Immersion Heater - Timers

[evo111]

Can anyone help me??? My immersion heater has a standard 13A plug attached to it - is it safe to use standard plug in 7-day timers so that the immersion can switch on and off at cheap rates. I have been using one but I have noticed that the timer is getting warm to touch and so is the plug attached to the immersion heater.
In my previous houses immersion heaters have always been wired direct to the mains rather than via a plug. Can anyone give me any advice on whether using 7day timers is safe and to why the plug and timer are getting warm. MANY THANKS !!!!!!!!!

 

[Steve]

is the socket that the heater plugs into on its own circuit? You may need an electrician to come and put a seperate circuit in for the immersion. And then have a permenant timer connecter to this circuit.

The plug-in timer is not really suited to switching at its capacity, and carrying this amount of power (3kw), for long periods, and I would not recommend it.

normal 3-pin plugs really dont take very kindly to this either, and the plug will get warm, there is little doubt, since the plug's pins dont always make ideal contact in the socket, there is resistance there. So direct connection is the way to do it.

 

[kai]

Why can't you use an Industrial type heavy duty 16amp plug and socket, i.e. BSEN60309 format one, to connect the immersion to, as it will work much better? (But feed the incoming cable through a 13amp DP switched fuse-connection unit first).

 

[Pensdown]

Can anyone help me??? My immersion heater has a standard 13A plug attached to it - is it safe to use standard plug in 7-day timers so that the immersion can switch on and off at cheap rates. I have been using one but I have noticed that the timer is getting warm to touch and so is the plug attached to the immersion heater.
In my previous houses immersion heaters have always been wired direct to the mains rather than via a plug. Can anyone give me any advice on whether using 7day timers is safe and to why the plug and timer are getting warm. MANY THANKS !!!!!!!!!

Getting warm is OK, getting hot is not. You have to remember that both the plug and timer are carrying there max load so they will get warm. As the immersion is controlled via a stat in the tank it will not be drawing the load all of the time which will give them a chance to cool down.

As Crafty has said, your immersion is classed as fixed wiring and should ideally be fed from a fused connection unit and on it's own circuit.

If you wish you can continue to use your plug and timer but just make sure the wall socket, plug and plugin timer are good quality (some plugin timers are very poor quality) and all make good contact. If they start to get warmer change them as this is a sign of a poor connection. When running at max load everything needs to be sound, terminals, connections etc so it's worth checking them from time to time.

 

[evo111]

Thanks for your replies. The socket is on its own circuit and has its own fuse in the garage with all the other circuits. Im still a little concerned that the timer and plug are getting warm. Think I wil take your advice and get a sparky in to fix a permanent mains operated timer.

 

[Softus]

...so that the immersion can switch on and off at cheap rates.

To enjoy the benefits of an "Economy 7" tariff you need to have a switching meter, and unless your electricity supply contract is of the E7 type, then there's no "cheap time of day" for buying/using power.