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New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if possible.

Previous one was a BG DRAYTON SM2 29206SX DUAL-CHANNEL MECHANICAL PROGRAMMER

The current one is a Simens RWB2E

The drayton one calls for hot water all the time so that's no good.

The Simens one will sometimes call for heating when its set to off on HW and CH.

What I want is one that I can call/overide for just 1 hour of hot water at a time.

So a 2 channel clock with overide button for the hot water.

But please these thing are expensive now that I am retired, I want one that will last.

I am nearly at the point of just using a 2 gang light switch :90::90::90::90:
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Riley thanks for that.
I have looked inside the existing ones and they look like they are made for poundland.
Someone is making a huge profit on these clocks, and I don't mind that, but I want one that will last for a good few years !
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Or a Potterton EP2s aren't to bad either, about the same money, again not sure about the 20 year lifespan....
 
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Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Clarky101
Now that is one I had not yet considered, I will investigate further, thank you.
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Riley thanks for that.
I have looked inside the existing ones and they look like they are made for poundland.
Someone is making a huge profit on these clocks, and I don't mind that, but I want one that will last for a good few years !

Fair enough mate but sadly the days of things lasting that long are over. Manufacturers realised they weren't making money
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Honeywell do some as well, st9400c pretty neat...
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

No money in making things that last. Bit like no money in cures. Why manufacture a cure when you can create a treatment and make more money :)
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

I had a Danfoss 3060 that lasted for 30 years before I had to replace the innards ,and was still in service 5 years later when I sold the house. On that basis a current electro/mechanical Danfoss must be the best bet.
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Fair enough mate but sadly the days of things lasting that long are over. Manufacturers realised they weren't making money

It seems that's the way things are these days, but they still change a quality price for these clocks, they are not cheap !
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

No money in making things that last. Bit like no money in cures. Why manufacture a cure when you can create a treatment and make more money :)

SimonG,
Its for my own heating system so I want one that will last, my health is not good so I am searching for something that will see me out !
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

No money in making things that last. Bit like no money in cures. Why manufacture a cure when you can create a treatment and make more money :)

SimonG,
Its for my own heating system so I want one that will last, my health is not good so I am searching for something that will see me out !
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

I had a Danfoss 3060 that lasted for 30 years before I had to replace the innards ,and was still in service 5 years later when I sold the house. On that basis a current electro/mechanical Danfoss must be the best bet.

I did have a Landis & Gyr branded wickes that I fitted in about 1988, so a Danfoss 3060 looks a bit of a monster, bit having said that it would nice if it did the job
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

The last reasonably buit ,modern thing I've seen was a mechanical Immersion heater timer (sadly only 1 chanel ) forgotten brand !

Underrunnig the contacts should give them a chance .

(Nearly got burgled trusting house to 3 for a tenner "bargain" mechanical timers -)
( Running the Lights--they were cheap TAT )
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

The last reasonably buit ,modern thing I've seen was a mechanical Immersion heater timer (sadly only 1 chanel ) forgotten brand !

Underrunnig the contacts should give them a chance .

(Nearly got burgled trusting house to 3 for a tenner "bargain" mechanical timers -)
( Running the Lights--they were cheap TAT )

zzzjim, immersion heater timers should have plenty of capacity on the contacts, true
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

I know Danfoss mechanical timeclocks are excellent. (Not their electronic clocks)
Think they are still available. I have a couple of Danfoss dual clocks I bought cheap as nobody buying them.
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

I know Danfoss mechanical timeclocks are excellent. (Not their electronic clocks)
Think they are still available. I have a couple of Danfoss dual clocks I bought cheap as nobody buying them.

Thanks Best, but it will have to be based on what I can buy new
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

I know Danfoss mechanical timeclocks are excellent. (Not their electronic clocks)
Think they are still available. I have a couple of Danfoss dual clocks I bought cheap as nobody buying them.

Thanks Best, but it will have to be based on what I can buy new
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Thanks Best, but it will have to be based on what I can buy new

Mine are 'new', just were old stock, but not sure if still made.
If you look on Danfoss website you might see a timer to exactly suit you
 
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Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Mine are 'new', just were old stock, but not sure if still made.
If you look on Danfoss website you might see a timer to exactly suit you

Yes I see they still do clockwork programmers like the 103/106 mind you they are quite expensive
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

Yes I see they still do clockwork programmers like the 103/106 mind you they are quite expensive

Yes, they are expensive, but very reliable from my experience of them.
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

I would avoid the mechanical options if I were you, unable to separate CH and HW timings, noisy and more likely to fail over time due to moving parts.

Sounds like your Drayton one was set up to gravity rather than fully pumped as you shouldn't have needed to always have HW on.

Also if your CH is coming on without demand from the clock, it is more likely to be an issue with the 2/3 port valve.

As previously recommended, the Drayton lifestyle range are reliable and have boost options for 1-3 hrs, advance and 24hr/5-2 and 7 day independent programming options.
 
Re: New central heating programmer required, but please one that lasts 20 years if po

I would avoid the mechanical options if I were you, unable to separate CH and HW timings, noisy and more likely to fail over time due to moving parts.

Sounds like your Drayton one was set up to gravity rather than fully pumped as you shouldn't have needed to always have HW on.

Also if your CH is coming on without demand from the clock, it is more likely to be an issue with the 2/3 port valve.

As previously recommended, the Drayton lifestyle range are reliable and have boost options for 1-3 hrs, advance and 24hr/5-2 and 7 day independent programming options.

The Drayton had the link out so was setup for a fully pumped system, but even from brand new they are a noisy programmer especially at the point the clock reaches the timed on and off positions.

I used a multimeter to confirm that the programmer is always calling for hot water by testing it when it has been removed from its mounting plate.

Several people are now recommending the Drayton life style programmer and the one hour boost button will be very handy.

In all honesty I don't need the timer as being retired I do not use the clock I just switch it on when I want it.

I have cancer and I am trying to get things fixed before things get too bad.

Just trying to plan for the future and do the best to keep things working. :angry_smile:
 
Since I started this thread I have had 2 Drayton LP522 programmers.
In both cases the relay contacts have spiked, first one sticking permanently the second one temporarily.
I have spoke to Drayton technical department and they say the relays are rated as 2 amps.
These programmers are not cheap, and the specification of the relay contacts is rubbish.
Drayton, this is a make to avoid
 
This is strange as I install 50-100 a year never had one fail that isn't over 10 years old

What's the load going through the prog ?
 
A few years old grundfos pump and a vaillant ecotec plus 418 boiler which is all protected with a 3 amp fuse.

I have not measured the actual amperage with a meter although if needed I could do.
 
I have spoke to Drayton technical department and they say the relays are rated as 2 amps.
These programmers are not cheap, and the specification of the relay contacts is rubbish.

Relay contacts have two (at least) specifications. One current limit will be for resistive loads. Another, much smaller, wll be for inductive loads. Only some relays are suitable for inductive loads as the contacts need to open faster and further to supress the arc caused by the back EMF.

Pumps should be fitted with a 'suppressor capacitor' to cancel the inductance. Such capacitors can fail by going open circuit. The result is a pump that seems to work but burns out relays.
 
As I understand it the capacitor in the pump is a running capacitor and if it went open circuit then the pump motor would not spin at all.
I am not against having a new pump but as I have cancer and would not be able to fit it myself it would be quite costly, and I need a sure reason to replace it.
 
You need to look into why the programmer has failed first. The Boiler and pump you mention shouldn't really cause a problem.
Are you living in the country by any chance?

As far as programmers are concerned I tend to prefer Sangamo to others on the market at the moment.
 
You need to look into why the programmer has failed first. The Boiler and pump you mention shouldn't really cause a problem.
Are you living in the country by any chance?

As far as programmers are concerned I tend to prefer Sangamo to others on the market at the moment.
Not in the country, Harrow north west London
 
No, I think it is just the quality of these programmers

It sounds odd.

I can't say I have experienced many problems with Programmers on domestic systems.

I do know that modern electronic controls can be effected by old equipment or supply issues (spikes/ surges etc). That was the reason for asking about those things.

If you have Grundfos 15/50 or 15/60 pump and a 4 series Vaillant, you are only talking of half to one Amp (ish). Most domestic Programmers are around 2 Amp (1 per Channel I think), so they are designed to take the load of a normal system.

There must be a reason you are suffering with damage to programmers. You can buy higher Ampere programmers like we use in Commercial Heating systems but I don't think that is the answer.

I would test the Amps on the system when it's running.
 
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