So sorry if this has been answered previously but I'm new to this site. We have been waiting for our electrician for 8 weeks now and my husband is fed up and has bought new sockets which he says he's fitting today. What we want to do is install two new sockets above the work surface so that I can install a timer to use the washing machine and dishwasher at night on economy 7. At present the sockets are behind the appliances below the working surface but up above the working surface are two switches which turn on/off the machines. Can we change these into a socket is what I want to know because my husband seems to think you can and is intending to do that when he gets back from work. Can someone please advise!
Help, my husband is fed up with waiting for our electrician
- Thread starter cbishop
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I assume the switches you talk about are fused connection units that may have a pilot lamp and fuse holder incorporated too? If so then changing them to sockets will not solve your problem as the flexes for the machines, that will plug into the timers, are underneath the worktop.
So the appliances are currently plugged in to sockets below the worktops, with isolation switches or FCUs above, and the plan is to replace those switches with sockets so that you can use plug-in timers and have the appliance flexes coming up through holes in the worktops?
Sorry if I've got that wrong, but if the circuit is a ring, and the switches are directly on it, or if the circuit is a radial, then they can be replaced by sockets. If they are spurs from a ring then they may not be, unless the sockets below the worktops are disconnected.
But wouldn't it make more sense, and be a lot neater, to replace the switches with something like this:
and leave the appliances plugged in where they are?
Do note though that most modern appliances can't be switched on and left to start up when power is applied, as the switches these days are not mechanical - they're electronic and only work if pressed when the power is on. You can check what your appliances do by switching the isolator/FCU off, setting them up to run, and then switching the isolator/FCU on to see if they start.
Also, what type of "Economy 7" do you have?
2 meters, or a dual meter, with separate circuits for storage heaters that only come on at night, or circuits on all the time but with timers on the heaters, immersion etc?
Sorry if I've got that wrong, but if the circuit is a ring, and the switches are directly on it, or if the circuit is a radial, then they can be replaced by sockets. If they are spurs from a ring then they may not be, unless the sockets below the worktops are disconnected.
But wouldn't it make more sense, and be a lot neater, to replace the switches with something like this:
and leave the appliances plugged in where they are?
Do note though that most modern appliances can't be switched on and left to start up when power is applied, as the switches these days are not mechanical - they're electronic and only work if pressed when the power is on. You can check what your appliances do by switching the isolator/FCU off, setting them up to run, and then switching the isolator/FCU on to see if they start.
Also, what type of "Economy 7" do you have?
2 meters, or a dual meter, with separate circuits for storage heaters that only come on at night, or circuits on all the time but with timers on the heaters, immersion etc?
Wow! I've never seen those before. Job done! 
Wow! I've never seen those before. Job done!
Won't work if modern electronic switches are used in the appliances.
The machines can't be left on, with no power and then activated via timer.
The timer will call 'on' the power, but what magic method will then turn on the machines ?
Some machines have an overnight mode, where there's an inbuilt timer function- want a new machine ?
I did read that dude, thanks for pointing it out but I bet my hat and my smoking jacket that they will fit the OPs purpose
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Washing machines are designed to resume their previous state if the power has been interrupted, so as long as the cycle was started before the timer was changed to the 'timed' mode, it'll work.
Every washing machine I have used in the last 10 years has had a delay start function.
Sill would not want waking up when the spin cycle starts!
Not seen it on a dishwasher.
Sill would not want waking up when the spin cycle starts!
Not seen it on a dishwasher.
Both our washing machine and dishwasher have delayed start - we use it all the time to make use of our economy 7 tariff. Actually we use it for teh tumble dryer as well - but only on low heat just for towels and linens.
Have decided to fit the fused spur with timer as its a brill product but someone at work today said as we'd had the meter changed to an economy 7 one, had we had the fuse board changed as well. Now no-one had mentioned this not even Scottish Power so is this something we've got to do as well?
Old E7 was controlled via a timer by the board and for some E7 applications (such as night storage heaters) a seperate board was provided so that only E7 power fed those devices on the seperate board.
Modern E7 works via a duel meter, one that has time set for normal use hours and E7 use.
If your energy supplier is billing you day and E7 tariffs I expect the meter to be a duel type.
Modern E7 works via a duel meter, one that has time set for normal use hours and E7 use.
If your energy supplier is billing you day and E7 tariffs I expect the meter to be a duel type.
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