Electric Night Storage heaters - basics in settings please

claire21 · 18 February 2010 at 6:25PM

My gran (very old hence me dealing with tennant) has a tennant in a bungalow and they have phoned me saying they don't think the heaters work correctly.

I don't know how they work but asked tennant to explain dials to me.

They have an input and output switch and both have dials with numbers 1 to 6.

They have switched both dials to number 5 and leave them like that all the time.

Is that correct please?

Can someone explain the basics to me?

Thanks

fb1969 · 19 February 2010 at 10:58AM

This is how we set ours, with both dials having a scale of 1-9. It works for us but I have no idea how correct it is!

Input controls how much heat is taken in. Currently set to 4 but will be turned up to about 7 tonight as it is forecast to be -4 overnight. When it is likely to be cold turn it up, when not as cold turn it down.

Output controls what heat is released. Normally left on 1 during the day, then turned to a higher figure when we get home. Then try to remember to turn it down to 1 overnight.

We have the manual but have learnt the above through trial and error. During the summer (when hopefully no heat is required) we switch the heater off at the mains.

You or they could try searching the net for the make/model of the heater and maybe find a copy of the instruction manual.

Owain_Moneysaver · 19 February 2010 at 8:19PM

Output controls what heat is released. Normally left on 1 during the day, then turned to a higher figure when we get home. Then try to remember to turn it down to 1 overnight.

This is the important bit. Otherwise the room will be baking in the morning and freezing by lunchtime with no heat available for the evening.

claire21 · 20 February 2010 at 6:56PM

Thanks, the tennants both work, so by them having the output set at number 5 all the time it looks like it has run out of heat early evening.

fb1969 · 20 February 2010 at 7:36PM

That would almost certainly happen. Ours is a massive ten year old thing and the metal stays pretty warm most of time, but the heat has gone if the vent is left open.

We tend to leave the tv remote next to the heater in the evening to remind us that the vent is open!! Leaving it open while the heat is being stored is a bit like filling a bucket that has a small hole in the bottom.

Katie-Kat-Kins · 24 February 2010 at 1:10PM

We were able to get a copy of the instruction manual (plus circuit diagram, installation instructions etc etc) online just by googling the make and model. Do this and send them a copy.

Storage heaters are greatly misunderstood and much of the fear/hatred of them is due to misunderstanding.

Firstly they do not run on a thermostat like central heating.

The input dial controls the amount of electric used to "charge" them up. The charging happens during your seven (or ten if on E10) hours of cheap electric. Changing the input only affects the charge for the next night, fiddling with it during the day does nothing. If you set it too low then you can't top up during the day, you have to wait until the next night.

The output dial, basically opens a vent that lets stored heat escape. You use this like an on off switch for heat. So when you want the room to be hot turn the output up, when you don't need extra heat turn it down. When you are out or asleep put it right down to 1, a bit of heat will still escape so you won't freeze but you will still be storing electric over night for the next day.

If you leave the output switch "open" during charging time the heater will not be able to store properly, it is as a previous poster said like trying to fill a bucket that has a hole in the bottom.

I would suggest that they start with the input on 3 and see if this keeps them warm enough, if it does they should turn it down, if not they should turn it up.

If the heater is cold by evening the input needs to go up.

With storage heaters it is important to insulate and draft proof as any drafts will literally suck out any stored heat from your storage heater.

Be prepared to get complaints from your tennants about the level of their electric bill in a few months!!! If they aren't running the storage heaters correctly they will most likely get a big one!

Katie-Kat-Kins · 24 February 2010 at 1:12PM

Oh and they will need to adjust the heaters for weather, so if we are expecting a cold snap they will need to turn the input up and if the weather warms up they will need to turn the input down or the heater right off. With the exception of a few modern models they are not sensitive to external temperature like gas central heating.

Electric Night Storage heaters - basics in settings please

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