Immersion Heaters

What are Immersion Heaters?

An immersion heater is an electric heater which sits inside a hot water cylinder. Immersion heaters act like a kettle which uses an electric resistance heater (which looks like a metal loop or coil) to heat the surrounding water. Immersion heaters are connected to their own power supply via a cable. They can be easily switched on and off as there is no need to constantly heat the hot water in your hot water cylinder as the cylinder itself retains the heat to keep the water warm. Immersion heaters can either be used as your homes primary water heater or as a back up water heater for combi boilers.

Do I need an Immersion Heater?

Immersion heaters are popular in households which use combined central heating and hot water. Immersion heaters are seen as a primary source for many households which have a hot water cylinder to heat their water. Although, some households have an immersion heater as a ‘back up’ to their combination boiler system. Other households, particularly those in flats with no gas supply, use immersion heaters as their only source of hot water.

Advantages of an Immersion Heater

• Immersion heaters are not connected to your boiler. So, if your boiler were to break down, you will still be able to access hot water for your home.
• Immersion heaters are easy to operate. They can be turned off and on via a switch on a wall socket. Some people may benefit from this as most controls on boilers can be confusing.
• If your immersion heater is well insulated e.g. inside a hot water cylinder, your hot water can last for a long period of time.

Disadvantages of an Immersion Heater

At Direct Heating Supplies we sell a wide range of immersion heaters across a number of top UK manufacturers. Order your immersion heater today and benefit from free delivery when your order is over £50 exc vat.