Elextric radiators

peachesdelight2k

Hi there,

I have recently bought an all electric flat and have just discovered storage heaters. I did not even know how to use them until about a week ago, having come from a house with gas central heating.

Anyway, I would like to replace these poor, pathetic excuses for heating with something more efficient.

I was told about electric radiators and yes I have read the other threads that refer to Karlirel etc.

However, what I want to know is:
1) if the technology in the thermo dynamic radiators actually works and
2) Are oil free radiators a cheaper alternative?

I do not want to just buy a cheap £15 heater from Argos becuase I do not think it will be as effective as either of the options I am considering above.

So in a nutshell I want a realistic answer to whether or not thermodynamic radiators are actually efficient or not or should I go for oil free radiators instead.

I am aware that I will have to change my stupid tariff to a standard one so that I do not pay extortionate costs for heating (& electricity generally) during the day.

Please can I have a useful answer from someone who is in the know rather than people just saying that the electric radiators are rip offs.

Thanks

Cazza

I've lived in two flats with night storage heaters. They were ok in the first flat, they were useless in the second flat (which I had bought) because they were broken :rolleyes:. The first winter I borrowed oil filled radiators from friends and family, as a short term solution. They did not give out enough heat to warm the place up sufficiently and were very expsnesive to run.

I replaced the old night storage heaters with Duo Heat ones from Dimplex, which were brilliant. Be careful where you site them and I would suggest not putting one in bedrooms, go for a panel heater instead as the night storage ones can make bedrooms too hot. These are really good as they have a "boost" button you can click, which means you can turn them into normal heaters for a little while if the temperature drops too low and the heat built up overnight has gone.

Night storage isn't as good as GCH, but once you get used to it, you learn that you just have to keep an eye on the weather forecast and plan your heating 24hrs in advance! When you get the hang of it, it's pretty effective. HTH!

peachesdelight2k

Thanks for your suggestion. I have had a look at them and they sound quite good and are also now a serious consideration.

What wattage do you have and did you also install the 4 zone timer or just stick with the standard thermostat it comes with?

Cazza

Ok, I'm trying to remember now... I don't live there now and it was about 3 or 4 years ago!

I definitely didn't install a timer with them, I don't remember that being offered as an option?? They came on automatically when the electricity supply flicked onto Economy 7 overnight and went off with it too. Otherwise, I just clicked the temperature up a little bit if I was cold.

I had a large 1 bedroom flat in an old converted building, the insulation wasn't great and there were single glazed sash windows. I had two of the largest size heaters, one in the lounge at one end of the flat and one at the other end of the flat in the hallway, which managed to warm the landing, bathroom and kitchen. I also had one of the instant panel heaters in the bedroom but never used this at all. It would have been useful if I'd had one of those heated towel rail things in the bathroom, but never got round to it!

If you're not sure how many to get, I'd say underestimate slightly, it's easy enough to fit more and they are much more effective than the old storage heaters, so you won't need to replace all your heaters on a like for like basis - size or location! Also, they're not cheap, so you don't want to pay for them if you're not going to need them! I think the two largest plus the panel heater cost me just under £900, but prices may have come down as they were quite new out at the time.

peachesdelight2k

Thank you. This info has been very helpful. I think I may go for one big one in the lounge area as there are two medium bedrooms with storage heaters in that should work ok. As you say they are expensive. Thanks again