Change Immersion Timeclock Mechanical to Digital

bruce01

Hi, hoping someone can help me with this.

I have had a few Flash mechanical timers for my immersion, they all seem to die within 3 months of install (got 3, all from different hardwares, all of which claim they are very reliable). So I am going to switch over to digital which I was advised, got a CTC single channel. Can someone tell me which wires go where? I am a novice, but understand it should be pretty simple to switch over, and hate paying 60+ to call out a sparky for this sort of basic thing.

Flash has L In, N In, N Out, L Out.
CTC has N In, L In, Com, On, Off.

I was told they should be a 'straight swap' but not so sure now.

I know about turning off power at the box and that, but other advice is welcome!

beldin

Just to query , does the digital timer support the immersion load. Normal heating timers wouldn't be rated suitable for an immersion.

bruce01

Its running through a switch to the immersion, on that is an 'on/off' and 'bath/sink' which I just presumed took the load. Plumber who installed timer was an idiot though (left two compression fittings untightened and flooded sub-floor) so could be you are right about this, as I say I am no expert.

Paul_Mc1988

bruce01 wrote:

Its running through a switch to the immersion, on that is an 'on/off' and 'bath/sink' which I just presumed took the load. Plumber who installed timer was an idiot though (left two compression fittings untightened and flooded sub-floor) so could be you are right about this, as I say I am no expert.

This is most likely your problem. Whenever I install a time clock for an immersion I away wire it to a relay to switch the high current and have not had a problem yet. If you have gone through three then I would get an electrician out to take a look at it.

filbert the fox

Paul_Mc1988 wrote: »

This is most likely your problem. Whenever I install a time clock for an immersion I away wire it to a relay to switch the high current and have not had a problem yet. If you have gone through three then I would get an electrician out to take a look at it.

what does this mean - to switch the high current using a relay.?

brightspark

bruce01 wrote: »

Hi, hoping someone can help me with this.

I have had a few Flash mechanical timers for my immersion, they all seem to die within 3 months of install (got 3, all from different hardwares, all of which claim they are very reliable). So I am going to switch over to digital which I was advised, got a CTC single channel. Can someone tell me which wires go where? I am a novice, but understand it should be pretty simple to switch over, and hate paying 60+ to call out a sparky for this sort of basic thing.

Flash has L In, N In, N Out, L Out.
CTC has N In, L In, Com, On, Off.

I was told they should be a 'straight swap' but not so sure now.

I know about turning off power at the box and that, but other advice is welcome!

I doubt that timer is suitable for an immersion (you haven't provided a model number so I can't be certain). I'm guessing it's meant for central heating control.

Paul_Mc1988

filbert the fox wrote: »

what does this mean - to switch the high current using a relay.?

Immersions use quite a bit of current more-so when set on bath. Most time clocks would not be sufficiently able to supply such a load and if installed for this system will most likely burn out.

A relay is a device used for switching purposes. In this event the outputs of the time clock would feed into the coil side of the relay. A separate conductor would have its live broken straight through the relay. When the time clock activates it will energize the coil and change the switching state of the relay allowing current to flow. Therefore very little current flows through the time clock as it is only energizing the coil which would be mA.