Bathroom's ceiling heater wall timer just blew this morning, after just shy of 6 years of only-during-cold-winter-spells usage. It's a spring wound GE unit, but as I search for a replacement, there's too many choices and price ranges. There's similar spring winders, full digital, push button, etc., with models from well known makers (Woods, Intermatic, GE, Honeywell, Leviton....), as well as generic (assumed Chinese) more frugal offerings.

Is there anything I should look for? or look to avoid? I'm guessing it's not worth trying to fix the old GE?.... it's the switch itself that popped, and the circuit is still live, so maybe it has an internal fuse that blew? Replacements range from ~$10 to ~$50, but I can't figure out what to look for/compare to make an informed decision. Hoping not to have to mess with it every five years.
Thanks.
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20 amp is overkill.

Oh I might do the same as I do knot know the choices and physical SIZE limitations. Yes I do.

I would put a light switch on it and loose the timer. Turn it off when I leave. Wire it to a nite light so you know it is on.

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Staunton, Virginia

Our bathroom's heat/vent/light fixture is an 1875 watt heater. So Buzz' spec of 20 amp timer is reasonable.

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Quote
Bernie
20 amp is overkill.

For a heater? I think not!

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

Quote
davester

Quote
Bernie
20 amp is overkill.

For a heater? I think not!

There may have been the assumption that it was a 300 watt heat lamp. Those were very common when I was growing up, and our downstairs bathroom still has one.

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********************************************
“A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand.” Seneca the Younger

The police have no duty to respond. See Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005) or Warren v. District of Columbia[1] (444 A.2d. 1, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981)

Judge Lee wrote that “we cannot jettison our constitutional rights, even if the goal behind a law is laudable." 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

[www.youtube.com]

My bathrooms are on a 15 amp breaker. Two hairdryers will trip it.

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Staunton, Virginia

Lots of choices @ bezosville in 20A 60-minute switches, here's just one...

UltraPro 60-Minute $10.49
(1,189 ratings - 4.1 out of 5 stars)



(and yeah, you don't want to power a 120V heater with a 15A circuit)

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39°36'17"N 75°44'43"W

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It's a glowing, coiled heater, not a 300W heat lamp. Guessing at least 1500W, so one of the 1800 - 1875W rated/20A switches seems appropriate....

The twisty vs. button vs. digital is confusing. Are there pros/cons for going one way or the other? The fixit peeps that installed the GE switch back then, procured the GE switch. This time I gotta get the switch, and the local handyman will install it. I'm not seeing lots of choices that specify "heater", though the higher rated ones spell out incandescent, inductive, etc. along w/ high wattage/amp ratings, so I'm hoping that's what I'm looking for.... just wanna be sure.

And yes, the other bathroom just has an on/off switch, no timer, but it still has the original heater from the late 1960's (which we're hoping doesn't have asbestos insulation). This bathroom's heater was replaced about 25 years ago, and required a 1 hr timer on it, which died about 10 years back, but we didn't bother fixing it until 2016.
Thanks.
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The 'twisty' 20-amp UltraPro I linked to is the standard for heaters.
It's a simple interrupt black wire design, no white wire connection needed.
Digital style, once properly programmed can turn the heat on & off on a
schedule of selected days. But, it requires a white wire to power its circuitry.
Some of the digitals can get quite complex to program. 20-amp digitals
are not that common either. Lots more $$ for the digital models.

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39°36'17"N 75°44'43"W

DuckDuckGo
The search engine that doesn't track you.

DemComm Records 2021 Greatest Hits
includes:
Taxman by Joe & Nancy's Rich Ice Cream Band
The Humpty Dance by The Harris-Brown Hookup
Lets Spend The Night Together by The Fang-Swalwell Gang
Díaz-Canel Is A Friend of Ours by The AOC Squad
My Old Kentucky Retirement Home by MitchMcC & The Soggy Boxer Boys
Burning Down The House by Merrick & The Goons
Back In the USSR by Bernie's Red Square Trio

Quote
MrNoBody
The 'twisty' 20-amp UltraPro I linked to is the standard for heaters.
It's a simple interrupt black wire design, no white wire connection needed.
Digital style, once properly programmed can turn the heat on & off on a
schedule of selected days. But, it requires a white wire to power its circuitry.
Some of the digitals can get quite complex to program. 20-amp digitals
are not that common either. Lots more $$ for the digital models.

Thanks for the dets. Heretofore I was unfamiliar w/ UltraPro, and was skeptical at first glance based on price alone. Was mostly going back and forth between twisty & push button options. Since I'm not doing install, one or two wires wasn't in my equation. I was probably gonna pull the trigger on at least a couple of choices, and let install dude pick.I didn't realize how much science is involved....

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