Kalirel heaters

[isobel81]

Hi everyone

I thought I would start this thread as I have found next to no reviews on the internet about this "revolutionary" heating system from France.

My experience has been that they are not the energy-efficient, low-running-cost heating system that I was mislead to believe. Indeed my energy bill has soared in the last 2 years since I had them installed.

Obviously there have been price increases in that time, but my actual consumption has risen by 50% from 6,660kWhs per annum to 9,660kWhs per annum. In 2005-6 my average monthly usage was £33; now it is £103. Not all of it is down to price increases!

So has anyone else installed these heaters and found them good? Or found them bad like me? Maybe they work best on a specific tariff or maybe I would be better with a different meter?

What is your experience or opinion of Kalirel?

Isobel

[nesssie1702]

What make's them special Isobel?

I've been trying to find out more info about the German "Elka" heaters which sound remarkably similar. The websites advertising them don't give any indication of price.....

[isobel81]

They're basically like central heating but without the boiler and pipes etc etc. You just have to mount them on the wall and then plug them in. They are filled with "thermodynamic gel". They have a thermostat and keep the property at a constant temp, heating up when it's cold and turning off when it's not. Sounds good!

They are advertised as being cost-efficient and energy efficient. Even better.

Unfortunately this is not reflected in my electricity bill! I was much better off with my old gas heaters before one of them decided to break. I wish I had just had it repaired...

[owned by 2 Siamese]

all electric heaters (convectors/radiants/fans) are 100% efficient - and KW for KW they all give out the same heat. So an oil filled radiator plugged in with a thermostat will give out the same heat and any other (cheap or expensive!) plug in heater
You might as well pop to Argos and buy slimline panel heaters - mount them on the wall - plug them in and the you will get the same useable heat ( dare I say expensive useable heat!) as any other similar radiant/convector type

Although.... they may not look as stylish?

[cricky]

Everyone who installs these heaters seem to expect some sort of miracle cheap electrical heating , well wise up this is not going to happen.
If you already have gas/oil fired heating then this is not the cheapest option for you.
Where these heaters will help is if you are in the same situation as me, keep reading.
I own a 3 bed bungalow, we don't have oil or piped gas available so the only heating is electric storage heaters. Storage heaters do take the edge of the cold and are supposed to be cheap to run if you use economy 7 etc, but the reality is they over heat your home in the morning, then you go to work, by the time you return they have lost most of their heat so you end up using a secondry heating source, ie fan heater etc.
So I have bought a 1750watt Kalirel heater for the living room , these heaters are perfect for the one room where you spend most of your time, you can plug it in on a timer plug, and it will keep you room cosy all day and night, and you will have complete flexabilty with very good economy.
So basically try one before you go mad, don't spend thousands then moan about it.
I have bought one and am very happy with it, so I am going to purchase another one for our kitchen, but I will not be replacing the bedroom storage heaters as I don't want the bedrooms that hot.
So to sum up, I would give these heaters 10 out of 10 for heat output , 9/10 for controlability and 9/10 for simplicity, and finally 8/10 for running costs, but only in the room you sit and watch tv in, as no one wants to be cold watching tele.

[stevehead]

If you want to see somebody really taken in by the Kalirel snake-oil website, check out this well meaning young lady on YouTube
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vzff9T-aTY

She's gonna get a shock with this winter bill!

[davemorton]

Just how many plugs can this woman fit in her plug sockets, suprised she has a fuse box left!!

[Cardew]

Originally Posted by cricky

Everyone who installs these heaters seem to expect some sort of miracle cheap electrical heating , well wise up this is not going to happen.
If you already have gas/oil fired heating then this is not the cheapest option for you.
Where these heaters will help is if you are in the same situation as me, keep reading.
I own a 3 bed bungalow, we don't have oil or piped gas available so the only heating is electric storage heaters. Storage heaters do take the edge of the cold and are supposed to be cheap to run if you use economy 7 etc, but the reality is they over heat your home in the morning, then you go to work, by the time you return they have lost most of their heat so you end up using a secondry heating source, ie fan heater etc.
So I have bought a 1750watt Kalirel heater for the living room , these heaters are perfect for the one room where you spend most of your time, you can plug it in on a timer plug, and it will keep you room cosy all day and night, and you will have complete flexabilty with very good economy.
So basically try one before you go mad, don't spend thousands then moan about it.
I have bought one and am very happy with it, so I am going to purchase another one for our kitchen, but I will not be replacing the bedroom storage heaters as I don't want the bedrooms that hot.
So to sum up, I would give these heaters 10 out of 10 for heat output , 9/10 for controlability and 9/10 for simplicity, and finally 8/10 for running costs, but only in the room you sit and watch tv in, as no one wants to be cold watching tele.

These Kalirel heaters produce EXACTLY the same amount of heat at EXACTLY the same cost as a £20 fan heater, oil filled radiator or granny's old 1/2/3 bar fire.

Their website is a masterpiece! It really does fool the gullible into thinking that they produce heat at a cheaper rate than any other electrical heater - and they simply do not and can not.

Their is no more expensive way of producing heat than an electrical heater on a daytime tariff - and that includes Kalirel.

If you decide you have no other option than electricity then get a £20 oil filled radiator or fan(convector) heater and do not be fooled by their adverts.

[moonrakerz]

Originally Posted by Cardew

These Kalirel heaters produce EXACTLY the same amount of heat at EXACTLY the same cost as a £20 fan heater, oil filled radiator or granny's old 1/2/3 bar fire.

You forgot my £16 3kW convector from Focus !

[tobefair]

You have to be realistic. All source of heat are expensive these days and with Kalirel control of cost is at your fingertips.

My quote for installing gas central heating in one bedroom flat was £2400. This would involve lot of mess, pipes, knocking the hole thro' outside wall for venting the boiler, time off work, rearangement of the kitchen/cupboard etc.

I've decided to go all electric and remove gas from my flat. First - I save on not paying gas standing charge, next - to install Kalirel will cost me only £1100 with remote controller. No mess, no internal pipes, no leaks, no annual boiler inspection, no gas certificates if I decide to rent my flat. Installation will take 1-2 hours. I can set the thermostat to times/temperatures required, as oposed to storage heaters.The radiators look good. You get what you are paying for. What is there to moan about?

[albyota]

Originally Posted by tobefair

You have to be realistic. All source of heat are expensive these days and with Kalirel control of cost is at your fingertips.

My quote for installing gas central heating in one bedroom flat was £2400. This would involve lot of mess, pipes, knocking the hole thro' outside wall for venting the boiler, time off work, rearangement of the kitchen/cupboard etc.

I've decided to go all electric and remove gas from my flat. First - I save on not paying gas standing charge, next - to install Kalirel will cost me only £1100 with remote controller. No mess, no internal pipes, no leaks, no annual boiler inspection, no gas certificates if I decide to rent my flat. Installation will take 1-2 hours. I can set the thermostat to times/temperatures required, as oposed to storage heaters.The radiators look good. You get what you are paying for. What is there to moan about?

The Bill when you get it...! As with any heat source, heat rises.... it has to heat the ceiling first, then the outer walls, floor mounted fan heaters are slightly better at warming YOU.. first! before the ceiling....but not everybody likes blown air. storage heaters are Ok if they have been sized correctly for the room, are controlled properly, the room is well insulated, and are on the correct tarriff, a good percentage of the cases Ive seen, haven't applied all of the above, and are set up incorrectly, law of thermodynamics will naturally move warm air to a colder area....

[Cardew]

Originally Posted by tobefair

You have to be realistic. All source of heat are expensive these days and with Kalirel control of cost is at your fingertips.

My quote for installing gas central heating in one bedroom flat was £2400. This would involve lot of mess, pipes, knocking the hole thro' outside wall for venting the boiler, time off work, rearangement of the kitchen/cupboard etc.

I've decided to go all electric and remove gas from my flat. First - I save on not paying gas standing charge, next - to install Kalirel will cost me only £1100 with remote controller. No mess, no internal pipes, no leaks, no annual boiler inspection, no gas certificates if I decide to rent my flat. Installation will take 1-2 hours. I can set the thermostat to times/temperatures required, as oposed to storage heaters.The radiators look good. You get what you are paying for. What is there to moan about?

You can get an oil filled radiator with a built in thermostat for under £30.
There are models with timers and/or you can get remote controlled socket.

The advantages of electric heaters are as you say above - but why pay £1,100 for something that gives out the same heat for the money as the cheapest electrical heater on the market; and of course there is no more expensive way to heat available.

At least if you get gas, if available, it will enhance the value of your property; and you should be able to command a higher rent.

[Cardew]

Originally Posted by tobefair

Hi, I agree with what you said and can only repeat - you get what you are paying for, it is an individual choice.

Kalireli radiator look smart, it is wired in, hangs on the wall, has remote control for separate heating zones - no loose leads, separate switches, separate timers etc - perfect for the modern flat .

You can ask why to buy BMW if Kia does the same job - it provides means of transport, it is cheaper to run, is it not?

The objection people have to Kalirel(and similar systems) is their advertising.

These adverts imply that they somehow produce more heat for the money than 'lesser' heaters; when they are the most expensive form of heating available.

This is a money saving website. If people, in full knowledge of the facts, want to spend £thousands for something that could cost £10s then of course that is totally their prerogative.

'Style over substance' comes to mind

[stevehead]

The Moneywastingexpert Forum would be a better place to discuss your Kalirel system. Sheeesh... costs a fortune to buy, costs a fortune to run; why not just set fire to a pile of £5 notes it'd work out cheaper.

[daveyjp]

Having looked on their website it seems to be full of meangingless graphs and documents to cover how wonderful their system is - classic snake oil tactics - look at 'fuel saving magnet' websites for similar examples.

Bottom line is any electric heater will do the same job, but cost you much less than £1100. £30 per heater with timer and thermostat should be enough.

[Cardew]

Originally Posted by daveyjp

Having looked on their website it seems to be full of meangingless graphs and documents to cover how wonderful their system is - classic snake oil tactics - look at 'fuel saving magnet' websites for similar examples.

Bottom line is any electric heater will do the same job, but cost you much less than £1100. £30 per heater with timer and thermostat should be enough.

Exactly the point I have been making for a couple of years - their website is a disgrace IMO.

I wonder what 'tobefair' will post about costs! Few people are prepared to be totally objective about systems they have bought and paid huge amounts for installation.

It is also unusual for someone to join MSE with their only posts being on the virtues of a system they have yet to fit!!

[agoodperson]

I put Kalirel rads in some flats I manage. Some rads broke within a month. I cannot contact Kalerial, all their numbers are dead and their addresses that I was given have been vacated. The radiator heating system, with the expensive cyclopes only work at exorbitant unpayable prices. However you program them the will run at expensive time. I paid for them to send their own electrician to program the cyclop timers and he got it all wrong.

They cost more than any conventional heaters I have ever used. I lots most of my tenants in the first six months of having this system. I now need to change our heating system to get something useable. Are there any ideas as to what I can do about this situation? I paid over 15,000 for the system and now I cant contact them. Help!

[Cardew]

Originally Posted by agoodperson

I put Kalirel rads in some flats I manage. Some rads broke within a month. I cannot contact Kalerial, all their numbers are dead and their addresses that I was given have been vacated. The radiator heating system, with the expensive cyclopes only work at exorbitant unpayable prices. However you program them the will run at expensive time. I paid for them to send their own electrician to program the cyclop timers and he got it all wrong.

They cost more than any conventional heaters I have ever used. I lots most of my tenants in the first six months of having this system. I now need to change our heating system to get something useable. Are there any ideas as to what I can do about this situation? I paid over 15,000 for the system and now I cant contact them. Help!

You can try trading standards.

However many firms marketing products that cost the earth to buy, and run, simply go out of business. No idea if that is what has happened to Kalirel.

If they are out of business, watch out for 'son of Kalirel'!!!

[thismayhelp]

Try IntelliHeat, Inner Lodge All Saints, Weeting IP27 0QJ Tel: 01842 814489. E info@intelligentheat.co.uk

[ACEELECLTD]

Forgive me if I miss out on some points but from experience of lots of heating systems, 99% of the time the problems come down to being sold what you are willing to pay for and not what you actually need. In addition not actually being correctly demonstrated how to use the system, how to optimise the system, how to correctly run the system and then finally having follow up calls, visits, etc. to make sure the system works for you.