Thanks all - it's out. Chatted with WLL tech. He suggested that the element may bend when it fails. They just use a screwdriver to bend it back into shape and then pull it free. I did so and was able to bend it enough to get it out.
So new element ordered. While it's in transit, I'll descale the boiler and clean up other bits. Still debating whether or not to pull apart the solenoid and clean. On Monday, November 29, 2021 at 2:40:10 PM UTC-8 KJM wrote: > On 30/11/21 2:38 am, MDR wrote: > > Hi All, > > Dead heating element on steam boiler. Broken free with impact wrench > > and then unthreaded with regular ratchet. > > > > I cannot get the element out of the boiler. The diameter of the > > element coil winding seems to be greater than the threaded hole in the > > bottom of the boiler ????? Any ideas? I can go the grinder route, > > but that shouldn't be necessary. > > > > Also, any other things to replace while it's torn down? I hate it when > > one component fails and the machine goes out of service (for my wife > > and me) for a week waiting for a part. > > I have experienced a similar issue with a NS Oscar. The heating element > was coiled and the coils just expanded a tiny bit. One coil was the > primary problem - it was the site of the rupture of the element. The > Oscar has a copper boiler which is pretty thin and bendy, so I pulled > the element out as far as it would go and cut it off, then kind-of > 'unwound' the spiral element with two pairs of angled pointy nosed > pliers. The inside of the element had a softish ceramic material that > made a mess but yielded to the bending. After a bit of wrangling, the > remaining coils kind of 'unscrewed out' the hole... I have to admit I > did look up the price and availability of a replacement boiler during > the exercise..... > > If the fit is just a tiny bit off, it is probably just scale and oxide > build up. So as suggested: acid. I'd use citric rather than vinegar, > but that's just me :) > > Cheers > > /Kevin > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Brewtus" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/brewtus/e4106a44-8f2f-46fa-bedb-3c0350960351n%40googlegroups.com.
