Electric Water Heater Timer

Have you ever wondered what is the mechanism of water heaters in your bathrooms? Heating water is a process in which an energy source (electricity) is converted into heat energy which is further used to heat water. This shows that it is a thermodynamic process and the energy is converted from one form to the other to conserve it. This water heating can be regulated at a particular temperature by a timer which is installed in these heating systems.

You need hot water for a number of reasons like cooking, cleaning, space heating and bathing, therefore water heaters are not only used in bathrooms but elsewhere too. Appliances like kettles, pots, coppers, cauldrons and water heaters all need a heating mechanism. The temperature in these appliances can be controlled by timing them with electric water heater timers. There are different types of water heater timers like box timers, digital programmable and countdown timers, each for different reasons. Mentioned below is how to install them and how do they work, so take a look!

How to Install an Electric Water Heater Timer

An electric water heater timer is defined as a device that automatically switches an electric water heater on and off during particular time intervals. This mechanism is an energy saver and is not very expensive to purchase for your heaters. Before we start with the process of how to install, let's take a look at which timers are the most used ones in the market today.

Box Electric Water Heater Timers
Before making a choice about the electric water heater timer for yourself, you should consider your daily usage also. Box timers are known to be the most commonly used electric timers and are available from 120 to 270 volts. They have either mechanical or digital timers and have built-in emergency batteries. These box timers can be installed near the storage tanks either indoors or outdoors.

Countdown Electric Water Heater Timers
These timers also come with either mechanical or digital controls, which reduce the costs by allowing you to set a duration in which the hot water is available like from 10 to 60 minutes. These operate at 110 volts and are more attractive to look at. These are mounted away from the storage tanks and near the climate controls, as they cannot be wired directly to the tank.

Digital Electric Water Heater Timers
These timers also work at 110 volts but are designed exclusively for indoor installations. They are arranged away from the storage tanks next to the climate controls, for easier access. Since, these are digital in function, they have a wide variety of programmable settings than the others. They can be set for different days of a week and have a more attractive look than the other timers.

Steps to Install an Electric Water Heater Timer

• Start by removing the electric power that supplies the electricity to the water heater.
• Place the timer in the desired area and with the help of the screwdriver, fix the terminals and the wires of the control device. Follow the instructions from the user's manual for mounting the timer.
• Connect the wires to the timer controller and make sure there are two screws saying "power in", "power feed" and "line". The second set of wires are to be connected to the screw terminal and these screws are marked as "to hot water heater" or "load".
• After all the connections are done, apply the power to the hot water circuit and check if the wires are connected properly for the circuit to pass.
• You can then set the program using "at home time" and "away from home", for the electric water heater timer. You will also have to set the right date and time, as many timers allow the setting of program every day throughout the week.

With this information about electric water heater timers, you might find it easy to select as well as install your own timer. Make sure you follow the instruction manual properly while installing and also take all the precautions mentioned in it.