Dimplex Storage Heaters

bob643465

This is probably going to sound really stupid, but i have just moved into a flat with 2 dimplex storage heater (Model number CXL24N) and i was just wondering how they work.

I understand that they only come on overnight as they are connected to a different circuit but do they stay on full the full 7 hours of economy 7 or do they turn off when they are fully charged ?

I am trying to estimate how much it is going to cost me to use them. Does anyone else have Dimplex storage heaters and knows for example how many hours are needed to reach full charge, medium or low charge.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

ronald208

have a look here

http://www.dimplex.co.uk/products/domestic_heating/installed_heating/storage_heaters/cxl_cxls_combination_range/index.htm

http://www.dimplex.co.uk/products/domestic_heating/installed_heating/storage_heaters/mini_xl_xl6/faq.htm

Ron

bob643465

Thanks for the reply,

The Dimplex website was the first place i went to but it did not answer my question.

I have a dimplex CXL23N storage meter 3.5kwh

My question is:

Does the storage heater use the full 3.5kwh for the full seven hours of economy 7


for example - 3.4 x 7 hours x 30 days (per month) = 714kwh per month


Or does it use 3.4 kwh until it reaches maximun capacity, and turns off


or does it reach maximum capacity and then the termostat kicks in and maintains that temp.


If the last two are the case, does anyone know roughly how many kwh i am looking at.

Hope that all makes sense.

molerat

The unit has a 3.4Kw element similar to an electric fire but heats up bricks instead of the air. There is a thermostat inside the heater which shuts off when the bricks reach a certain temperature and will maintain that temp during the off peak time. As for the cost I don't know that one.

Cardew

The CXL24N 3.4kWh when set to maximum input for 7 hours will consume 23.8kWh. - presumably your CXL2Nn 3.4kW will use the same.

Obviously if set to lower input it will use less than 23.8kWh.
-

Haarlem

Cardew wrote: »

The CXL24N 3.4kWh when set to maximum input for 7 hours will consume 23.8kWh. - presumably your CXL2Nn 3.4kW will use the same.

Obviously if set to lower input it will use less than 23.8kWh.
-

Its unlikely that other when stating from cold a storeage heater will consume the calculated consumption over 7 hours.

A heater will not expel all its heater during the day. It will depend on how the dampers to allow heat out are set to, and I doubt it will become "cold".

If set at maximum, the thermastat will cut off when the heat reached is that set by the manufacturer for that particular heater. Once heated from cold, it will not consume electricity for anywhere near 7 hours.

My experience has been that even in winter a storeage heater is topped up after 2/3 hours. It will then "cycle" over the next 5/4 hours, mainly being off.

This is confimed by hearing the thermostat clicking on and off.

Cardew

Haarlem wrote: »

Its unlikely that other when stating from cold a storeage heater will consume the calculated consumption over 7 hours.

A heater will not expel all its heater during the day. It will depend on how the dampers to allow heat out are set to, and I doubt it will become "cold".

.

Yes I meant to put a maximum of 23.8kWh.

In my limited experience with storage heaters, and by the many posts on this forum, they do run out of heat - often pretty early in the evening(that is by far the commonest complaint) so I suspect for many people it will use pretty close to 23.8kWh in the winter when set to maximum input.

Be_Happy

We have a 3 bed house with 6 storage heaters –

3 large – 3.4 kw, 1 medium – 2.55 kw, 1 small 1.7 kw and a bathroom – 0.9 kwh. All of them are the Dimplex automatic XLSN series. I keep them on as low an input setting as is comfortable so that the house is warm. I don't think they have ever been on maximum. The boost is on automatic, so retains heat better than our previous manual ones. In the evening we have a ‘fire effect’ fan heater in the sitting room.

I keep a careful check on our electricity consumption and figures show a summer overnight consumption (immersion heater, washing machine, dishwasher, etc but obviously no storage heater use) of 10 units. Looking back at my records the highest winter overnight consumption has been 67 units, so storage heater use has been around 57 units in the coldest weather.

This would mean that storage heaters totalling 15.35 kw use 57 units ie around 4 units per kw of heater per night.

To get your own figures you would just have to take a reading each day.

Cardew

Be_Happy wrote: »

We have a 3 bed house with 6 storage heaters –

3 large – 3.4 kw, 1 medium – 2.55 kw, 1 small 1.7 kw and a bathroom – 0.9 kwh. All of them are the Dimplex automatic XLSN series. I keep them on as low an input setting as is comfortable so that the house is warm. I don't think they have ever been on maximum. The boost is on automatic, so retains heat better than our previous manual ones. In the evening we have a ‘fire effect’ fan heater in the sitting room.

I keep a careful check on our electricity consumption and figures show a summer overnight consumption (immersion heater, washing machine, dishwasher, etc but obviously no storage heater use) of 10 units. Looking back at my records the highest winter overnight consumption has been 67 units, so storage heater use has been around 57 units in the coldest weather.

This would mean that storage heaters totalling 15.35 kw use 57 units ie around 4 units per kw of heater per night.

To get your own figures you would just have to take a reading each day.

Nice to get some actual figures.

So on a setting below maximum you use just over 50% of the theoretical maximimum.

Is the a reason(other than personal choice) why you don't charge the sitting room storage heater more in winter and thus eliminate/reduce the use of the fan heater?

bob643465

Be_Happy wrote: »

We have a 3 bed house with 6 storage heaters –

3 large – 3.4 kw, 1 medium – 2.55 kw, 1 small 1.7 kw and a bathroom – 0.9 kwh. All of them are the Dimplex automatic XLSN series. I keep them on as low an input setting as is comfortable so that the house is warm. I don't think they have ever been on maximum. The boost is on automatic, so retains heat better than our previous manual ones. In the evening we have a ‘fire effect’ fan heater in the sitting room.

I keep a careful check on our electricity consumption and figures show a summer overnight consumption (immersion heater, washing machine, dishwasher, etc but obviously no storage heater use) of 10 units. Looking back at my records the highest winter overnight consumption has been 67 units, so storage heater use has been around 57 units in the coldest weather.

This would mean that storage heaters totalling 15.35 kw use 57 units ie around 4 units per kw of heater per night.

To get your own figures you would just have to take a reading each day.

Thanks for the response everyone, This is exactly the kind of response that i was looking for. Be Happy, would you say that the input on your storage heaters is always above or below the half way point ?

Does any one else out there have any figures that they are willing to contribute.

Be_Happy

Cardew wrote: »

Nice to get some actual figures.

So on a setting below maximum you use just over 50% of the theoretical maximimum.

Is the a reason(other than personal choice) why you don't charge the sitting room storage heater more in winter and thus eliminate/reduce the use of the fan heater?

Probably personal choice, Cardew, as OAPs we like sitting at the direct heat coming from the electric fire. Position of storage heater doesn't help either, it is at opposite end of sitting room from seating area.

I've taking readings while using the electric fire, and it seems to have a very good thermostat, so power consumption is not too bad - on the 1kw setting it seems to use around 2kw for 3 hours in winter.