Timer Plugs

[Glenn Clark]

Hi all

I need a bit of advise. We have 1 of these halogen heaters to warm up our caravan if we go away during the winter months. I would like if possible to put it on a timer plug. Now I know usually the plugs say don't use with fan heater etc as they need to be supervised, this unit is ok as it does not burn and will switch off if knocked over. Can I use 1 of the timer plugs for it? the packet says

appliances that fall within the maximum safe and resistive loads-13amp resistance, 2 amp inductive.

How do I know it falls with in this, as it does run off a 13amp plug.

Many thanks

Glenn

[Guy King]

The message from "Glenn Clark" contains these words:

It should be OK electrically, but personally I'd not run an item like that unsupervised.

[Dave Liquorice]

I suspect it's the heating of something flamable near the heater that is the main risk. I'd be wary of using a radiant heat heater (which I think halogen jobbies are) in this application as something many feet away could get heated a great deal. I'd be happier with a low power fan heater, convector or better an oil filled radiator placed well away from anything. Get a heater with a thermostat and wind it down low and you won't be using power when it's not needed either, a time switch will power the heater regardless of the requirement.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Unless it has a motor of some type the load will be largely resistive. However, I'd go for the sort of heater designed for long term unsupervised use - an oil filled or tubular type.