Change To a Digital Timer

icjzfmq7ewon1t

I need a bit of advice I plan to change an Apt Imm24 central heating timer for a digital one.

Two questions which digital timer should I go for only requirements are seven day timer and boost button and secondy is it a simple swop, wiring etc. Guess what I'm asking is is it a DIY job.

jeepers101

Go to an electrical suppliers and ask for a digital time clock that has seven day and boost button. Expect to pay 30-40 euro. It is a pretty straight forward swap if you know what you're doing. If you've done any kind of wiring around the house before you should be alright. If you get stuck with the wiring diagram, just come back to us.

indie armada

a sauter t17 would do the job nicely....would cost ye approx 40 euro.
another option would be a sangamo, they use the same size back box as the apt, ie a standard single size box. they are a good bit more exspensive at about 65 euro. they come in daily, weekly and 7 day and all have a boost function.

icjzfmq7ewon1t

Thanks for the replies I had a closer look at the set up and the central heating is controlled by the apt timer and two wall switches (same as light switches) To heat water only the silder on the apt is put to on and the wall switches controls upstairs and downstairs radiators. Is it possible to get one timer to do the job of the Apt and the two wall switches. Hope this is explained ok.

Bruthal

Raphael Deep Locomotive wrote: »

Thanks for the replies I had a closer look at the set up and the central heating is controlled by the apt timer and two wall switches (same as light switches) To heat water only the silder on the apt is put to on and the wall switches controls upstairs and downstairs radiators. Is it possible to get one timer to do the job of the Apt and the two wall switches. Hope this is explained ok.

That can be done with a 2 channel timeclock, which can independently switch and time control each zone valve. The 2 switches are usually room stats(thermostats), so you can either feed the zone valves direct from each timeclock channel and so the switches are out of the circuit for good, or the proper way is feed each switch from each channel of the new timeclock, but the switches would have to have been wired seperate from the original clock position. This is better in case you wanted to fit room stats at a later stage.

A 3 channel timer is usually used with the 3rd channel controlling the motorised zone valve for the hot water cylinder .

Maybe the 2 switches are close to or beside the timer? Or are they as suggested above, in positions that were originally room stats in maybe the hall and up on the landing etc? Or both at the boiler?

icjzfmq7ewon1t

robbie7730 wrote: »

That can be done with a 2 channel timeclock, which can independently switch and time control each zone valve. The 2 switches are usually room stats(thermostats), so you can either feed the zone valves direct from each timeclock channel and so the switches are out of the circuit for good, or the proper way is feed each switch from each channel of the new timeclock, but the switches would have to have been wired seperate from the original clock position. This is better in case you wanted to fit room stats at a later stage.

A 3 channel timer is usually used with the 3rd channel controlling the motorised zone valve for the hot water cylinder .

Maybe the 2 switches are close to or beside the timer? Or are they as suggested above, in positions that were originally room stats in maybe the hall and up on the landing etc? Or both at the boiler?

Thanks Robbie the two switches are on the wall beside the timer. I'm afraid I'm not well up on this stuff are you saying to control upstairs and downstairs radiators and heating water all independent of each other I would need a three channel timer. I'm presuming the wiring would be fairly complicated so it would be best to get an electrician. Could you reccomend a suitable timer that would be easy to set up and use.

Bruthal

Raphael Deep Locomotive wrote: »

Thanks Robbie the two switches are on the wall beside the timer. I'm afraid I'm not well up on this stuff are you saying to control upstairs and downstairs radiators and heating water all independent of each other I would need a three channel timer. I'm presuming the wiring would be fairly complicated so it would be best to get an electrician. Could you reccomend a suitable timer that would be easy to set up and use.

Well if you wanted each zone to be capabable of seperate timing cycles then yes a 3 channel clock would be needed, but if you have 2 switches, one for upstairs and one for down, that would usually be good enough with a single channel timer. It just depends if you wanted upstairs to automatically come on at different times than downstairs.

A third switch could be added to disable the hot water cylinder if you wanted, but the hot water zone would need a tank stat controlling the hot water motorised valve too, and the switch would allow you to disable it without turning the stat down.

So you can use a new single channel digital timer and the existing switches to control the upstairs and downstairs rads, the right way would be the timer brings on the rads, and the switches allow you to stop the rads coming on by switching off that zone, which it looks like you have at the moment.

A 3 channel timeclock would mean you can independently set on/off times for upstairs, downstairs, and hot water, and could probably do away with the 2 switches, so it depends if you would need the independent timing of each zone. New heating installations would have the 3 channel timeclock along with 2 room stats and hot water cylinder stat with all the energy conservation stuff these days.

Im not sure of the best makes of clocks, ones with volt free contacts i find more versatile but probably does not matter in most installations, but others on here would have better ideas of the best timeclock makes than me i`d say.

icjzfmq7ewon1t

Thanks again for the info think I'll just replace the apt with a single channel digital timer and leave the switches to control upstairs and downstairs.