Essex Flange Leak

[TheScullster]

Hi all

This is a major pain in the proverbial!
About 3 years ago, I spent the best part of a day fitting an Essex flange to
our hot water cylinder - not a job I want to repeat in a hurry.
The understanding was that this would resolve a cavitation/pump problem with
an Aqualisa shower.
Not only did it not cure the problem, but, last Friday, I returned from a
week away to find a puddle in the airing cupboard :(.

Being the cautious chap I am, I had turned off the hot water program, so
that the cylinder cooled completely during the course of the week.
This has created a leak which is not evident when the tank is
up-to-temperature. The rate of leak was about one drip every 5 seconds.
It doesn't sound like much, but over a week it was enough to soak the floor
and scrap of carpet in front of the cylinder.
I believe that the leak has been occurring intermittently (ie when the tank
is emptied of hot water in use), but that the quick heat up soon after has
sealed the leak and evaporated any escaped water.

Examining the leak source showed the water to be appearing from between the
outside fixing nut and the plain washer behind.
This suggests to me that the seal between the split-washer-inside-the-tank
and the inner tank wall has failed allowing water to track along the threads
as far as the outer nut.

Does anyone have experience of these fittings to know whether this is a
usual failure - maybe down to hardening/perishing of the inner washer in the
hot water (obviously they should be fit for purpose but who knows?).
What material should these washers be made of to withstand the conditions?
Also, from memory, it was a fiddly job assembling this lot. How replacable
are the rubber(?) washers, particularly the inner one?

TIA

Phil

[harry]

All these mechanical/dry fix devices that enable various connections
to be retro-fitted to a cylinder are crap and often ultimately fail as
you have discovered. One way to fix it is to remove it and fit a new
joint and some jollop which may cure it (or maybe not.)
The traditional way to make new connections remains the best, ie to
solder/wipe in a flange. These never fail if properly done, it is not
difficult either and cheaper too.
The best way to repair your leak is therefore to solder a flange in,
which is a permanent job.

[newshound]

"harry" <harol...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:12455318-0396-4f2d...@a36g2000yqc.googlegroups.com...

I don't disagree with Harry, but you might consider using one of those epoxy
"sticks" made for plumbing. They will stick to wet metal, although they
won't seal against mains supply pressure while they cure. But for a small
leak where access is difficult they can save a lot of effort: I used one as
a "temporary" fix once and it was still holding when I replaced the cylinder
a couple of years later.

[Doctor Drivel]

"TheScullster" <ph...@dropthespam.com> wrote in message
news:kaGdnRQtV4ChlhjR...@eclipse.net.uk...

> Hi all
>
> This is a major pain in the proverbial!
> About 3 years ago, I spent the best part of a day fitting an Essex flange
> to our hot water cylinder - not a job I want to repeat in a hurry.
> The understanding was that this would resolve a cavitation/pump problem
> with an Aqualisa shower.

You shoudl have used a Surrey flange.

[kevin...@gmail.com]

Thanks so much for this post. This is exactly what happened to me. Went and bought a replacement Essex flange from the local plumbers merchant, plus a wrench and thread sealant 'goo' and fitted myself! :) Very pleased. Bit fiddly, but all the more satisfying for having done it without dropping anything inside the tank.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

On Fri, 29 Aug 2014 02:52:13 -0700 (PDT), kevin...@gmail.com wrote:

>Thanks so much for this post.

Ooh, I know.
Leaky flanges are a common problem in Essex, especially around
Dagenham for some reason. Saturday nights are the worst.

[Chrisc]

replying to TheScullster, Chrisc wrote:
> The problem with some Essex Flange suppliers is that the sealing washers that
come with them are only rated up to 60 degrees c. That is not good when the hot
water is often set around that towards the bottom of the cylinder so depending
where the temperature is measured, it can be hotter around the Flange outlet and
the washers degrade. I have had a set do just that. You can get high
temperature spec washers on ebay so provided you still have the wire tool
supplied with the flange to help fit is you can change the washers although it
is fiddly to get the old internal washer out.


--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy/essex-flange-leak-654613-.htm

[Graeme]

In message <tel4D.1521053$B36.7...@fx22.am4>, Chrisc
<caedfaa9ed1216d60ef...@example.com> writes

>replying to TheScullster, Chrisc wrote:
>> The problem with some Essex Flange suppliers

I wonder whether the problem has been sorted, since the question was
asked, in April 2004?

--
Graeme