A practical WIMES 3.05 component-selection guide for UK water-industry MCCs and control panels, covering relays, timers, brown-out auto-restart, DIN-rail terminals, indicators, operator devices, 24 V DC power supplies and motor-load monitoring.
WIMES 3.05, Electrical Components for Use in LV Assemblies, sets requirements for electrical components used in low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies within the UK water industry.
Charter Controls already supplies many of the component families covered by WIMES into UK water-industry panel builders, system integrators and MEICA contractors.
The purpose of a WIMES review is therefore not simply to establish whether these products belong in water-industry panels. It is to make sure the exact product, accessory combination and application are correctly selected against the relevant WIMES clause, purchaser requirements and project specification.
The key question is: can the exact component and installation arrangement be demonstrated as suitable for the intended WIMES application?
WIMES component selection in one sentence
WIMES requirement → purchaser requirement → project specification → exact product → supporting evidence → approval where required.
What is WIMES 3.05?
WIMES 3.05 is the Water Industry Mechanical and Electrical Specification covering electrical components for use in low-voltage assemblies. This guide refers to Issue 5, August 2023.
It covers a wide range of components found in motor control centres, pump-control panels, treatment-process panels and other water and wastewater control systems.
The specification addresses not only electrical ratings, but also construction, indication, connection methods, environmental suitability, corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, ingress protection and compatibility with the wider assembly.
That is why a product that appears electrically equivalent is not necessarily an automatic specification equivalent.
Is there a universal list of WIMES-approved components?
No. Within WIMES, approval is linked to the Purchaser or the Purchaser's nominated representative, and approval is to be obtained in writing.
A component already being successfully used within the UK water industry is valuable evidence of sector experience, but it does not automatically create blanket approval for every water company, framework or project.
Charter Controls' approach: we combine established water-industry supply experience with exact-product technical review. We do not apply a blanket "WIMES approved" label to an entire range where purchaser or project-specific selection is still required.
WIMES 3.05 component selection: proven water-industry products with technical support
Charter Controls is not approaching the UK water industry with an untested component range. Many of the product families below are already supplied to UK water-industry panel builders, system integrators and MEICA contractors for use in control panels and associated electrical assemblies.
The table combines that established sector use with the key WIMES selection point for each product area.
What the table shows: where Charter Controls already has UK water-industry supply experience, the product range we recommend, and the remaining WIMES selection point to check for the exact application.
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Component area
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Charter Controls proposition
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UK water-industry position
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WIMES selection point
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Plug-in control relays & sockets
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Shenler RKE relays, SKC sockets and retaining accessories
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ESTABLISHED IN WATER
Already supplied to multiple UK water-industry panel builders and integrators
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Select the complete relay, socket and accessory assembly against WIMES 3.3.2, including indication, retention, cover, pin identification and relay/base arrangement.
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Multifunction timing relays
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GIC 1CMDT0 and related industrial timers
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ESTABLISHED IN WATER
Repeat purchase history across UK water-sector panel builders
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Match the exact timer to the required function, scale, indication and repeat-accuracy requirements of WIMES 3.3.3.
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Brown-out / auto-restart timers
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GIC 1FUDT fast-response brown-out timer family
1FUDT0F, 1FUDT1F and 1FUDT2F
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ESTABLISHED APPLICATION
GIC brown-out timers already have an established UK water-sector installed base
1FUDT is the new fast-response WIMES-led proposition
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WIMES 3.3.4 requires reset below 80% nominal voltage, response of 20 ms or less, single-pole output, status indication and DIN-rail mounting. Select the 1FUDT variant to suit the purchaser's required restart function.
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Monitoring & thermistor relays
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GIC voltage, phase, current and thermistor monitoring ranges
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ESTABLISHED IN WATER
Regularly supplied into UK water-sector control-panel applications
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Select the monitoring function according to the required protection or control duty. Monitoring and thermistor relays should not be assumed to replace the complete motor-protection function specified under WIMES 3.7.
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DIN-rail terminals
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Connectwell CY screw-clamp terminal system
Including CY2.5 feed-through and CYF4 fuse terminals
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ESTABLISHED IN WATER
Already purchased for UK water-industry panel construction
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CY screw-clamp terminals provide a direct route against the feed-through captive screw-clamp approach referenced in WIMES 3.16. Select the exact terminal type for the required duty.
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Indicating lamps & operator devices
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Esbee 22 mm / 22.5 mm LED indicators and operator products
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ALREADY SUPPLIED
Confirmed product use with UK water-sector panel builders
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Check the exact indicator or operator device against WIMES 3.8, 3.10 and the anti-rotation requirement for door-mounted devices.
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Anti-condensation & enclosure heating
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Linkwell LK140 enclosure heaters and panel thermostats
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ESTABLISHED IN WATER
Already supplied into UK water-sector panel-builder accounts
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Review heater construction and thermostat arrangement against WIMES 3.11 and the environmental duty of the enclosure.
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24 V DC power supplies
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Industrial DIN-rail power-supply range
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ALREADY SUPPLIED
24 V DC power supplies already supplied to UK water-industry panel builders
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WIMES 3.18 is highly model-specific. Select the exact PSU against input range, ripple, regulation, efficiency, isolation, protection and EMC requirements.
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Motor-load monitoring
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Unipower HPL500 motor-load monitor
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ESTABLISHED IN WATER
Established use across UK water-industry panel-builder and integration accounts
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HPL500 provides additional machinery and process-load monitoring. It should be used alongside the electrical motor-protection function required by the project, rather than presented as an automatic replacement for it.
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About the water-industry status shown above:
"Established in water" and "already supplied" mean Charter Controls has confirmed commercial supply of the relevant product family to UK water-industry panel builders, integrators or related water-sector accounts. It does not imply blanket approval by every water company or automatic suitability for every project. The exact component and application should still be checked against the applicable WIMES clause, purchaser requirements and project specification.
1. Shenler plug-in relays already in UK water-industry panel supply
Shenler plug-in relays and sockets are already being supplied by Charter Controls to UK water-industry panel builders and integrators.
That established use makes the range a credible starting point for relay standardisation. WIMES 3.05 Section 3.3.2 then determines how the exact relay, socket and accessories should be selected for a particular WIMES-led design.
For plug-in relays, WIMES considers more than coil voltage and contact arrangement. The complete installed assembly matters, including the applicable product standard, protective cover, relay retention, accessible external connections, correct relay-to-base alignment, prevention of incorrect voltage interchange, visible energisation indication and pin identification.
The Shenler RKE industrial relay family, together with compatible SKC sockets and retaining accessories, provides a practical relay platform for repeat industrial control-panel construction.
Options include LED indication and manual test functionality, which can provide useful visual feedback during panel manufacture, commissioning and fault finding.
For new WIMES-led designs, Charter Controls reviews the complete relay, socket and accessory assembly against the applicable requirements rather than simply cross-referencing the relay part number in isolation.
2. GIC timing relays: established water-industry use with repeatable multifunction control
GIC timing relays already have a substantial installed and repeat-purchase base with UK water-sector panel builders.
WIMES 3.05 Section 3.3.3 adds specific requirements relating to timing scale, indication, timer construction and repeat accuracy. Repeat accuracy is required to be within 1% of full scale.
The GIC 1CMDT0 is a multifunction industrial timer covering multiple common timing modes from one compact device. Published manufacturer data gives repeat accuracy of ±1%.
For repeat panel construction, multifunction timers can reduce the number of timer part numbers, spare devices, drawing variants and procurement lines that need to be managed.
For a new WIMES application, Charter Controls selects the exact GIC timer against the required timing mode, range, indication and project specification.
3. GIC 1FUDT fast-response brown-out timers for WIMES 3.3.4
GIC brown-out timers already have an established installed base within UK water-industry control panels. For new WIMES-led designs, Charter Controls now recommends the GIC 1FUDT fast-response family as the starting point.
The 1FUDT fast-response family was developed to address the fast mains-restoration and brown-out requirements encountered in UK water-industry control systems.
Key WIMES 3.3.4 brown-out timer requirements
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Reset when the supply voltage falls below 80% of nominal voltage.
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Response time of 20 ms or less.
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Single-pole output arrangement rather than a separate telemetry output contact.
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LED indication showing healthy supply or an unhealthy/timing condition.
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Suitable for DIN-rail mounting.
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The required delay function and timing mode remain purchaser/project specific.
| Product |
Operating function |
Recommended use |
| 1FUDT0F |
Normally energised / on-delay |
Lead product for applicable new WIMES designs |
| 1FUDT1F |
Momentary / pulse |
Where required by the purchaser's restart philosophy |
| 1FUDT2F |
Normally de-energised / delayed interval |
Where required by the purchaser's restart philosophy |
GIC's technical documentation publishes voltage-dip response for the fast-response 1FUDT family in the low-single-digit millisecond range, depending on model and supply frequency. This provides substantial margin inside the WIMES 20 ms response requirement when the correct variant is selected.
Why phase angle matters when comparing brown-out timers
Brown-out response is affected by the point on the AC waveform at which the voltage disturbance occurs. A single headline response-time number therefore does not necessarily describe device behaviour at every point on the waveform.
GIC has carried out phase-angle testing of its fast-response design across the AC cycle. This gives design engineers a more meaningful technical basis for assessing response performance than comparing catalogue headline figures alone.
Charter Controls recommendation
For new WIMES-led brown-out and mains-restoration applications, start with the GIC 1FUDT fast-response family and then select the exact function required by the purchaser's control philosophy.
4. Connectwell CY terminals already used in UK water-industry panel construction
Connectwell CY screw-clamp terminals are already being purchased for UK water-industry panel construction, providing Charter Controls with an established terminal-system reference within the sector.
WIMES Section 3.16 specifies feed-through captive screw-clamp terminals, or another approved type complying with BS EN 60947-7, and requires suitability for DIN-rail mounting.
The Connectwell CY Series provides a conventional screw-clamp DIN-rail terminal platform that closely follows the connection method explicitly referenced within WIMES.
Products such as the CY2.5 feed-through terminal can form the core of a wider system including earth, disconnect, fuse, multi-level, bridging and marking products.
Standardising the terminal system can reduce variation in terminal blocks, markers, jumpers, end plates, test accessories and associated stockholding across repeat panel designs.
Are push-in terminals allowed by WIMES?
Potentially. WIMES explicitly references captive screw-clamp terminals but also allows another approved type complying with the applicable BS EN 60947-7 requirements.
Where the objective is the most straightforward route against a conventional WIMES specification, the Connectwell CY screw-clamp range is the logical starting point.
5. Esbee LED indicators already supplied into UK water-sector panel builders
Charter Controls already supplies Esbee industrial indicators into UK water-sector panel builders, giving the range a practical installed-base reference for panel indication applications.
WIMES Section 3.8 specifies 22 mm indicating lamps and includes 24 V AC/DC high-intensity LED arrangements, together with a 230 V AC high-intensity option for incomer sections.
Typical water-industry panel indication duties include pump running, pump failure, supply healthy, common alarm, high or low level, local/remote status and process or equipment fault.
The Esbee range provides industrial LED indicators and associated operator devices in the conventional format used throughout industrial control-panel construction.
For WIMES applications, the exact operating voltage, indication type, mounting arrangement and project requirement should be checked against the selected product.
Using one coordinated family for indicating lamps, push-buttons and selector switches can simplify panel appearance, contact blocks, spares and repeat manufacture.
WIMES Section 3.10 includes requirements for 22 mm push-buttons, emergency-stop devices, selector switches and other control operators.
Do not overlook anti-rotation
WIMES also requires door-mounted components using circular apertures, including indicating lamps, push-buttons and control switches, to incorporate a proprietary anti-rotation feature rather than relying solely on a locking ring.
7. Enclosure heaters and climate-control products already used by water-industry panel builders
Charter Controls already supplies enclosure heaters, thermostats, filter fans and associated thermal-management products into UK water-sector panel-builder accounts.
WIMES Section 3.11 specifically addresses anti-condensation heaters, while the broader panel design must also consider the environmental conditions and thermal duty of the enclosure.
The Linkwell LK140 heater range and associated panel thermostats provide Charter Controls with an established platform for enclosure heating and condensation-control applications.
8. 24 V DC power supplies: established water-industry supply, exact WIMES model selection
Charter Controls already supplies industrial 24 V DC power supplies to UK water-industry panel builders.
However, WIMES Section 3.18 is particularly detailed, so existing market use should not be confused with automatic compliance of every PSU model.
The minimum requirements include:
- 85 to 264 V AC universal input
- terminals suitable for the specified cable terminations
- integral input and output circuit protection
- maximum output ripple of 150 mVpp
- output-voltage regulation of ±1%
- minimum efficiency of 80%
- input-to-output isolation of 3 kV
- specified EMC performance
Selection principle: two power supplies may both be described as 24 V DC industrial DIN-rail PSUs while having materially different input, ripple, regulation, isolation and EMC performance. Charter Controls therefore checks the exact model against WIMES 3.18 before recommending it for a new WIMES-led design.
9. Unipower HPL500 motor-load monitoring in UK water applications
The Unipower HPL500 is already established in UK water-industry panel-builder and integration accounts, particularly for motor-driven process applications.
Its role should be understood correctly. WIMES Section 3.7 defines requirements for thermal, electronic and digital motor-overload protection devices. The HPL500 provides an additional machinery and process-monitoring function rather than automatically replacing the specified electrical overload protection.
What HPL500 adds to a motor-driven application
By monitoring motor load, HPL500 can provide information about the work being performed by the driven machinery.
In appropriate applications, this can help detect:
- underload
- dry-running conditions
- loss of prime
- abnormal mechanical load
- changes in process conditions affecting motor load
The engineering proposition is therefore motor protection plus motor-load/process monitoring, rather than treating the two functions as interchangeable.
10. WIMES component selection is about the complete panel standard
Individual control components are often relatively low-cost compared with the complete MCC or control panel.
However, choosing each relay, terminal, timer, indicator or power supply as an isolated purchasing decision can create unnecessary variation across repeat designs.
Every additional component family can introduce additional drawings, accessories, spare parts, stock lines, commissioning methods, supplier relationships and maintenance knowledge.
The better question is: "Which technically suitable products should become our repeat panel standard?"
Charter Controls products already supplied into UK water-framework delivery chains
Charter Controls already supplies monitoring relays, timers, industrial relays and sockets, motor-load monitoring, DIN-rail terminals, enclosure-control products and power supplies into organisations working within UK water-industry framework delivery chains.
That gives panel builders access to specialist product ranges with an existing water-industry supply history, backed by UK technical support and direct manufacturer relationships.
For a broader view of the control-panel products and framework delivery routes Charter Controls supports, see:
Why use Charter Controls for WIMES component selection?
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Existing water-industry supply
Many of the ranges we propose are already being purchased by UK water-sector panel builders and integrators.
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Requirement-led selection
We start with the applicable technical requirement rather than assuming every apparent equivalent is interchangeable.
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Direct manufacturer relationships
As a manufacturers' agent and specialist importer, Charter Controls can obtain technical clarification directly from the manufacturers behind the products.
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Exact-model review
Where WIMES defines detailed performance requirements, we review the actual model rather than making an unsupported blanket claim.
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Cross-reference support
Send us an incumbent part number and we can assess technically appropriate alternatives from the manufacturers we represent.
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UK stock and standardisation support
Core ranges are stocked in the UK and can be considered as repeat standards across future MCC and control-panel builds.
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Frequently asked questions about WIMES 3.05 components
What does WIMES 3.05 cover?
WIMES 3.05 covers electrical components used in low-voltage assemblies for the water industry, including switching devices, contactors, relays, timers, motor protection, indicating lamps, push-buttons, control switches, heaters, terminals, surge protection and 24 V DC switched-mode power supplies.
Does WIMES publish an approved product list?
No universal WIMES product-approval list is created by the specification. Approval is associated with the purchaser or nominated representative and should be obtained in writing where required.
Are Charter Controls products already used in the UK water industry?
Yes. Charter Controls already supplies multiple product families including relays, timers, monitoring products, terminals, enclosure products, power supplies, indicators and motor-load monitors to UK water-sector panel builders and integrators.
What response time does WIMES require for a brown-out auto-restart timer?
WIMES 3.05 Section 3.3.4 requires a response time of 20 ms or less, together with reset below 80% nominal voltage, the required output arrangement, status indication and DIN-rail mounting.
Which GIC brown-out timer should be considered for new WIMES designs?
Charter Controls recommends starting with the GIC 1FUDT fast-response family. The exact variant should then be selected according to the operating function and restart philosophy specified by the purchaser.
Can push-in DIN-rail terminals be used on a WIMES panel?
Potentially. WIMES explicitly references captive screw-clamp terminals but also allows another approved type complying with the relevant BS EN 60947-7 requirements.
Can the Unipower HPL500 replace a motor-overload protection device?
Not automatically. HPL500 provides motor-load and machinery/process monitoring. The required electrical motor-protection function still needs to be provided according to the project specification.
Why does the exact 24 V DC power-supply model matter?
Because WIMES defines requirements beyond output voltage and wattage, including input range, ripple, regulation, efficiency, isolation, circuit protection and EMC performance.
Ask Charter Controls to review your water-industry panel BOM
If you are designing or building MCCs, pump-control panels, treatment-process panels, dosing systems or other electrical assemblies for UK water and wastewater applications, Charter Controls can review your component requirement.
Send us your BOM, standard component schedule or existing manufacturer part numbers and we can identify where products from the manufacturers we represent may be suitable.
Where appropriate, we can also help identify opportunities to standardise component families already proven in UK water-sector panel construction.
Technical reference: WIMES 3.05, Electrical Components for Use in LV Assemblies, Issue 5, August 2023. Product specifications and purchaser requirements can change. Always verify the exact component, current manufacturer documentation and project specification before final selection.
Article reviewed: September 2026.