Vintage Honeywell panel heater control?

SJD · May 21, 2021

Just wondering if anyone has come across a Honeywell "Electric Comfort Control" panel, per the attached photo, and knows anything more about it. More for curiosity than anything else. This was in a house I did an EICR for earlier this week.

There are two heating 30A ring final circuits (upstairs, downstairs) which correspond to the two sides of this panel. And a 5A control circuit, which seems to send a mains voltage control signal to the panel heaters in each room. So each heater has 2 cables, the RFC connection and the control connection.

Some of the heaters are still in use, though now controlled manually, and the panel is left switched off.

A quick online search didn't seem to show anything looking like this, so wondering if something custom. Apparently neighbouring houses had the same, though now most have converted to gas. Built mid-1970's. The new owner of the property plans to convert to gas also, and don't need to get it fully working!

Dave OCD · May 21, 2021

I've never seen one of those before, imagine back in the day this would have seemed very high tech and probably had a few scratching their heads for a little while.

Lucien Nunes · May 21, 2021

These centralised controllers were in vogue for a while, with a couple of manufacturers offering similar units. The distinctive features were the two separately timed zones for bedrooms and living rooms, and the individual selector switches for each heater. They were usually able to switch between two settings on the heater, normal and set-back, rather than solidly on and off.

If anyone ever gets an opportunity to save one, preferably along with one or two heaters from the system, I've been looking for examples for the museum for many years without success. Got close a couple of times but in each case the controller got written off before it could be saved.

SJD · May 21, 2021

Lucien Nunes said:
If anyone ever gets an opportunity to save one, preferably along with one or two heaters from the system, I've been looking for examples for the museum for many years without success. Got close a couple of times but in each case the controller got written off before it could be saved.

Not sure if the controller will be removed or not, the owner is considering keeping it as a (non-functioning) centre-piece for the dining room wall. But if he does remove it, very likely he'll ask me to do so, and you'd be welcome to it.

Lucien Nunes · May 21, 2021

Thanks. Lots of people save vintage heaters because they look interesting and can just be picked up and relocated. But it's a lot harder to save representative examples of installed systems, and very few people are interested in them, so I'm trying to fill that blank. 1970s central heating controls, anyone? (I'm especially looking for the SMC dual pump 'controller' system.)

ipf · May 22, 2021

I came across this one, still in use, last year. Creda Comfortaire white meter system from the 70's. Central unit with ducting to various outlets, throughout the house. Originally the whole housing estate had them but I think this is the last one in use.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Vintage Honeywell panel heater control?

Lucien Nunes · May 22, 2021

Exactly that sort of thing. Used until it breaks, then immediately abandoned and pulled out by contractors, often destroyed in the process. Very difficult to catch at a point where it can be saved. Now I think about it, we don't have a white meter in the collection.

ipf · May 22, 2021

If anyone's wondering about the bottom left 'attachment', it's a door stop, with cork..... to protect the controller. A bit of 70's innovation.
That's how tight (and badly) the houses/flats were designed and installed. I'll bet many unit covers were smashed by the kitchen door.
The controller's not fully functional, they get by manually, to a degree. I had a quick look but they just wanted the 'Timac and FCU replacing for hot water. That's fed from the right hand switch on the main isolator, so two supplies there.
I reckon the dial looks brilliant.

Vintage Honeywell panel heater control?

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