We have a hot-water cylinder with 2 immersion heaters.

(2 heaters ecause we have no other means of heating bath/shower volumes
of water, and
need a reserve heater in case of heater failure.)

At the moment each heater is separately connected, with the inherent
danger that someone
will try to switch BOTH on, with a consequent fuse overload.

Is there such a mains unit that would provide for 2 inputs, and offer a 3-
way choice of:

(1) Heater 1
or (2) Heater 2
or (3) Neither

??

--
/\/\aurice (Retired in E.Hants)
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)

On 05/07/2019 15:11, Maurice wrote:
We have a hot-water cylinder with 2 immersion heaters.

(2 heaters ecause we have no other means of heating bath/shower volumes
of water, and
need a reserve heater in case of heater failure.)

At the moment each heater is separately connected, with the inherent
danger that someone
will try to switch BOTH on, with a consequent fuse overload.

Is there such a mains unit that would provide for 2 inputs, and offer a 3-
way choice of:

(1) Heater 1
or (2) Heater 2
or (3) Neither

??


Most electrical accessory manufacturers produce a dual immersion heater
switch that should satisfy your requirements.

eg MK K5207WHI

On Friday, 5 July 2019 15:11:05 UTC+1, Maurice wrote:
We have a hot-water cylinder with 2 immersion heaters.
Is there such a mains unit that would provide for 2 inputs, and offer a 3-
way choice of:

As well as the manual bath/shower switch MK K5207WHI mentioned by Tuffnell Park below, economy 7 controllers like

https://www.electricaldirect.co.uk/p...control-556045

will do the bottom heater on timed (which can be adjusted using tappets behind the clockface) and the top heater on boost, but not simultaneously.

Owain

Many systems use two heaters in one tank. Can the circuit be upgraded? Its
not going to blow up after all.
Brian

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"Maurice" wrote in message
...
We have a hot-water cylinder with 2 immersion heaters.

(2 heaters ecause we have no other means of heating bath/shower volumes
of water, and
need a reserve heater in case of heater failure.)

At the moment each heater is separately connected, with the inherent
danger that someone
will try to switch BOTH on, with a consequent fuse overload.

Is there such a mains unit that would provide for 2 inputs, and offer a 3-
way choice of:

(1) Heater 1
or (2) Heater 2
or (3) Neither

??

--
/\/\aurice (Retired in E.Hants)
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)

In any case we used to have toggle switches with centre off, where up was 1
down was the other and centre, as I said was off. That old company called
Bulgin used to do them with very high current ratings.
Wonderful bits of kit.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Maurice" wrote in message
...
We have a hot-water cylinder with 2 immersion heaters.

(2 heaters ecause we have no other means of heating bath/shower volumes
of water, and
need a reserve heater in case of heater failure.)

At the moment each heater is separately connected, with the inherent
danger that someone
will try to switch BOTH on, with a consequent fuse overload.

Is there such a mains unit that would provide for 2 inputs, and offer a 3-
way choice of:

(1) Heater 1
or (2) Heater 2
or (3) Neither

??

--
/\/\aurice (Retired in E.Hants)
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)

On Friday, 5 July 2019 15:11:05 UTC+1, Maurice wrote:
We have a hot-water cylinder with 2 immersion heaters.

(2 heaters ecause we have no other means of heating bath/shower volumes
of water, and
need a reserve heater in case of heater failure.)

At the moment each heater is separately connected, with the inherent
danger that someone
will try to switch BOTH on, with a consequent fuse overload.

Is there such a mains unit that would provide for 2 inputs, and offer a 3-
way choice of:

(1) Heater 1
or (2) Heater 2
or (3) Neither

??

I presume that if you ran them in series most of the time they'd last a lot better. Series or not could be controlled by a 2nd stat.


NT

On 05/07/2019 15:45, wrote:
On Friday, 5 July 2019 15:11:05 UTC+1, Maurice wrote:
We have a hot-water cylinder with 2 immersion heaters.
Is there such a mains unit that would provide for 2 inputs, and offer a 3-
way choice of:

As well as the manual bath/shower switch MK K5207WHI mentioned by Tuffnell Park below, economy 7 controllers like

https://www.electricaldirect.co.uk/p...control-556045

will do the bottom heater on timed (which can be adjusted using tappets behind the clockface) and the top heater on boost, but not simultaneously.

Thanks for doing my research for me:-) Tonight's job when I got in was
to have a look for one of those.

Thanks

--
Adam

A good old fashioned 16A socket after the on/off switch and 16A plugs on each heater?

On Fri, 5 Jul 2019 14:11:03 +0000 (UTC), Maurice wrote:

At the moment each heater is separately connected, with the inherent
danger that someone will try to switch BOTH on, with a consequent fuse
overload.

So "seprately connected" is to the far end of the same bit of 2.5 mm
immersion heater radial wiring rather than the far end of two
seperate 2.5 mm radials?

The former is a bit of a bodge IMHO, prospective maximum load exceeds
that capacity of the fixed wiring. If it really is that I'd run in
another 2.5 mm radial if there is a spare way in the CU for it or
upgrade the existing radial to 4 (6?) mm and change the MCB
(presuambly or are you still on wired fuses at the CU?).

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Friday, 5 July 2019 21:38:54 UTC+1, Cynic wrote:
A good old fashioned 16A socket after the on/off switch and 16A plugs
on each heater?

15A would be more than adequate, especially if of a good brand (MK until the 1980s) and a lot neater than a 16A ceeform. Or maybe you meant 15A?

Council houses near me all had the immersion on an MK 15A socket.

Owain

On 06/07/2019 09:10, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Fri, 5 Jul 2019 14:11:03 +0000 (UTC), Maurice wrote:

At the moment each heater is separately connected, with the inherent
danger that someone will try to switch BOTH on, with a consequent fuse
overload.

So "seprately connected" is to the far end of the same bit of 2.5 mm
immersion heater radial wiring rather than the far end of two
seperate 2.5 mm radials?

The former is a bit of a bodge IMHO, prospective maximum load exceeds
that capacity of the fixed wiring. If it really is that I'd run in
another 2.5 mm radial if there is a spare way in the CU for it or
upgrade the existing radial to 4 (6?) mm and change the MCB
(presuambly or are you still on wired fuses at the CU?).


or a second run of 2.5mm with both connected to /one/ (uprated) MCB or
fuse? I know some deprecate it but 2.5mm is cheaper than 4mm and may be
easier to fit.

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On Fri, 05 Jul 2019 16:34:59 +0100, Brian Gaff wrote:

Many systems use two heaters in one tank. Can the circuit be upgraded?
Its not going to blow up after all.

The main board has only a 16A breaker - not enough for 2 immersions on at
same time.

Ideally that would be updated to a higher rating, but that's a much
bigger job than I'm
looking for...

Elsewhere I've been pointed at these:

https://www.edwardes.co.uk/categorie...p-dp-for-dual-
immersion-heaters
https://www.electrical2go.co.uk/logi...ersion-heater-
switch-with-neon.html

- which would seem to fit the bill.

Regards,

--
/\/\aurice
(Replace "nomail.afraid" by "bcs" to reply by email)