Horstmann H37XL Channelplus Electronic Central Heating Programmer Series 2 - 3 channel, 7 day

Previous Horstmann controller failed after 8 and a half years. I live in a remote area and we have a lot of power cuts which probably ran down the non-servicable internal lithium battery faster than normal. Anyway, blank display despite power to the unit, & didn't respond to the factory reset procedure.Replacement is easy, just cut the power to the back plate and the new controller just pushes on and is secured by 2 captive screws. These screws weren't captive on the previous controller and were fiddly to start, a useful modification.The new controller needs a fairly strong push to get it to seat in properly, but it's an easy job as the old backing plate is fully compatible with the new controller.The Horstmann branding is changed to Signal but the model number is the same.Programming isn't very intuitive, but the booklet explains it. A video would be useful to see how to do it.The only real fault is the lack of a serviceable battery, which means built in obsolescence eventually.

Needed a replacement for an 18 year old unit. This is a direct replacement and would have fitted to the old back plate if needed. Changed backplate due to it being pitted and dirty. If in doubt, suggest other purchasers get a new one before trying to remove old unit to see how it fits. It really is simple to change and would take about 30 seconds to swap if just the unit is replaced. Takes longer to switch off/on power and set up timers than replace if not changing backplate. Definately an easy diy job once you see how it fits. A really good product and good to see fitment has not changed by the manufacturer over the years.

We've had one of these installed since 2007 and it has just failed. The new replacement arrived on time and just fitted straight onto the old back plate so no rewiring required. The only negative with these units is that the back up battery can't be replaced. According to the instructions, it should last the life time of the unit but in our case the old unit outlived the battery so for last few years the unit needed reprogramming after a power cut. The old unit was extremely difficult to pull off its back plate. After removing the two retaining screws I resorted to levering it off at the top with a large screwdriver - it takes some doing. Its sold under the Horstmann name but the company rebranded themselves in 2020 - they're now called Secure.

14 year review:I installed this exact model 14 years ago when I build the house. It has worked well for 14 years. I would have preferred a few more years out of it but that's basically because I'm tight.Just replaced it with this exact same model (the onboard battery was having a problem) and it took me about 1.5 minutes including finding the breaker to switch the power off. Turned the breaker off. Loosened one screw and pull the old unit off the back box. Pushed the new unit into place and tightened the screw. Job done.It is an easy enough unit to program and the boost feature is generally the most used in our house.

From a user point of view this is easy to program and use.For installation it is worth mentioning that it needs a good push to click it in firmly to its back plate. If, like me, you have purchased it to replace an identical older unit (ours was old when we brought the house four years ago and recently was failing to reliably switch on the heating on one channel), it takes a good pull to get the old unit off the back plate (release the screws on the top first). That aside it is dead easy to install if it is a replacement unit, as the old back plate can be re-used, so no new wiring required (though turn power off first nonetheless!)Finally, before purchase as a replacement, worth checking that it is not a zone valve or thermostat that is the cause of the problem. Also, it might be worth checking the reset option before you replace, just incase that fixes the fault (though that didn't work for me!).

I purchased this device in February 2020 - it just packed in yesterday. The most difficult thing has been to seek advice on warranty. No one has been able to help me. Its almost near impossible to get a response withHorstmann and Amazon (who I purchased it from) don't seem to want to know.

So pleased with this. We have a much older version of this controller, must be 20 years old, but it started buzzing and although it went through the motions of the timer it didn't actually control the central heating at all so we needed to replace it. I honestly didn't expect to find a direct replacement as it was so old, and the idea of ringing around for someone to come and fit a new one would leave me cold at the best of times never mind during a pandemic!It arrived quickly and took longer to open the box than it did to fit it. Literally a direct replacement for older models with no wiring needed. I just turned off the power, pulled the old one off backplate, pushed the new one on, turned on the power and Voila!… all working again. Date and time were factory preset so all I needed to do was set the times for the heating and water. Even that was easier as it now has a "copy" function so I can set one day and copy it to all the others. Never thought a heating controller would make me so happy!

I brought this product but was sadly sent a 2nd hand one in error. Amazon were quick to refund me and after I purchased another (from a plumbers merchant) I installed the programmer with little fuss. It was easy to set up and has worked perfectly.One slight warning I will give is that when you install the back plate, be very careful when test fitting the programmer as the contacts grip incredibly hard and it's nearly impossible to get it back off again.