Swords · K67 · No hot water
Immersion repair in Swords
Replacing an immersion element costs €150–€300 on published prices. A new thermostat runs €120–€180 and a new switch €135, and a whole new hot water cylinder €500–€1,300 + VAT. Send the job and one local plumber who covers Swords rings you with a price.
- Most jobs are a part, not a new cylinder
- Prices re-read at source on 2 November 2026
- One local plumber rings you, not a list
The short answer
How much does an immersion repair cost?
Last checked 2 November 2026. Every price on this page was read again at its source that day.
Replacing an immersion element costs €150–€300 on published prices. A new thermostat runs €120–€180 and a new switch €135, and a whole new hot water cylinder €500–€1,300 + VAT.
| Job | Published price | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| Immersion element | €150–€300 | Three sources, below |
| Thermostat | €120–€180 | Dublin Plumber 24hrs |
| Thermostat | €120–€135 | immersion-heater.ie |
| Immersion switch | €135 | immersion-heater.ie |
| Whole immersion heater | €250–€350 | Dublin Plumber 24hrs |
| Hot water cylinder | €500–€1,300 + VAT | OnlineTradesmen.ie |
| Hot water cylinder, fitted | €600–€1,400 | Cortech Plumbing |
Most of these don't say whether VAT is included. Ask for the price with VAT when the plumber rings.
What's wrong
Why is the water cold?
Three checks before you send the job. They tell the plumber what to bring.
- The switch light is offCheck the immersion switch and the fuse board. A switch that has tripped or burnt out is the smallest fix: €135 on one published price list.
- The light is on, the water is coldThe thermostat or the element has gone. The thermostat is €120–€180 on published prices, the element a little more.
- It heats, but slowly or noisilyLimescale on the element. Swords water is moderately hard, a median 198 mg/l, so elements scale up here.
If the cylinder itself is leaking at the seams, that's a new cylinder, not a part.
Swords homes
Who relies on the immersion?
9.1% of Swords homes heat with electricity and 78% with gas (CSO Census 2022, CSO Census 2022, small area statistics). In an electrically heated home, the immersion is the hot water, so a failed element means no hot water at all. In a house with a gas boiler, the immersion is often the backup.
Hard water matters too: Uisce Éireann's 529 hardness results for Swords from 2022 to 2025 have a median of 198 mg/l of calcium carbonate, half of them between 175 and 229 (Uisce Éireann hardness results, 2022–2025). That's moderately hard on Meath County Council’s scale.
Running costs: Dublin Plumber 24hrs works out a typical 3 kW element at about €1.05 an hour at 35c a unit (Dublin Plumber 24hrs: immersion heaters). A timer stops it running all day.
Prices
Every published immersion and cylinder price
| Who publishes it | Job | Price | VAT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infinity Electrical GroupRathfarnham | Immersion thermostat | €120–€135 | not stated | immersion-heater.ie |
| Dublin Plumber 24hrsRathfarnham and Ballygall | Immersion thermostat replacement | €120–€180 | not stated | dublinplumber24hrs.ie |
| Infinity Electrical GroupRathfarnham | Immersion switch | €135 | not stated | immersion-heater.ie |
| Dublin Plumber 24hrsRathfarnham and Ballygall | Immersion heater replacement | €150–€450 | not stated | dublinplumber24hrs.ie |
| Dublin Plumber 24hrsRathfarnham and Ballygall | Immersion element replacement | €180–€250 | not stated | dublinplumber24hrs.ie |
| Infinity Electrical GroupRathfarnham | Immersion element replacement (dual & side entry) | €200–€300 | not stated | immersion-heater.ie |
| Dublin Plumber 24hrsRathfarnham and Ballygall | Full immersion heater replacement | €250–€350 | not stated | dublinplumber24hrs.ie |
| plumbersinireland.ie (guide)Ireland | Immersion heater replacementElement and thermostat. The cylinder stays. | €150–€250 | not stated | plumbersinireland.ie |
| plumbersinireland.ie (guide)Ireland | Immersion element replacement (supplied and fitted) | €150–€300 | incl. VAT | plumbersinireland.ie |
| OnlineTradesmen.ie (guide)Ireland | Hot water cylinder replacementFrom a 2025 guide. | €500–€1,300 (avg €750) | + VAT | onlinetradesmen.ie |
FAQ
Immersion questions
How much does it cost to replace an immersion element in Swords?
€150–€300 on the prices Dublin plumbers publish. Dublin Plumber 24hrs, which has a north Dublin office, quotes €180–€250 for an element and says most repairs take 1 to 2 hours (Dublin Plumber 24hrs: immersion heaters).
Why have I no hot water from the immersion?
Check the switch first: the light should come on. If it does and the water stays cold, the thermostat or the element has usually failed. A timer set wrong, or a tripped switch on the fuse board, gives the same cold tap.
Does a plumber or an electrician fix an immersion?
Usually a plumber. The element and thermostat sit inside the cylinder, but plumbersinireland.ie notes that the electrical supply feeding it is a job for a registered electrician, so say if the switch or wiring is scorched (plumbersinireland.ie: immersion heaters).
How much is a new hot water cylinder?
OnlineTradesmen.ie puts it at €500–€1,300 + VAT, average €750 (OnlineTradesmen.ie: plumbing costs). Cortech Plumbing says €600 to €1,400 fitted, depending on the cylinder size and pipework (Cortech Plumbing: Dublin costs).
Does hard water break immersion elements?
It speeds it up. Swords water tests at a median 198 mg/l of calcium carbonate (Uisce Éireann hardness results, 2022–2025), and heated hard water leaves limescale on the element. A cylinder that rumbles or takes longer to heat is often scaled up.
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Where these numbers come from (3 public sources, checked 2 November 2026)
Sources (7)
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages. We are not connected to these businesses.
- Dublin Plumber 24hrs: dublinplumber24hrs.ie
- immersion-heater.ie: immersion-heater.ie
- OnlineTradesmen.ie: onlinetradesmen.ie
- Cortech Plumbing: cortechplumbing.ie
- dublinplumber24hrs.ie: dublinplumber24hrs.ie
- plumbersinireland.ie: plumbersinireland.ie
- plumbersinireland.ie: plumbersinireland.ie