Can You Fit A Digital Timer To An Old Worcester Bosch 24I Combination Boiler?

[gordybarr]

I have a Worcester Bosch 24I combi boiler which is 10+ years old and is discontinued. The mechanical timer is broken and keeps falling out. The boiler works fine when switched to constant but I can no longer use the timer. Is there a digital timer that can be fitted to this boiler and if so which one? And is it an easy process to fit or will it be a gas engineer?

Many thanks for your answers.

[gordybarr]

That should read Worcester Bosch 24i combi boiler.

[Sycamore3House]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/worcester-boiler-timer

If the switch looks something like this in the link it is easy to do yourself. Unscrew the front panel and uncool the old one and replace with the new and screw back up.
I had the same boiler and the switch was on/off/constant I replaced it with a timer switch.

[gordybarr]

Hi Sycamore3house.

Yeah that's the timer. Did you fit a replacement mechanical timer? I was hoping to replace it with a digital timer.

[gordybarr]

I've emailed Worcester Bosch and they replied that they've never released a digital timer for my boiler type. They also suggested I could use a timer in the plug socket and have the boiler set to constant but this would mean no hot water when the boiler is off surely.

I was hoping someone has successfully fitted a digital timer to my boiler type.

[Sycamore3House]

The one I fitted was a mechanical one as my boiler was so old and discontinued. It originally just had an on/off/ constant switch and then I fitted the mechanical timer. Really easy job. There are you tube videos also to help.

[bhg481]

I can't see the problem with the Worcester/Bosch solution. All the timer does is to permit the boiler to operate at certain times, as defined by its own timer. If you use an external timer and set the boiler to constantly on, it can only come on when the external timer supplies power to it, so the same effect. In fact, if you buy the right timer ie, one with lots of programmes, you can make it more flexible than the old one - more on/off settings per day and different settings for each day of the week.

[gordybarr]

The timer at the plug would switch the boiler power on/off. Without power the boiler can't work so no hot water. That's the way I see it anyway.

[bhg481]

Yes but the timer on the boiler switches the power on and off. It's exactly the same thing. If you have the boiler set to "permanently on" whenever the wall-timer sends power to the boiler it heats the water.
As the system was bought, the boiler only heated the water when its own timer allowed it to do. You replace the timer in the boiler with an external one, set the boiler to "on" and the water gets heated whenever the external timer is on.

[gordybarr]

Think we've got muddled here. Are you talking central heating because I'm not. I'm talking about getting hot water when you turn on the hot water tap. Without power you can't get hot water from the tap which would make an external timer useless I my opinion.

[bhg481]

Sorry gordy, it's my lack of knowledge of combination boilers that's the problem. I've never been involved with them, so don't know the workings. I assumed they worked like normal CH systems but, from your last response, it sounds like there is power there all the time so that whenever you turn on a hot water tap the boiler lights and heats the water. The timer part just defines at what times of day your boiler will provide hot water for the radiators. If that's the case then apologies, you are right, an external timer will not do the job you want.

[gordybarr]

No worries bhg481. As you've described that's what happens to my boiler.

Looks like I'll have to get a replacement mechanical timer looking at various threads on other websites.