Plug in timer "not suitable for washing machines"?!

Could be the electronics in the timer are not protected against transients generated by the motor.

But the motor is on a seperate circuit, separated by the relay contacts. If a transistor did the switching, I would agree.

Well most machines these days seem to use their own delay timers and need to be powered to keep the machine in the mode you set it to on the menu. If its an old mechanical one then I'd have no issues, but of course with cold fill the heater is often quite a high current. Brian

The timer is rated at 3.2kW, so it's not the current that's the problem.

If the washing machine had a delay timer, you wouldn't be trying to use the plugin timer anyway.

My washing machine requires me to press start to turn it on. I haven't tried it, but I don't know if it would work if I pressed start, then shut off the mains, then put it back on later. It would be a bit clumsy though, you'd have to give the machine power while you started it, then put it on the timer.

Not sure why you'd put a washing machine on timer anyway, I just put it on when I have a load of washing to do. Timers are for things like lights or heaters.

If you were on an Economy 7 tariff you would think differently!

" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

Most recent machines require mains supply to hold the settings until you press the start button - or the onboard timer selects start. I guess the timer manufacturer is warning of this likelyhood to avoid complaints.

Tumble driers also won't work with a plug in time so you can use a timer to force them to run during the economy 7 cheap period. :-(

You have to use your brain to work out home many hours the drier's own delay start timer should be set to use the cheap period.

To make matters worse npower off-peak starts at 10:30pm for a couple of hours but then reverts to full price for an hour or so after that before starting off-peak again. I think they are a German Company so they probably hate English consumers. :-(

Albert Zweistein wrote in news:5658b92a$0$59619$b1db1813$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:

Is economy 7 really the best for you? Have you taken stock recently?

Yeah it is, I've got this special high tech timer called an alarm clock that's set to go off when I have to start a wash/dryer cycle. I can live with getting up in the middle of the night for an hour once a week. I'm really tough. :)

I've a John Lewis own-brand (basically AEG) and if I put in all the settings, including delay timer, then switch off at the socket it holds all of the settings. If I use the switch on the machine the programme reverts to Cotton 60. I've never tried starting it first then switching off at the socket and back on - must do so some time. I still have a box with an electromechanical time and 13A socket that was built for a GF's machine about 30-odd years ago.