UK Immersion Heaters - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

Gavin Adams · 11-18-2008, 01:16 PM

Hi all. just a quick though really. was putting in a timer on an immersion heater today and saw that it was being swiched by a neon lite sitch. do immersion heaters have to be swiched or can you just run it from a timer.

i dont see a problem with just running it from the timere and dont really think the regs says you can or cannot. just wanted to know your thoughts really.

you do you guys think

chrisb271 · 11-18-2008, 02:48 PM

Hi Gav

I've always put a switch in front of the timer when installed,i like to be able to see that its actually isolated,having said that switches do go faulty

Chris

Gavin Adams · 11-18-2008, 03:23 PM

Hi chris,
I fully understand the need to put in an isolator and all that.
let me explain what i came accross today at work.

this is the setup/
main board
isolator with neon light
switch
immersion heater

dont see the point of having a switch and an isolator when putting in a timer. and why do most immersion heaters have an isolator with a neon light. ... anyway this is what i did.

board
isolator
timer
heater.
do you follow chris
just think that the person who put it in had no idea what he was doing...or is it just me..lol

andyb · 11-19-2008, 06:40 AM

just think that the person who put it in had no idea what he was doing...or is it just me..lol

I agree Gavin, Immersion heaters must be permantly connected to a double pole switch without use of a plug and socket. (BS7671 554.3.3)

There is no requirement for a neon, this is a personal choice.

Connecting it directly to a time switch does not provide double pole isolation.

Gavin Adams · 11-19-2008, 12:30 PM

just what i thought..

thanks bud.

chrisb271 · 11-19-2008, 02:29 PM

Think the only time i would ever fit a DP with neon is if i had gone down to the van,picked a switch off the shelf,got back up stairs with screwdriver in hand and realised it had one

only because i couldn't be arsed to walk down the stairs again and change it.
Its the same as cooker switches with neons on , WHY ? it must be to scare people sh!tless when they go down stairs in the middle on the night and don't want to switch the light on coz you have to feed the bl00dy cat if you do and see this strange red flippin light in the corner of the room !!!

Soap box away !

Chris

cornishsparks · 11-19-2008, 04:48 PM

you feed your cat at night, whos the cat owner or does he own you !
lol