Immersion Heater timer problem

[Badvocthebad]

Hi there, newbie here so apologies if I'm posting in the wrong forum.

We've just moved in to a rental flat which is on an economy 10 meter. Off peak hours are 12-5am 1-4pm and 8-10pm. Obviously to avoid having to get up and switch the immersion off at 5 so I've got hot water for a bath in the morning, I'd like it to work on the timer that is on the system. This is where I seem to have a problem. There is a switch which is wired to the timer and then the immersion element. When the switch is on the timer works but the element is heating water too, whatever I seem to set the timer to do. When the switch is off so is the element, but the timer doesn't tick round either. There is another switch which has always been on since we moved in, which doesn't seem to affect anything at all, at least anything visible or audible. Am I missing something obvious or do I need to get the landlord to get someone to have a look at it. The timer is an old Greenbrook one and from what I can tell of their instructions for their more recent but similar style of timer, you set it so the little pegs are pulled out from the centre for the period that you want it to be on, which seems to go counter to what I've experienced with timers on appliances or plug in ones for example.

Once again, apologies if this is the wrong place, but I'm a bit stumped

Cheers

BDVB

 

[Octopus]

Does the immersion tank not have 2 elements.

 

[Richard Burns]

Welcome to the forum.

If as Murdoch says there are two elements then that tank may look something like this (although this one has no timer)

In this picture it is obvious where the cables go, the lower element to the left hand switch and the upper element to the right hand switch.
The usual arrangement is to have the upper element off at all times (this one is only for when you occasionally run out of water during the day and can be switched on for half an hour to get a small amount of hot water).
The lower one is the one that should be connected to the timer (there are also twin element timers but I will not cover that).
The switch that powers the timer should be always on (so the timer operates).
The timer should be set to come on for the E10 times (as you say for the Greenbrook: pins out for on), the timer will have a small switch that is the selector for function like this
that should be set to the clock face so the programmed times run.

If all your set up is like this and then at say 1pm when the timer clicks on there is no sound of "hissing" starting from the tank as the element starts up, or if there is hissing from the tank at non E10 times then there may be a fault with the timer not switching off.