Bizarre fault today immersion timer

[Dustydazzler]

got a phone call from my brother at about 1.30pm to say his immersion timer had caught fire and completely melted.
I thought he was exaggerating so popped round to take a look.
And yep it had completely melted into a big ball of moulded black sticky plastic...
This timer was fitted when he had a new immersion fitted about 2 years ago (all electric flat).
I have replaced plenty timers that have given up the ghost , but never seen one completely melt like this.
Thought ....?

 

[Rpa07]

Impossible to check terminations as the whole thing was a melted big ball of black plastic

I just cut the abomination off and threw in the bin

Seriously man, first thing you do is take a photo to show the forum, if you’re going to stick around you’ll need to change that mindset - ‘just threw it in the bin’ - tuh, heard it all now!

Can anyone recommend a decent digital timer for immersion heaters ?

Horstmann make a range of good and easy to fit timers, digital as well.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Had no end of grief with failing Timeguard stuff, I don't trust it...(no fires though, just gear that's stopped working)

 

[Dave OCD]

I've found that you can't go far wrong with the old school Timeguard mechanical timers with the little silver pins to set on/off times with. [Used to be branded Smiths]. Although I've known the motors refuse to overcome the resistance of an 'on' pin and a number of years use.

 

[SparkyAndGeorge]

Also had problems with timeguard (the newer stuff)

 

[telectrix]

can'tbeat the old sangamo westons. bomb proof. the Toyota of the electrical world.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

can'tbeat the old sangamo westons. bomb proof. the Toyota of the electrical world.

Plenty of 30-40 year old sangamo's still going strong. Lucky to get a year out of Timeguard poo.

 

[PEG]

Plenty of 30-40 year old sangamo's still going strong. Lucky to get a year out of Timeguard poo.

What are the features and specifications, of the "poo" model?

 

[PEG]

Nope

I don’t mind plumbers to be fair

Apart from the dipstick who I paid to fix a leak in my bathroom that still leaked after he supposedly fixed it

He took my money and refuses to come back meaning I had to get another guy in

....don't tell me that meant you had to ring a plasterer,too?
...If it wernt for all yer bad luck - you'd have no luck,at all...

 

[snowhead]

It won't have just suddenly melted, it'll have been festering for a good while, probably since it was installed.
That strange occasional smell they've had near the timer will have gone now.

 

[Dustydazzler]

....don't tell me that meant you had to ring a plasterer,too?
...If it wernt for all yer bad luck - you'd have no luck,at all...

After the leak in the wall was found and repaired properly by the second time by a legit plumber and not the badger handyman I used the first time , the wife then decided she wanted a new bathroom suite and all re-tiled.
And no I’m not joking...
The whole thing cost a small fortune in the end.
I didn’t mind paying for the new bathroom.
But paying the first plumber £200 to do a job which he didn’t do properly (it continued to leak) was the annoying part.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

What are the features and specifications, of the "poo" model?

NTT01
Been back to pretty much every one I installed.

 

[mattg4321]

Had no end of grief with failing Timeguard stuff, I don't trust it...(no fires though, just gear that's stopped working)

Is this timers and the like, or their lighting range?

I don't use a great deal of either to be honest, but not really had many problems yet.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Is this timers and the like, or their lighting range?

I don't use a great deal of either to be honest, but not really had many problems yet.

Just timers,not used their lighting stuff

 

[James]

Just a thought but did the original installer use a timer that could handle the current? there are many timers that are designed for lighting and not for 3Kw continuous.