Replace Storage Heaters

orkneyviking

Good afternoon,

I live in a 3 bedroom bungalow up in Orkney and use on avergae 19 units of heating per day which covers the hot water tank and storage heaters.

The 3 main storage heaters are quite large (1.5m v 1m v 0.3m) and probably coming on 30 years old. I don't think they are very efficient or responsive and I was thinking about replacing them.

Does anyone have any advice on whether upgrading to modern storage heaters would be worthwhile?

If so is there any particular type that would be recommended and would also be more responsive as I am only at home in the evenings?


Thanks

Matthew

Cardew

It doesn't matter how old, or how new, your storage heaters are as they all produce exactly the same amount of heat for the same running costs.Where modern storage heater are(reputedly) more efficient is that they do not 'leak' heat as much during the day as the older variety.Presumably you are only using 19 units(kWh) a day now in summer(with no heating), and will be using much more in the winter?It is probable that it will never be cost-effective to replace your heaters.

orkneyviking

Thanks for the quick response.

19 units per day is my annual average, with the storage heaters not on in the summer. The main issue that I am struggling with is that I am only home in the evenings and storage heaters provide a low all day output.

Can you suggest a cost effecive solution to this?

I considered looking at air to air source heat pumps, but you only get a 5 year guarentee, which is no good in an exposed marine climate.

orkneyviking

One more quick point: I also considered putting a timer on the hot water tank as we only need it in the morning for a shower.

Would this be cost effective or would the cost of reheating this each day be prohibative?

Cardew

If your are on an Economy 7 or Economy 10 tariff(which you surely must be with storage heaters?) then your immersion heater should be wired so that it only heats during off-peak times - with an overide facility if you run out of hot water.

There really isn't an effective solution to storage heaters leaking heat during the day.

orkneyviking

I have done the loft insulation and I am getting quotes for underfloor and cavity wall.

Apart from that the house has double glazing with wooden frames from the eighties which are quite drafty.

Any advice on measures for saving on hetaing bills?

mickyg_4

How do you control your hot water? immersion heaters cost a fortune to run, especially if your on a 2 stage meter and your running it during the day.

orkneyviking

I just have a big storage tank with two heating elements going in, one at the top and one at the bottom.

I only have the one at the top turned on.

You can take the cap of the element and change the temperature setting manually, but appart from the their does not appear to be any other control.

snafu_2

Hi,

I don't know what your budget is, but you say you have a draughty double glazed 3 bed cottage, little day-time occupancy, (but what about weekends?) and storage heating.

Your first priority is to stop heat leaking out of the house. Fix this first, which you're doing.

The main issue, you say, is that the heaters 'leak' during the day, when you're out. If you have no gas or oil, then you have other off-peak choices: one is a wet electric system with a heat store - essentially an electric boiler heating a well insulated tank of water.

These systems usually qualify for Economy 10 or even Economy 18 tarrifs. The heatstore is heated off-peak, and a timer pumps water around your rads when you're in, instead of elderly hot bricks releasing heat when you're out.

As Cardew says, electric heating costs the same, whether it's 3 or 30 years old, but the old storage heater airways
do get clogged up with dust, and seem to become less efficient over time. They can be cleaned out, but it's a lengthy and filthy job. Cleaning them doesn't stop the 'leak'.

Modern storage heaters are smarter, and insulation materials better, but heat-loss is heat-loss.

Heat stores can easily be augmented with heat pumps or solar, too. But they do cost money to install.

I've just de-commisioned the LPG gas boiler in my house because of the huge bills, a Trianco wet electric boiler has gone in, running on Economy 10, with electric panel heaters in each room for top-ups. Daily juice usage is currently 10Kwh, more in winter. Trianco has some good examples of wet storage systems in their bumf online, as do others. :rolleyes:

Mind you, I live on the South Coast, not in the Frozen North.

But if you got room, can put the rads in, and decent house insulation, AND can get an Economy 10 tarrif, wet storage might be an idea.

Otherwise your main task, should you wish to accept it, is to make sure your hot water, is on a timer which coincides with your off-peak tarrif, the tanks is exceedingly well-insulated, and you're not heating rooms you don't use much, and your insulation is the best you can afford. It's worth checking online for cheaper electric tarrifs, too.

You may even find turning most of the storage rads off and using 3kw convectors with timers in the evening only is cheaper than leaving storage heaters running all day. An Owl Energy monitor (£30.00) could be a useful diagnostic tool here.

robsmum_2

Just read your post aboutheating our hot water. We have storage heaters about the same age and agree they are expensive. We also have a big water tank with 2 controls. The top 1 is the emersion heater and heat during the day, the bottom is the Economy 7. Both should have controls them. .- but they have 2. Follow cable coming from tank and you will find . The second controls could be anywhere in house our are in the kitchen and on the wall, 2 socket like things together. Turn them both on and the 1 that glows during the day is your expensive emersion (top tank) TURN IT OFF. If we only have the big bottm tank on heated at night we have plenty of hot water always at a fraction of the cost.

orkneyviking

An exposed draughty three bedroomed bungalow is spot on.

The windows are double glazed, but about thirty years old and I would expect that they would be the main culprit for the draughtiness. As the frames are not rotten I cannot justify the expense of replacing them.

Any tips on draught reduction?


So far I have just insulated the loft. I am not sure if my property is suitable for cavity wall and underfloor heating.

As for a new heating system, I do not have a huge amount to spend, so I don't think I can afford a new electric wet system. How much would this typically be?

Is it worth switching the well used storage heaters around with the lesser used ones?

I have considered adding an air to air heat pump, however with the exposed location I am not sure in investing in something that only has a five year guarantee.

I am on a slightly strange tariff from Scottish Hydro called Total Heating Total Control (THTC). It has a seperate cheap rate meter for heating and is quite competative.
The issue I don't understand with THTC is that Scottish Hydro choose when the put the heating meters on depending on the whether forecast. However they don't seem to want to tell you when this is.
This means that I can't really put the hot water tank on a timer?

Replacing the storage rads with 3kw heaters may be an idea as we only need evening heat. Any recommendations for this?