new apartment - water heater timer replaced by contractor with inferior model

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holly77

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I moved into a newly built apartment a few months ago. Just before Christmas, the management company informed all residents that the water heater timers had been recalled by the manufacturer because of a safety issue and they would be replacing them, which they did recently.

I'm not happy with the replacement because the switch-on/off times are now pre-set at installation. According to the manual, the duration can be set at installation to between 4 and 7 hours. (You can of course use the 2 hour boost switch if you need more water). With the previous timer, it was possible to set the on/off time for whenever I liked and as long as I liked. Also I generally only ever pre-set it to come on for 1 hour as that was more than sufficient usually.

I've spoken to the management company but they just said that the contractor had to replace the faulty timer and that this new timer 'is recommended by the esb' and does not use more electricity than the previous timer. The issues I have are that I now have no control over when the timer comes on and I have a full tank of hot water every day that is mostly going to waste and is presumably going to bump up my esb bills.

Is there anything I can do about this do you think? Any advice appreciated.
 
Are you sure that things are as you say? It seems incredible that a timer could be installed and set in such a way that you can't interfere with it to alter the settings.

Of course, it may be the case that the timer operates so as to use electricty at off peak rates - your discretion would then be reduced (to choosing off peak hours) but it still doesn't seem sensible that you would have no discretion on settings.

Certainly, it warrants further investigation, and I would get my own electrician in to look at it if I were you.
 
We recently moved from Oil to GAS. Our old timer was a bit like the timers you use for your lights when you go away.... you have 15mins intervals (slots) and you could have the your heat on or off as many times as was feasable using 15min intervals.

Our new timer is not like that. It comes on 3 times per day. We get to pick what times and for how long by programming the settings (electronically like setting an alarm clock). We can also have 3 different times each day or the same for all 7 days.

HOWEVER, when it was installed it was originally set to come on twice per day and the installer had to make some physical changes to the timer box at the back to allow 3 times per day.

Are you sure that you are not looking at something similar, i.e. you are restricted by the number of times per day that it comes on and off but NOT forced to accept the preset times etc.?
 
No the times are definitely pre-set - this is according to the management company and the 2 page instructions. They say it's set to make use of off-peak electricity. It comes on some time during the night and the manual says it can be set at installation to a duration of between 4 and 7 hours at off-peak times. The management company weren't sure what duration has been set, but they were quite clear that you can't set the on/off times yourself, but you can use the boost switch if you want extra water.

I think that's really inflexible - the old timer was like your previous timer, Cosmo - you could set it in 15 minute intervals. I think they should have replaced like with like, but I'm not getting anywhere talking to the management company.
 
That's a crazy situation. How can they force you to consume electricity ? If I were you I would tell them exactly where to go, get the timer replaced by a 'normal' electrician and send them the bill for the timer, electrician and the wasted electricity for the past few weeks. It should be easy enough (assuming you ask you electrician to do some sums for you) to work out how much power your water heating system consumes per hour and then just multiply by the number of hours and days you had to have the system on for.

z
 
"That's a crazy situation. How can they force you to consume electricity "

I assume (open to correction) that once the water reaches desired temperature, a thermostat stops further electricity being consumed, save by way of short top-up bursts of heating. At least, I hope so.

I really think an electirican should be got in to examine the whole thing.
 
MOB - it depends really. If it is just a timer, then all that happens is that at the appointed times the circuit is completed, the element heats the water and then waits until the circuit is broken by the timer again.

Logically, things should happen the way you have it in your post, but if things went logically they wouldn't be stuck with a fixed time timer.

I agree that an electrician is the best bet - they will be able to tell at a glance what the setup is.

z
 
to the original poster - you're not in the gallery quay apartments by any chance are you?

I am, and got a similar letter. but the replacement timer (grasslin) works the same way as the old one. the only difference is that its not at risk of causing the whole building to burn down!
 
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