Immersion heater timer

[No Name]

I tried to persuade SWMBO to run the dishwasher and washing machine on timers from midnight but the noise of the motors ruined her sleep!

[Roger Hayter]

This does depend on the particular supplier. They each have different E7 'discounts' and daytime extra charges. One I was with till their cheap tariff ran out broke even at about 25%.

[Andrew]

Not necessarily. I have a Smiths Timeguard digital immersion timer. It has 4 on/off periods during the day, but I only use 1. I've had it for 20 years and it has never gone wrong, but the label says Made in England.

The Smiths Timeguard 13 amp plug-in digital timer that I run my fridge from (after the Liebherr thermostat failed one month after the warranty expired) randomly loses all its settings unless it is plugged into an ex-BT exchange surge protector, when it too is relibale. This one is Made in China though.

I've never worked out what is making it lose its settings when plugged into the ring main directly.

(cheap) Pin timers do not have the ability to switch as the waveform passes zero, which imposes a limit on the number of on/off events. Ok for low current devices like bulbs.

[ARW]

Not persuaded her properly then.

What do you say to a woman with two black eyes?

[Alan]

That's all you can buy now. Since 1.1.2018 they have to comply with the Lot20 regs. £600+ Supposedly better insulated, which I doubt is noticeable when used. They are better controlled, but still expensive to run even on E7.

[spuorgelgoog]

Does she sleep in the kitchen?

Owain

[bert]

OK, What *do* you say to a woman with 2 black eyes?

[Keefiedee]

What I really want to know is is there a timer out there which will fit on the present single pattress AND has an outlet I can easily use to connect to the wire from the immersion heater.

[Max Demian]

Can't you fit a 13A socket on the pattress? Then you can fit a standard plug-in timer. (Thames Valley Police used to give them away free for some reason; I've got two I never use.)

[Tim Lamb]

Perhaps so you could switch on some lights and a TV while you are away?

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[Keefiedee]

To Max Demian

I knew it would be bloody simple, but I'm not very active in the DIY field any more, and somehow couldn't get my head round it, was making it more complicated than it really was. Thank you.

[Andy Burns]

Immersion fed via a 13A plug?

Sure a 3kW is the same load as a kettle, but it'll be on for much longer, plug and socket will get hot I'd imagine ...

[Max Demian]

Do I leave the curtains open or closed? If closed during the daytime, the property will appear unoccupied. If open during the night, when the lights come on potential burglars will be able to see whether there's anything worth nicking. And has anyone established whether intermittent lights really do deter burglars?

[Tim Lamb]

Pass. Curtains open. Hall and landing light on at dusk and off at 11?

Consider unarmed burglar alarms!

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[Dave Liquorice]

Yep, it's not so much the pins and sockets as the 13 A fuse.

Brand new SWFCU after feeding a 3 kW storage heater for not very long, days/weeks.

Hager, not some cheap no-name... All storage heaters now only have

20 A DP illuminated switches for connection. Overlaod protection is the 16A MCB for each heaters 2.5 mm radial.

[Roger Hayter]

Agreed. And I am not sure a cheap timer will be happy switching a 3kW load regularly.

[tabbypurr]

Ouch. Is that circuit RCDed? If not the immersion might be conducting through the water, overloading the sfcu.

NT

[tabbypurr]

Millions of basic pin timers have been doing just that in immersion systems around the country for decades.

Yes, timers to fit a single pattress are available.

NT

[Dave Liquorice]

No.

Unlikely, this was a feed to a night storage heater. B-)

Posted illustrate that the 13 A fuses that get "warm" when passing 3 kW for a few hours.

[Roger Hayter]

And much more appropriate than a plug-in one.