So it would seem replacing an immersion heater element is remarkably simple - provided you have the right tools. The Ultimate Handyman website lays it all out for you. I would however strongly suggest paying out the £3 for the immersion heater element spanner (or borrow mine now I've bought it!). My father lent me a chain link spanner, but I couldn't put enough force behind it to get the element undone, and I didn't want to break the spanner by tapping it with a hammer. So £3 in B&Q later (lucky we got LOTS of B&Q vouchers for Christmas this year) and 5 minutes with a hammer later and the element is out. There was a lot of corrosion and limescale on the element, and the electrics at the top were obviously burnt out. Glad it's nothing too serious. I am going to have to buy a new bit of cable for it, as that's burnt out too.
There is some very sound advice on the above website, which I'm glad I took heed of. When you're unscrewing the element take care not to try too hard with the spanner - use a hammer and a bit of WD40 or similar oil. The tank is made of very thin and soft copper, much softer than the element or the fittings around it and it's very easy to sheer the threaded part off your tank. All you can do then is replace the tank. So your task which would cost you £20 could suddenly cost you £200! Not to mention ending up with 120 litres or so of water spilt all over your airing cupboard.
Turns out there are only 2 sizes of elements realistically used in the UK - 11inch and 27 inch. Screwfix sell two of each of the types - one for hard water areas, and one for softer water. I have no idea what the difference is, aside from the cost. One word of warning from the Screwfix website - don't forget to remove the shipping clips from the heating element before you install it.
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