Homers 0 Report post Posted August 29, 2016 Hi ! My joven storage heater recently cause the ELCB to trip. Some advised me to change the whole tank but some said just change the heating element. The heater is close about 12 years or more. Any advice please ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
w7_lee 11 Report post Posted August 30, 2016 (edited) Mine did not cause ELCB trip but it started leaking. I believe the inner casing ruptured. Was Ariston, about 6 years old. Initially was a slight water seepage (I notice water stain on the white casing and wet spot on the bathroom floor) but within a week, it was dripping badly. My parents using Everhot, also failed when it start leaking. If can replace just the heating element (not sure if anyone doing it), we won't know the worksmanship and what will fail next. Edited August 30, 2016 by w7_lee Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pelect 3 Report post Posted August 30, 2016 14 hours ago, Homers said: Hi ! My joven storage heater recently cause the ELCB to trip. Some advised me to change the whole tank but some said just change the heating element. The heater is close about 12 years or more. Any advice please ? I have 2 separate Joven heaters. One failed around 10 years and the other 12 years. Both tripped the RCD. The heater element is about $60 and you most likely will need to replace the thermal fuse as well, about $15. I did not change the entire unit because to do that, I have to cut the false ceiling. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Homers 0 Report post Posted August 30, 2016 2 hours ago, Pelect said: I have 2 separate Joven heaters. One failed around 10 years and the other 12 years. Both tripped the RCD. The heater element is about $60 and you most likely will need to replace the thermal fuse as well, about $15. I did not change the entire unit because to do that, I have to cut the false ceiling. Thanks for your reply. May I know how long more you are using the heater after you changed the heat element ? You changed it yourself ? I was quoted about $200/- to change it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pelect 3 Report post Posted August 30, 2016 7 hours ago, Homers said: Thanks for your reply. May I know how long more you are using the heater after you changed the heat element ? You changed it yourself ? I was quoted about $200/- to change it. I checked my records for the exact replacement dates. The replacement for 1st heater was Nov 2011 and the replacement for 2nd heater was Sep 2015. So, it's been almost 5 years for 1st and 1 year for 2nd heater since they were last replaced with both heater element and fuse. Both heaters were installed around 2004. Yes, you have to add labour charge if you are not replacing it yourself. $200 is not far from replacing the entire unit (not including labour) . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Homers 0 Report post Posted August 30, 2016 25 minutes ago, Pelect said: I checked my records for the exact replacement dates. The replacement for 1st heater was Nov 2011 and the replacement for 2nd heater was Sep 2015. So, it's been almost 5 years for 1st and 1 year for 2nd heater since they were last replaced with both heater element and fuse. Both heaters were installed around 2004. Yes, you have to add labour charge if you are not replacing it yourself. $200 is not far from replacing the entire unit (not including labour) . Thanks very much for the info. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sunny88 0 Report post Posted August 31, 2016 (edited) Both my storage heaters wiring trip 2 days ago at the same time. We contacted the electrician who quoted $700 to change the control board, change the 2 heater switches and re-do wiring for both heaters. He said heaters look okay and need not change. No hacking but he will do the HDB flat wire casing from switch to the false ceiling. Ours is condo and all wiring to date is concealed wiring. One of the heaters is about 10 years old and other is 6 years? No leakage. Both working fine to date. Problem was the heater indicator switch has been spoilt for a year or so and sometimes I suspect the heater is on for whole day. Would this cause the trip? Is $700 a reasonable fee for some wiring works only? I am a newbie at reno works and would appreciate some feedback. Thanks! I was thinking may as well change one of the heaters but how much will the installation charges be? I note a lot of forummers quoting $100 to $200 for installation - other than the piping works, would this include the wiring work to instal the heater switch etc? Ours is a condo and has concealed wiring. Edited August 31, 2016 by Sunny88 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pelect 3 Report post Posted September 1, 2016 15 hours ago, Sunny88 said: Both my storage heaters wiring trip 2 days ago at the same time. We contacted the electrician who quoted $700 to change the control board, change the 2 heater switches and re-do wiring for both heaters. He said heaters look okay and need not change. No hacking but he will do the HDB flat wire casing from switch to the false ceiling. Ours is condo and all wiring to date is concealed wiring. >> If your home has only one RCCB (check the label of the circuit breakers inside your consumer unit electrical distribution box), then if one heater trips the RCCB, the entire home power gets cut off. In that case, it is not both heaters trip at the same time. It is the entire power for your home has been cut off. If you can post pictures of the electrical box circuit breakers and the heaters, that will help explain. If it is the MCB and not RCCB, or both tripped, then it could be a different issue. One of the heaters is about 10 years old and other is 6 years? No leakage. Both working fine to date. Problem was the heater indicator switch has been spoilt for a year or so and sometimes I suspect the heater is on for whole day. Would this cause the trip? >> Unless there is a current leak, the RCCB is unlikely to trip. Leaving heater on for whole day will not cause tripping. It may shorten the life of your heater. A standalone timer or built in timer will help to switch if off automatically. One of the main causes of RCCB tripping is the heater. Not always but very common. Is $700 a reasonable fee for some wiring works only? I am a newbie at reno works and would appreciate some feedback. Thanks! I was thinking may as well change one of the heaters but how much will the installation charges be? I note a lot of forummers quoting $100 to $200 for installation - other than the piping works, would this include the wiring work to instal the heater switch etc? Ours is a condo and has concealed wiring. >> I saw you were asking about whether to have one or two heaters from a cost standpoint. Just to share with you. If you have 2 heaters, if one breaks down, you can still use the other. That is the reason why I installed 2 instead of 1 because I know, one day, one of them will spoil and I can use the other. The decision is yours though, depending on your preference, situation and environment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Homers 0 Report post Posted September 5, 2016 Another question. Is it necessary to change the thermostat as well ? Thanks again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pelect 3 Report post Posted September 6, 2016 Mine is working so I left it as . If you have to change heater element, fuse and thermostat, it will probably be better off replacing the entire storage heater. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Homers 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2016 Thanks. I have a false ceiling cover the heater and would be a hassle to change the whole heater. So weighing my options. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pelect 3 Report post Posted September 6, 2016 Oh yes, I can certainly understand that. One day, should I need to replace my entire heater, I would add one or two false ceiling access panels. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Homers 0 Report post Posted September 6, 2016 Oh, I do have access panels. But they say that may still have to cut the ceiling. Depends. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sunny88 0 Report post Posted September 7, 2016 On 1/9/2016 at 9:11 AM, Pelect said: Thanks for your reply, Pelect. Here is a picture of the heater circuit board.( I am told we are the exceptional condo in Singapore with a separate circuit board for heaters only. I won't know cos I'm not a technician. ) Since I last posted, I manage to get someone to have a look and he identified that the fuse was spoilt so he replaced it. Now I can switch on the heater but I have to switch off the main heater circuit board power as well. This was not how it operated before. We are told that there is a problem with the heater circuit board and the handyman contractor we consulted suggested by-passing the whole heater circuit board and re-wire the heater directly to the main heater circuit board. Unless we hack the walls, this means HDB type trunk from the 2 heater switches all the way to the storeroom where the circuit board is. This is ugly but if there is no choice, I am prepared for it.However, I am not sure if this is the only choice? Any views anyone? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pelect 3 Report post Posted September 7, 2016 Personally, I would never bypass something without understanding what are its functions. A storage heater has several safety features, protecting against over temperature, a tank with no water coming in, excessive pressure and safety cutouts. Personally, I would put safety above all else. What is the brand of this heater and are you able to contact the manufacturer or dealer? By the way, please do not touch anything inside the upper box. It seems there are many live wires inside on the left half. I would be very interested to see a clear wiring diagram on the inside cover of the top box. I am really curious what this is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
