Timer needed to control a 2400w heater: Which?

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geekIT

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#298627 2-Jul-2022 15:35

Recently purchased a Goldair 2400W Micathermic heater. I want to run it through a timer so that it turns on and off at pre-set intervals. What sort of timer should I get? I ask because I have an idea that fairly high-drain devices like this 2400W heater require special timers.

EDIT: It'll be the only device on the power point.

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#2937535 2-Jul-2022 15:53

Doesn’t help you now but I had the same dilemma a few years back. I decided to spend a bit more on a unit that had a built in timer.

I can only advise to read the specs on them carefully and make sure whichever you pick can handle the power, current draw.

timmmay

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#2937537 2-Jul-2022 16:05

$15 digital timers at M10 work fine. Or these ones on special apparently have 16 amp relays

https://www.athom.tech/blank-1/esphome-au-plug

MarkM536

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#2937548 2-Jul-2022 16:52

2,400W is the max a standard NZ 10A plug socket can do.

So any timer should do a minimum of 10A.

mattwnz

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#2937550 2-Jul-2022 17:34

geekIT:

Recently purchased a Goldair 2400W Micathermic heater. I want to run it through a timer so that it turns on and off at pre-set intervals. What sort of timer should I get? I ask because I have an idea that fairly high-drain devices like this 2400W heater require special timers.

EDIT: It'll be the only device on the power point.

There are heaters that have timers built in, probably for this reason. They usually seem to be oil radiators as I have one that has a timer for this reason. So if you can return it, you could replace it with one that has an inbuilt timer.

robjg63

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#2937552 2-Jul-2022 17:57

This for ~$5

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/click-24-hour-mechanical-timer_p0255499

Or this for ~$11

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/click-24hr-7day-digital-timer_p0255500

The second one is trickier to set up - It has been on the market for years - why the 'up' is on the left and the 'down' is on the right is odd - Still works ok though.

As mentioned above 'any' timer should be good for 10A. That's the standard max of an NZ power outlet.

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rb99

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#2937555 2-Jul-2022 18:17

I guess its a dumb question, but what happens if you have more than the heater plugged into a socket ?

I don't mean two heaters, even I know thats not a good idea, but say you have a laptop and monitor plugged in into a multiplug, pulling not very much, and you decide to add a heater. Do people really sit down and add up the number of watts in real life...

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rb99

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MadEngineer

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#2937563 2-Jul-2022 18:40

Jesus will add up the watts and smite you shall you sin.

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MarkM536

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#2937564 2-Jul-2022 18:46

rb99:

I guess its a ~~dumb~~ question, but what happens if you have more than the heater plugged into a socket ?

I don't mean two heaters, even I know thats not a good idea, but say you have a laptop and monitor plugged in into a multiplug, pulling not very much, and you decide to add a heater. Do people really sit down and add up the number of watts in real life...

You would hope that 10A is a tested max and that it could handle handle like 12A before issues. Plug probably gets a little warm and extreme case it may melt.

My house and many others have multiple sockets on one breaker, such as all sockets per room. I presume 16A or 20A is the standard for a circuit of sockets.

Breakers pop when it's more than their trip current... so you could easily draw more than 10A from a socket and the breaker wouldn't pop (until you reach the trip current).

^I'm no sparky.

timmmay

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#2937566 2-Jul-2022 19:08

Poor quality fittings can melt or catch fire under heavy load. Just use some common sense and you'll be fine

rb99

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#2937567 2-Jul-2022 19:12

Thanks people.

I like to think I use common sense, hopefully the wiring agrees with me...

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” -John Kenneth Galbraith

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qwertee

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#2937648 2-Jul-2022 23:00

I would suggest a digital timer . Runs silent, bit fiddly to program. Retains settings even when unplugged

The mechanical one that came with an oil heater I had, had a distinctive clicking sound as the clock mechanism operated.
Very annoying to run in the bedroom.

I use this for a floor lamp and lights for the fish pond. But never ran a high wattage appliance like what the OP wants to.
https://hpm.co.nz/product/digital-timer-7-day-1-min-p/

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Beavis

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#2937765 3-Jul-2022 09:24

I use a Wi-Fi controlled switch. As low as $23 or as high as $39 depending on make.
Make a few rules in the app on your phone, all good to go. Allows for daylight automatically, and if it gets really cold, I just call out “Hey Google, turn on the heater!”

Beware of FUD...

timmmay

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#2937774 3-Jul-2022 10:00

I ran a 2000W fan heater for ages with "digital timer white" from Mitre10 - you can't link to their website products for some reason. Similar to the HPM one above. $15. I use TP-Link Kasa now, but will get some of the Athom ones soon.

tweake

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#2937880 3-Jul-2022 13:44

rb99:

I guess its a dumb question, but what happens if you have more than the heater plugged into a socket ?

I don't mean two heaters, even I know thats not a good idea, but say you have a laptop and monitor plugged in into a multiplug, pulling not very much, and you decide to add a heater. Do people really sit down and add up the number of watts in real life...

a lot of multi boards have built in circuit breakers, so if you add to much load its going to trip well before any damage is done.

a lot of heaters are not 2400w, plenty of them are 1000-2000w range. biggest problem that i used to see is cheap sockets which make poor contact and usually end up melting around the pin area.

also people are stupid. i once threw out a customers melted double adapter. i went back for a repair 6 months later and they had fished it out of the bin and reused it.

MadEngineer

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#2937886 3-Jul-2022 14:05

FWIW: Copy+Paste from one of the various models of "Goldair 2400W Micathermic heater"

WARNING: Do not use this heater with a programmer, separate timer,
remote-control system or any other device that switches the heater on
automatically, since a fire risk exists if the heater is covered or positioned
incorrectly.
WARNING:Never leave this heater unattended when in use

• It is recommended that this appliance is plugged directly into the wall socket.
Power boards are not rated to supply power to high wattage appliances.

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