Storage Heater Getting Too Hot ?...Hlp pls

24

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  • thistledome
    thistledome Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    - weather dependant, it should be too hot to touch
    - weather dependant if you can touch it without it burning you, its not hot enough
    - red or yellow penrhyn's fusible link is the correct one
    - penrhyn's combined control statement is correct - input stat & output flap control
    - used to be the case but no longer recommended under a window, moving it is a DIY doddle
    - if you decide to move it from the window and its power supply postpone to the warmer weather.

    Now that fusible link should have blown if its as you describe too hot. Yes its a DIY job and a doddle providing that's all it is - the caveat is because you won't have access to a megga you won't be able to offline test the elements. However the elements are clearly not the issue. If I was doing it I've got the kit and the knowledge, if someone else without either was doing it I'd say bite the bullet pay for and get the combined plus a thermal fuse that way its a 100% replacement of everything [other than elements] that can ever go wrong in a night storage heaters 100 year lifespan.

    Before you spend money on a sparky, go round [E7 not E10] at 2200-2300 and test at that time of the night, it could still be soddin' hot but not at that point able to burn you. Or turn the input down 50% and wait a day or even two days - does it cool now ?

    If it doesn't cool down the the input stat is the best bet, the fuselink is just there to protect the dwelling if the stat goes open. If that's the case the fuselink may also have welded [heard about them doing this - never seen one myself] easy way to find out is to buy a fuselink in advance, pull the old fuselink out, replace with the new, switch on and re-test. However if it is overheating its liable to be the input stat
    _____________

    To do that test without a megga you'll need to divorce the switch from the 20a ring, supply a jury rig 13a with a 13a fuse, and pull out all but one of the 850W elements. That way it will run on daytime supply without pulling too much from the 13a supply ring.

    NOTE : Are you sure the cold AP hasn't just turned it full belt ?, in which case it will behave exactly as you say it is, and exactly as I say it should, especially as its under a window !

    Thanks for your reply, ritchieftb. I'm going to copy and paste the first part of it for future reference. Very useful.

    The last 2 paragraphs have me scratching my head I'm afraid.

    What's a cold AP and full belt mean? :o
    Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass them, don't deprive them of their happiness.
  • It means that an older person [an AP] is soddin freezing when others are warm, they will turn anything full on, including the gas hob with no pans on it, or the oven with nothing in it, if they are cold. They will then lie or tell you to mind your own business, one way or the other they will get heat if they are cold.

    AP=Aged Person
    Full belt=full on

    I was cautioning you, that these things really do get too hot to touch, people who've never had them, and are not used to them might misunderstand normal output for overheating.

    Example a standard 16 [3.4kW] bricker depending on how much input you give it, might be :

    - frighteningly hot early in the day because the damper was closed all night
    - coolish early in the day because the damper was open all night
    - frighteningly hot at teatime because the damper was closed all day and has just been opened
    Disclaimer : Everything I write on this forum is my opinion. I try to be an even-handed poster and accept that you at times may not agree with these opinions or how I choose to express them, this is not my problem. The Disabled : If years cannot be added to their lives, at least life can be added to their years - Alf Morris - ℜ
  • thistledome
    thistledome Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    edited 9 February 2013 at 12:36AM
    LOL. True.

    Thanks again. Very useful info indeed. ;)

    Edit:
    I'm going round there tomorrow and will stay the night. Will update this thread with the outcome (whether heater is functioning correctly or not) in case anyone else has the same trouble with their cold AP.
    Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass them, don't deprive them of their happiness.
  • LOL. True.

    Thanks again. Very useful info indeed. ;)

    Edit:
    I'm going round there tomorrow and will stay the night. Will update this thread with the outcome (whether heater is functioning correctly or not) in case anyone else has the same trouble with their cold AP.

    - if you are there
    - it will have cooled
    - switch it on and close the damper [output] tight
    - set the input to a half
    - that room and its 'fabric' temp should have cooled
    - the heater on half a tank should be hot [ish] in the AM and cool [ish] by the PM
    Disclaimer : Everything I write on this forum is my opinion. I try to be an even-handed poster and accept that you at times may not agree with these opinions or how I choose to express them, this is not my problem. The Disabled : If years cannot be added to their lives, at least life can be added to their years - Alf Morris - ℜ
  • thistledome
    thistledome Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    OK. Got there about 12 noon and switched heater on. I hadn't seen richie's last post, so turned on the input to 4 (out of 6) which is where the AP usually has it. Output was off.

    The top of the heater around the control knobs got very warm very quickly, within 5-10 minutes. We went out for an hour and the heater was very hot when we got back. I turned the input down one notch to 3 later in the evening (about half past 5). At this time I also turned the output knob to 3, as I thought perhaps it was getting so hot because we weren't letting the heat out IYSWIM. Later that night I turned the input down to 1.

    We went to bed about 1.30am and at this point I chickened out and turned the switch off at the wall because the thing was so roasting and I didn't want to leave it unattended overnight.:o

    There are brown marks on the front of the heater that never used to be there, almost like a grid shape (suppose that's the edges of the bricks?).

    Decided to go with the advice above and just replace the fuse link and the control assembly, but I'm not really happy about OH replacing these items but not being able to test the whole system. My concern is that there could be something else wrong that we don't know about, so have been nagging the AP to call out an electrician and AP has agreed (but we'll see if it gets done or not). Until then the heater is staying off.

    Not related, but on Sunday the little halogen heater in the bedroom started making a crackling noise so I turned that off as well. When OH turned up to take me home he had a look at it and said the top element wasn't working. He thinks the crackling noise was that element on it's way out and when he turned it back on again it went kaput. That sound feasible?
    Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass them, don't deprive them of their happiness.
  • penrhyn
    penrhyn Posts: 15,215
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Your post does not make sense, there should be no power to the storage heater during the day. Typically only for 7 hours between 1:00 am and 8:00 am. It is an economy 7 tarriff?
    If power is getting to it at other times there is something wrong with the timing mechanism.
    How are the heaters controlled? mechanical timer or radio teleswitch.
    That gum you like is coming back in style.
  • thistledome
    thistledome Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    edited 11 February 2013 at 3:58PM
    I don't know how they are controlled, I doubt if it's something as sophisticated as wireless though.

    They can definitely draw power in the daytime. When you turn them on the wheel on the electricity meter whizzes round like nobody's business. AP does have an Economy 7 meter, but I think they also have a normal meter. They are on one of these old people schemes where they pay a set amount every month regardless of how much electric they use - perhaps this means the Economy 7 isn't used anymore?

    Sorry I really don't know how the system works. There is some kind of timer thing on the wall next to the meter cupboard, but I think it's only for hot water. IIRC it says Hot Water, Off and Boost (could be wrong though).
    Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass them, don't deprive them of their happiness.
  • Hi,

    as already said, if on E7 shouldn't be getting warm at noon, and certainly not very warm in 5/10 minutes.

    Something wrong with setup.

    Can you post any pictures?
  • penrhyn
    penrhyn Posts: 15,215
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    You need to investigate this. Storage heaters do what they do because they use low rate electricity during the night to store heat which is then used to warm the house during the day. If the thing has been On for 24 hours there is little wonder stuff is melting around it.
    They should NOT be drawing power during the day. If they are something is seriously wrong. Radio teleswitches are not new they have been around for many years.
    The thing you have seen is the Immersion Heater controller.
    I suggest you get an electrician in.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_teleswitch
    That gum you like is coming back in style.
  • thistledome
    thistledome Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    Don't have any pictures (AP's house is about 17 miles away from me).

    penrhyn, they're not on for 24 hours usually. She turns the input switch to 4 when she goes to bed at night and turns it off when she gets up the next morning. The output knob is at off all night and she turns that up to 3 or 4 when she gets up or early afternoon if it's not that cold. It's only very recently that the heater has been getting too hot to touch like this. She had them put in in 1994 or 5 and this is the first time they've been this hot.
    Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass them, don't deprive them of their happiness.
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