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Hi clever people,
I’m wondering if it is safe to replace the switch for my dishwasher with this:
The original has a separate 13A fuse so I’m not sure if this is safe to replace it with in order to be able to program it to come on when I want it to.
Thanks in advance!
Yes it will work, but will your washer work when the power has been turned off? Ours won’t. You need to push a button before it’ll work.
Be aware it looks quite deep, so the spacer linked below it will probably be needed unless you have a 35mm back box already (unlikely).
Yes can make it work by turning it on so it starts, then off again then scheduling for later on in the night - had it working with a Switchbot thing but it broke after a few months.
Assuming the back box is standard so yes might need the spacer - thanks.
When you say a separate 13 amp fuse do you meaning the same front plate as the switch? In which case its a fused spur and really should be replaced with a fused spur I would have thought
Like this?
Yes it does appear to be a fused spur although I’m not sure why as the main box is a modern rcd protected thingy.
Effectively the fuse is the same function as the fuse in a plug. To stop you overloading the wires to the spur.
I wouldn't replace a fused spur unit with something unfused.
An actual electrician will know a lot more tho. Also i would not run appliances at night either - safety first and all that.
I wouldn’t replace a fused spur unit with something unfused.
In this case, it will make no difference, one appliance, there is a fuse in the washer plug, so everything is protected. Many outlets for washers/dryers etc do not have a fuse, they just have a double pole switch. The same principle applies, the cable cannot be overloaded by a single socket on a spur, and the fuse acts as protection for the appliance wiring, and the fixed cabling.
Thanks - that is what I thought but if that is the case why are above the counter appliance switches always fused?
Because they are hard wired in - no plug on the appliance?
I use one of these for a water heater, it is a smart fused spur. Cheaper to fit a normal socket though + smart plug + normal fused plug.
Pretty sure the dishwasher has its’ original plug which is plugged into an unswitched socket behind the appliance.
Having said that, I will go with that fused option is it’s not much more expensive. I did find something similar but it was much more expensive.
Thanks for the replies!
Andrew
Switch fuse spurs are used above worktops when goons put sockets in appliance spaces, it allows you to isolate the appliance if there’s a problem without having to pull it out to get behind it
Yes - aware of that but if the lug has a fuse in as well why does it need another - can’t see why a simple switch wouldn’t suffice?
What are you trying to achieve?
A dishwasher won't auto-start as soon as power is applied as far as I'm aware, you'll still need to press 'go' on the appliance. The one we had at work, cutting the power would reset all the settings to default.
It does work - although it’s a slight faff - you have to turn it on, start the program then turn it off at the plug and schedule it to come back on again. All to use my super cheap nighttime EV tariff - yes I know you’re apparently not supposed to…
Sure your dishwasher doesn't have delayed start feature? Can't remember last time I saw one that didn't.
(though that smart fused spur does look potentially useful for me to control an extractor fan that the builder decided himself was only needed for building control box ticking and that I'd never use, and so put the switch at the back of a high cupboard).
In theory not a terrible idea but the one linked in the OP looks like cheap Chinese crap tbh. What about a Switchbot? Bit bodgey, but apparently they work great (assuming it's just a single button that needs pressing, like on mine?) plus they don't rely on the cloud (unlike most cheap smart switches).
Ah, fair enough then. Yours must be different from the one we had.
If you just want it to be active at set times at night you can get plug-in timer switches, it doesn't have to be smart.
I had a Switchbot which worked fine for about 6 months then just stopped - kept being off when it thought it was on, or trying to turn the switch on and failing.
And no it doesn’t have a delayed start feature otherwise I wouldn’t be faffing around with all of this!
Can’t use a plug in timer coz it’s been wired in with a fused spur above the worktop!
Ah, I misunderstood. As you were. 😁
So I fitted the Wi-Fi fused spur that was helpfully linked earlier, other than discovering that the original back box had been ludicrously fitted about a mile back with the longest screws in the world, which were then too short for the new deeper front section - so then I had to move the back plate forwards by getting wood spacers behind it whilst in situ.
Anyway…end results works great, much better than the Switchbot and really nice user friendly app.
Just to be Mr gloom and misery for a moment, I'd never leave my dishwasher running while I'm not in the house (or heaven forbid) upstairs and asleep. If that's how you are using it then please think again.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jan/11/kitchen-flames-domestic-appliances