My Propex 10L electric water heater has just stopped working any suggestions please? (1 Viewer)

[Gromett]

It has worked fine for years. It just just stopped.
It had an E4 error on the screen. I switched it off, left it for 5 minutes and turned it back on and I got an E8 error.
I just repeated the process with a 15 minutes off/on cycle and It now has an E5 error.

So my questions are.
Any suggestions?
Is it repairable?
Is it worth repairing.

A new one is £200, so possibly not worth repairing sadly..

I have spent some time googling but cannot find any manuals, documentation or spares listed on ebay for it.

 

[DBK]

If you can take it apart you might be able to test for continuity on the element although getting a replacement looks tricky.

 

[Barclaybasher]

You've probably seen it but there's a new one on ebay £120, no bids, best offer

 

[Gellyneck]

Given all the different numbers you're getting suggest you have a read of this thread!

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/dont-trust-your-calculator.307433/

Apart from that I think it could have reached end of life.

 

[Gromett]

You've probably seen it but there's a new one on ebay £120, no bids, best offer

Hartlepool collection only. Would cost me more than £80 in diesel and time to pick it up.

Thanks though.

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[Gromett]

If you can take it apart you might be able to test for continuity on the element although getting a replacement looks tricky.

You think it is the element then?

When I turn in on the red light for the element comes on for a minute then goes off. So I didn't think the element was burned out. Makes sense though.

 

[Barclaybasher]

Hartlepool collection only. Would cost me more than £80 in diesel and time to pick it up.

Thanks though.

Someone could pick it up for you.....

 

[Minxy]

Hartlepool collection only. Would cost me more than £80 in diesel and time to pick it up.

Thanks though.

Don't assume that's definitely the case, contact the seller and ask if they'd courier it or alternatively allow you to arrange a courier collection, we've done that before both when buying and selling.

 

[DBK]

You think it is the element then?

When I turn in on the red light for the element comes on for a minute then goes off. So I didn't think the element was burned out. Makes sense though.

Just trying to narrow the fault down. The element is probabsly the easiest to check. If it's fine there might be a relay in the control system, a temperature sensor and some electronics.

 

[Gromett]

Well that was interesting and a relief.

Bit of a back story. This van originally had a gas/electric heater in it. One day a few years ago it failed.
I wasn't getting hot water out of the sink taps, it was barely lukewarm.

I bought this 240v 800 watt heater because I was never off hookup and didn't plan to be.
Anyway fitted the new boiler, and waited for it to heat up. It had been a few days so straight in the shower.
I realised I had left the taps on during the last shower. It has two taps into the hose with a button on the shower head to activate.
Something twigged. I went to the kitchen tap, turned the hot one on and it was still running lukewarm.
The boiler hadn't failed What happens when you leave the hot and cold tap on in the shower is that the pump pushes the water through the path of least resistance for the kitchen sink.
this is from the cold pipe, through the mixer tap into the hot side and out the kitchen hot tap. They are literally a meter apart.

Anyway the reason I tell you this is because I should have known better now.

Over the last few days I had been playing with various electrics and had turned the temp down on the heater. So earlier today when I got lukewarm water out of the taps I just thought it was because I hadn't turned the thermostat back up.
So I went under the bed and saw the E4 error. I turned the knob and the red light didn't come on or go off. I did the turn off thing as described above and got the E8 error and the red light only came on briefly.
I thought at this stage it was buggered. I was planning for the replacement.

So, A few hours later I was about to have a sink bath and I ran the hot tap to see if there was even some vaguely warm water and I got something that was warmer than before but still not what you would call hot.
Odd, I didn't think much of it, But I thought I will have a warm/cool shower with what is left.

Anyway, You can guess the next bit. Got in the shower and both taps were already on.

A coincidence.. The boilers control panel is playing up (but working) and I had left the taps on. If I hadn't left the taps on I would have got hot water and wouldn't have looked at the controller to see the fault display.

Anyway, got out of the hot shower, looked at the control panel and the red light is on and the display is telling the temp with a few segments of the display not working.

I will get a new tank later in the month once I have recovered from paying the tax bill and van insurance. I will keep it as a spare just in case. I usually like having two source of heat, hot water and light.

Thanks for the advice and suggestions everyone. Just thought I would come back and complete the story so you are not left hanging.

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[Gellyneck]

 

[WanderingWibble’s]

It has worked fine for years. It just just stopped.
It had an E4 error on the screen. I switched it off, left it for 5 minutes and turned it back on and I got an E8 error.
I just repeated the process with a 15 minutes off/on cycle and It now has an E5 error.

So my questions are.
Any suggestions?
Is it repairable?
Is it worth repairing.

A new one is £200, so possibly not worth repairing sadly..

I have spent some time googling but cannot find any manuals, documentation or spares listed on ebay for it.

View attachment 933498

Have you spoken to Proplex Customer service, their in Ringwood, very helpful.

 

[Cookieboy68]

Maybe the element is limescaled up.
I descale my tea earn at work and my quooker tap at home ,every couple of years Always plenty to dissolve.

 

[Gromett]

Maybe the element is limescaled up.
I descale my tea earn at work and my quooker tap at home ,every couple of years Always plenty to dissolve.

It is working fine now thanks.