looking at my immersion cable- it has 4 wires instead of 3- why? Can I add a 13a plug on this thing and plug it into a normal socket (socket with a switch to turn on off)?
example-
You hope
If you did the work yourself it may be heating but not setup right or you may have left a timebomb with poor connections
I've not yet seen a version of Hive that can directly switch the load needed by an immersion heater.
yes I’ve spoken to Hive support and they say it is supported. Their website has the wiring instructions but they don’t have much more info. Was curious if anyone else has been down this route as Hive is sold in a lot of stores in Ireland. thanks.
Can you link to anything on their website that refers to switching an immersion heater?
my instinct is that they’re mixing up a standalone immersion hot water system with a central heating water system. So when they told me they do support it on the support chat today, I don’t think the Hive dual control receiver can do both in one? The diagram above is from their guide and shows the hot water link, but maybe the load is too great.
That means a hot water control zone on a gas or oil install.
Yes, my thoughts also.
Are you suggesting that this would not be considered minor electrical works?
It's Certainly what I would consider a grey area. When someone is asking basic questions about such a critical item then they have no business messing with it.
Afaik it's minor works
Again the immersion is a simple task electrically
The issue with immersions/switches is they're notorious for overheating issues and a novice will easily leave a timebomb in this regard
Also the novice may have the wiring incorrectly put back even though the heater appears to be working correctly
You asserted that the OP "by not calling an electrician … have broken the law and undoubtedly invalidated your house insurance if it causes a fire." That is a bold statement, that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. It is a like for like replacement and is most likely categorised as a minor work. (I say 'most likely' as the authors of the applicable documents could have been more clear.) The issue of a fire is different. There is a requirement for anybody doing electrical work to be competent (again, no definitive standard set). If the fire could be shown to be due to a poor quality installation, the installer could be held liable. If the installer was, and remains, RECI registered then they should have adequate liability insurance to cover this. You also asserted that "There are some things you are simply not allowed to do unless you are qualified, and anything to do with water heating is one of them." Other posters on Boards.ie have stated that they got written confirmation that replacing an electric shower is considered minor works. If true, and I fully expect that it is, this point also fails scrutiny.
Look, there is a broad consensus that the OP's lack of basic knowledge meant that they shouldn't be doing this work. That is a long way from suggesting that only a RECI registered contractor should do minor electrical works. However it is certainly wise to recommend caution, as other tradespeople may not have liability insurance should issues arise.
no one is being rude. They are simply stating the electricity can kill, and that label on the switch is very clear , and if you can’t follow it you have no business attempting to
You can add a simple timer unit to your present set up - it's very simple to operate just press the button once for 15 minutes, press again for 30 minutes, again for 1 hour and again for 2 hours. It will switch off automatically when the pre-set time is reached. It eliminates the worry of careless teenagers and some adults😊 leaving the immersion on 27/7 The minor down side is that you'll have to reset it again manually next time you wish to use it. Of course there are more expensive & complicated 7 day timers available.
Has anyone experience fitting these?
Hopefully with this phone app controlled unit, I'll be able to override any immersion settings that my careless teenagers are constantly turning on?
That unit requires an optional wifi dongle to allow you to remotely set timers. According to that website the unit and the dongle come to nearly €220 when you add on the vat.
That seems a little expensive for what is basically a timer you control with your phone. Is it really going to save you that much money.
Thanks for that, you're right, it'd all work out quite dear by the time it's installed so I don't think I'd save a lot .
That timers not bad as a standalone control.
It's a successor to earlier timers designed for dual-tarriff and also suits the newer multi-tarriffs
I fitted loads of the earlier horstmann models . I'm dubious about the need for bluetooth, apps and energy monitor for an immersion heater.
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