Immersion heater timer

[JohnW2]

Assuming that the blue and green/yellow ('earth') are connected to the right places (we can't really see from your pic), that looks fine.

Dunno - it looks to me as if the thermostat is in the neutral.

Don't you think that it looks as if the brown wire is going into the RH stat terminal?

skye16: There seems to be some uncertainties being raised. Can you provide other photos, certainly one showing the right-hand side of the thermostat and, ideally, (if you can pull the stat out far enough), one showing us the connections behind the stat?

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

I put the immersion heater on low (50) all night, on Economy 7, and it used a lot of units. I'm starting to think about a timer again.

The laws of physics are what they are, and nothing can change the specific heat of water.

True, but we are now being told that the water was 'boiling'. If that was literally the case (or anything close to that), then if the stat had failed closed-circuit, then it would certainly use a lot more electricity overnight than if the thermostatic control had been working properly, wouldn't it?

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnD]

that is an old yellow-insulated cylinder. Modern cylinders are blue (some white) and have better insulation. You would save some wasted heat (=electricity =money) by putting an insulating red jacket round it, or even two, and by lagging the hot pipes, especially the one that comes out of the top of the cylinder.

 

[skye16]

Thanks for the advice.
The heater is working fine. I changed the thermostat, by buying the same sized one from Screwfix. The only wires I touched were the brown and white ones, which I guessed were at the same sides as before. That is what I was unsure about.
All electrics in the flat were approved by someone last year, on behalf of the landlord - the stickers are still on. I just wanted confirmation that the brown and white wires were correct.
Thanks once again.

 

[skye16]

Images are in album thermostat 2 - not sure how to show them

 

[JohnW2]

Images are in album thermostat 2 - not sure how to show them

Someone may well give you advice as to how to do it but, in the meantime ....

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• skye16
• 12 Dec 2014
• 1

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• skye16
• 12 Dec 2014
• 1

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks for the advice. The heater is working fine. I changed the thermostat, by buying the same sized one from Screwfix. The only wires I touched were the brown and white ones, which I guessed were at the same sides as before. That is what I was unsure about.

That's what I suspected, and it is, indeed, fine. In fact, it doesn't matter which way around the thermostat is wired, so it wouldn't even have matter had you 'swapped the sides' of the two available wires.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

I've just realised why the first picture looks odd; you actually have the thermostat the wrong way round.
The curved side matches the circumference of the element.

It doesn't matter as far as working is concerned but I'm not sure if it will contact anything with the cap on.

 

[JohnW2]

I've just realised why the first picture looks odd; you actually have the thermostat the wrong way round.

Good point - I hadn't noticed that. As you say, the only issue is whether the lid will fit on without touching anything - it would probably be worthwhile turning it around!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Images are in album thermostat 2 - not sure how to show them

The same way you did here:

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• skye16
• 12 Dec 2014
• 1

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Don't you think that it looks as if the brown wire is going into the RH stat terminal?

At the time, going by this photo, it looked like it was going directly to one end of the element.

True, but we are now being told that the water was 'boiling'. If that was literally the case (or anything close to that), then if the stat had failed closed-circuit, then it would certainly use a lot more electricity overnight than if the thermostatic control had been working properly, wouldn't it?

That was before he replaced the 'stat.

 

[JohnW2]

True, but we are now being told that the water was 'boiling'. If that was literally the case (or anything close to that), then if the stat had failed closed-circuit, then it would certainly use a lot more electricity overnight than if the thermostatic control had been working properly, wouldn't it?

That was before he replaced the 'stat.

It was - but so, I thought, was the comment about using 'lots of units overnight', wasn't it?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It was, and so, looking back, was all the discussion about timers.

I suggest the OP leaves it alone, takes meter readings over the next week and sees how much it's using now.

But just as I typed that a thought occurred to me:

I put the immersion heater on low (50) all night, on Economy 7, and it used a lot of units.

How do you know?

Is the IH the only thing on the off-peak supply? How is the flat heated?

The traditional use for E7 and other dual-rate tariffs was to have night storage heaters, so if the flat has them their consumption will dwarf that of the water heater.

And if it doesn't have them you should probably ditch the E7 tariff - the peak-rate price is higher than normal, so without the savings which accrue from using a lot of off-peak you pay more overall.

 

[skye16]

Update. The new thermostat worked fine at 60 degrees. Much cooler, but still fine for showers etc. And it used less units, given that I have had the same 2 storage heaters on each night.
I think it was good advice to forget about timers, and just get the immersion heater thermostat sorted.
Thanks.