Immersion Heater Timer Instructions

Turn off the electricity at the circuit breaker before working on the immersion heater or tank.

Loosen the two screw bolts holding the two wires to the top of the tank. Pull up on the bracket to expose the wire connections underneath. Loosen the screws connecting the wires to the three contacts and pull off the wires. Make a note of which wire is attached to the positive (+) terminal. The wires are typically colored white, black and red.

Trim 3/4 inch of the insulation from the end of each wire, if necessary. The wires occasionally break at tip with age, requiring removal of insulation to expose fresh wire.

Loosen the screws on the timer terminals and attach the three wires to the contacts. Tighten the screws to secure the wires.

Insert the wires at the bottom or back of the timer through the bracket on the tank and connect to the corresponding contacts on the top of the tank. Tighten all screws.

Mount the timer on the wall using the screws typically supplied with the component. Twist the screws into the wall with a screwdriver.

Turn on the electricity to the tank at the circuit breaker.

Set the current time on the timer using the keypad. This process varies with the timer model but is essentially the same as setting a digital alarm clock.

Press the up and down buttons on the timer to select the days and times for switching the heater unit on and off. The precise procedure varies with the brand of timer but typically involves pressing an "Enter" or "Select" button on the keypad to advance through the programming sequence. Simple timers may be programmed to cut on and off at one time every day.