degrees Celsius in order to kill off any bacteria in the water before it can be released into the home.
However, you can easily alter the temperature that is stored in the cylinder by adjusting the settings on the immersion heater thermostat.
Q: What size immersion heater do I need?
A: The size of the immersion heater that you need will depend on your existing immersion heating. When replacing an immersion heater, you will need to replace it with one of the same size.
To check the measurements of your current immersion heater, you can check the label on the top of it. However, if your immersion heater is quite old, you may not be able to do this. In these cases, you will need to talk to a professional who will advise you on which size heater you need for your replacement.
Q: Do immersion heaters use up a lot of electricity?
A: Immersion heaters usually cost around 45p to run a 3kW heater for around an hour. This may seem quite cheap, but the costs do add up by quite a lot over time.
You can save money on your immersion heater by setting the thermostat to a specific temperature. This will enable the immersion heater to turn itself off when it reaches a certain temperature, and this can help you reduce your electricity usage and save money.
Q: Can I install an immersion heater myself?
A: Installing an immersion heater can be done as a DIY job; however, if it is not done correctly, then it could end up costing you more money. With this in mind, you should never attempt it if you are not confident in your skills and experience.
