What Is a Water Heater Timer?

Today’s water heaters are much more advanced than they were even a few years ago. They’re much more insulated and more affordable, and unvented cylinders can be installed anywhere in a building, rather than having to be installed near the top like vented cylinders.

One area where those advancements are most obvious is in the number of accessories designed to help you do more with your water heater. One that you might be interested in is a water heater timer. What is it and is it an accessory that you need? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is It?

A water heater timer is just what it sounds like. It’s a timer designed to help you customise the times when your water heater operates. Don’t confuse this with the water heater’s thermostat. They’re very different devices.

How Does a Water Heater Timer Work?

A water heater timer works in conjunction with your thermostat and other accessories, as well as the wider system in your home. It may work differently if you have a combi boiler, and your water heater is tied to your home’s heating system than if you had only a standalone water heater and used a different heating source for the home.

In a nutshell, the water heater timer allows you to choose when the cylinder can draw power or heat. In a system without a timer, the water heater would request heat/draw power whenever the temperature of the water within the cylinder dropped below the temperature set on the thermostat. With a timer, the thermostat becomes secondary.

Most timers have different operating modes. One might be “always on”, which effectively negates the timer and allows the thermostat to control when the water heater operates. The other is “clock”, which allows you to set when you want the water heater to come on. The thermostat would control operation but only during the pre-set times you selected.

Why Use a Water Heater Timer?

Why in the world would someone use a water heater timer rather than simply let the thermostat dictate when the cylinder cycles? Water heater timers offer a couple of very important benefits, including the following:

1. Much better control over your water heater usage

In many homes, the water heater will kick on when the internal temperature drops below the temperature on the thermostat. That’s great if you’re using water regularly, but what about at night while you’re sleeping? During the day when the home’s empty? That’s just wasted energy and increased costs. A water heater timer allows you to set operating times that mesh with your schedule and hot water needs, saving you energy and money.

2. Longer water heater life

Many factors affect the lifespan of a water heater. Usage is one of the most important. The more often the immersion heaters cycle, the more wear and tear they’ll suffer. With a water heater timer, you limit that use and extend the life of your water heater. Note that this only applies to self-heating units and not to units that receive heat from a combi boiler.

Not sure whether you could benefit from a water heater timer? Interested in learning more about the benefits one might offer? Get in touch with us at EasyFlow to schedule a consultation.