PDA

View Full Version : Immersion heater timer.

SidewinderINC
07-11-2011, 21:11
Hi All,

After getting a timer for my immersion heater, it's getting to the time of year where it cools down too much overnight to have it on in the evening for a few hours and turn it off when we go to bed and still get 2 hot showers in the morning.

Our electrical engineer at work said it was safe to use a regular timer socket, no chance! I wouldn't trust one of them with a 3kw load for very long.

Can anyone recommend one that won't break the bank? (or burn my flat down:p)
I've seen a few on ebay - but not sure whether to trust them :p

If I have to get an electrician in to do it then I'll just deal with turning it on and off from the FCU as any savings will be wasted on paying the sparky.

Anyone have any advice?

Cheers!!
Mark
08-11-2011, 09:39
My personal opinion only, I no longer own a cylinder, have little electrics knowledge and so am coming at this purely from an electronics POV...

A good quality plug-in timer conforming to the relevant standards and rated for the load should indeed take the load and I wouldn't count on there being much different to the innards between one of those and a wired-in equivalent. Why would there be? Dodgy wiring could happen with either and that would be the most likely cause of failure after shoddy workmanship.

If you know a decent sparky, I'd ask them for a recommendation.
LeperousDust
08-11-2011, 21:11
Get a Contactor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contactor) maybe? They're used a lot in high current "lighting solutions" when growing tomatoes :p
Lozza
10-11-2011, 11:37
Matt have just found at work a kings shield 24 hour immersion heater timer, it says easy wire control timer. If you want it I'll post it out to you.
SidewinderINC
10-11-2011, 17:33
Ooh! Super, saw the pic on FB :D

They not gonna notice it missing? Hehe.
You want anything for it, on top of postage naturally?
Lozza
10-11-2011, 18:16
It was in a box of various sockets etc, not stuff we generally use to make signs so I don't think it will be missed! It's brand new, but I imagine quite old having been in that box.

Let me know your address and I'll post it out to you.
SidewinderINC
26-11-2011, 19:38
Hurrah, received and installed! The timer is clicking its way around so I can only assume that it's fully working.

It even had a template for where to drill the holes for fitting it. stick the paper to the wall and drill where it says :D Excellent!

I'll get you a few drinks in at the partay as a mahoosive thanks :p