Anyone used Rointe heaters?

TYD

Hi All,


I'm in the process of buying an old property to renovate which has some seriously big spaces to heat. Very glad that I came across this forum as I was nearly convinced by the Rointe (and others) blurb. Would have cost me a fortune!


My only option will be electric heating, so I will be insulating all internal walls, floors and roof spaces to as high a standard as is possible for the property and install high efficiency double glazing. All that should help significantly.


I plan on putting in radiant panel heaters (set to max output) switched with a high current solid state relay connected to a digital thermostat for each room. This method gets around the high current/thermostat issue and has worked well for me previously.


As there would be 7 or 8 areas to control separately, I was wondering if anyone knows of a thermostat/timer system that would allow me to control the individual zones from a central unit via wireless connection so I can, for instance, switch everything off at once or set individual rooms settings from a central point? Something along the lines of the Electrorad system would seem about right, but I'm not paying those prices!


Also, are there any suggestions for slimline panel heaters that are actually good to look at, but not too expensive? I would need panels of various wattages up to 2000w and it would be nice if they all matched? Simple and elegant is what I am after.


Any advice would be appreciated.


Thanks.

Smiley_Dan

If you are able to insulate to a high standard (which is the correct first step) why not look into heat pumps?

mr_nico

I came across this thread and wanted to add my feelings and experience of Rointe heaters... I have a house I rent out (small 2 bed town maisonette and a small Victorian solid wall school I'm converting to a large high ceiling house (over many years!)

Firstly about the Rointe heaters...
Positives:
1) like any electric heater, its going to put out the heat matched to the energy it puts in, it cant create energy
2) they have auto timers and remote controls available which are simple
3) very easy to install

Negatives:
1) they are fairly expensive when compared to cheaper alternatives
2) The marketing leads people to believe they are miracle units
3) each unit is independent (although you can program them or use the remote to pass the program around)

This forum thread has been pretty negative on Rointe heaters, something I dont share. I would add that I think negative about the Rointe Marketing material also which I guess is the reason for the thread in the first place! how much they cost to use depends on when you use them, how warm you want to be, how large your room is, the condition of the insulation in the room and many other variables.

One thing to note that I don't believe has been considered in this thread (unless I've missed it!) is that while I acknowledge that a heater can only produce heat matching the energy it takes in I would argue that the surface area of a heater controls the volume of heat that can be spread around in a space (admittedly by diluting the energy/ heat). I think its important to remember that while electricity is analogue and on and off, the temperature of a room is different depending on where in the room you are etc and energey/ heat usage cant be viewed as a single selection of time since you cant realistically heat the entire space up to the same temperature.

For example: if you have a room which is electrically heated (2kw radiator) to 20 degrees C (average since it wont all be exactly 20 degrees) and the heater took 5 minutes to heat it to that temperature from its ambient temperature of 10 degrees then the heater managed to increase the temperature 2 degrees per minute. if you turn the heater off and the room temperature drops to 10 degrees again in 20 minutes then the room is loosing heat (to its building materials and eventually the outside) at 0.5 degrees per minute. While the heater was heating the room up the room lost 2.5 degrees which the heater would have to continue to distribute until it shut off at 20 degrees

Now, take the same example room but replace the heater (also 2kw but convection) with one that takes 10 minutes to heat the same room up to 20 degrees (from the ambient 10 degrees). In the time its taken to warm the room up to 20 degrees, then the room will have lost more heat (5 degrees) than with the heater above meaning this heater has used more energy to cope with the loss accumulated in the longer heating period. That's double the time to heat up with double the loss of energy from the room

This is the same principal that underfloor heating follows, making the floor into a huge radiator running at lower temperature (so using less energy) but heating the space more evenly than a set of hot wall mounted units at a higher temperature. The same energy is used to heat the room but less is wasted on creating hot spots before the living space is heated to the desired level (I'm not saying rointe is as efficient as underfloor either!).

Now I'll admit that the examples previously described are more a focus on the insulation of the room and also that different parts of the room will be hotter or colder than the 20 degrees in the example. Also that this is a simplification to the variables and calculations, the same amount of heat is in the room from both 2kw heaters, just that a heater that is more efficient at distributing it's energy evenly achieved the 20 degrees at the thermostat level quicker.

The point being based on my rental property, has 1 x 1.2kw Rointe heater which, through radiation is able to heat the rental property living room in winter and maintain a comfortable temperature better than 2 x £35 2kw heaters (convection). The same applied to the storage heaters I replaced with the Rointe in that while the storage units were able to use cheap electricity they didn't manage to heat the room because they were not able to store enough heat internally and any heat that had escaped the heater had also escaped the room by the time I got home and wanted to be warm.

The Rointe heaters (and probably others out there that are more cost effective to purchase) are not more efficient in their usage of energy but in their distribution of energy into the environment.

I don't wan't this to be viewed as a total big up the rointe system, because that's not my intention, their marketing is clearly misleading and they are expensive, I'm sure there are others out there that equal or exceed them in cost and possibly design if you look for them. But all in all if you like the ascetics and functionality they do actually perform really well.

I also want to note that the house I'm converting (from a school) will have a heat tank/ store with inputs from biomass, wood/ multi fuel burner, solar and electricity and will be fitted with significant insulation before most of those heat sources are fitted! We got through last winter with multiple convection heaters and a caravan inside the building (at a staggering electricity cost!) and i'm using small rointe heaters in smaller rooms and a wood stove in a larger area to get through the winter coming (as I haven't been able to get enough done on the insulation). The difference to my energy usage from the previous ones is significant (although it was so high thats not difficult to acheive!)

My conclusions:

1) although heat output and energy usage from heaters can be matched, the performance in terms of heating a space evenly differs.
2) electric heating is an expensive solution and only benefits specific conditions (financial setup, temporary, well insulated, no gas option etc)
3) Insulation is the best investment for (maintaining) heating and comfortable living
4) Rointe make expensive heaters fitted into radiators that are "efficient at even energy distribution".

Would I recommend Rointe to others? I probably would but only in the right situation and never on the basis that they produce more heat than the electricity they use!

anyway, just my experience and opinion!

Richie-from-the-Boro

ASHP's [like a back to front fridge] cost a mint £7-14k. Air to water, brilliant for underfloor but not rated by me, you will need oversize rads but at least you get pre-warmed hot water. Air to air, as the therm suggests does not do water. Both will save money inputs over night store, but you will still need a secondary space heating source and a water heating source.

Richie-from-the-Boro

more efficient at even energy distribution

Wecome to the forum and thanks for your input to the thread mr_nico, it seems even handed, how is it more efficient at even energy distribution ?.

VICTOR_MELDREW_2

Just want to make you all aware.
I changed all my storage heaters for rointe two months ago.
BAD MISTAKE. My energy usage has INCREASED by an average of £3.80 per day. And my home is slightly colder.
Please don't listen to all the rubbish about them being cheap to run.
They are very expensive to buy and run.
Regards,
Paul.

SparkyDougie

I´ve heard plenty tales of woe about Rointe. Personally I have a mix of customers and other sparky mates with both bad and good experiences with them. Expensive gear, and doesnt seem to live up to promises of quality or efficiency.
They nearly went bankrupt a few times in 2013-2014 (they were even summoned and listed in the Gazette), so long-term support from them looks dicey.
Also, a mate of mine was working for an outfit that fitted a whole bunch of there water heaters - 80% failure within 6 months, including a couple of nasty burn-outs in the circuitry and one full on fire.
I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

Snarlin

Hi everyone,


Newbie here


I just want to say that in 2013 I had my old (useless) night storage heaters fitted and a full rionte digital system fitted in my 2 bedroom bungalow.


It was the best thing I did.


They might not be 'cheaper' per Kw as the rest as they should all be the same price however, they are easy to use, convenient and the fact you can time and control each radiator saves me a fortune. Before, my whole house was heated at the same time. Now I can have my kitchen & bathroom on when I come in from work but because I have a coal fire I'm able to leave the living room ones off! The bedroom ones are timed to come on at 9.30pm and I have noticed a big difference in my electricity bills.


On a normal day because I'm not running all my radiators when they aren't needed I'm using around 4.00 a day in total (including fridge,washing machine etc)


So even though they may not be as efficient per Kw as they suggest I have noticed that I'm using much less electricity by being able to heat where I want

Snarlin

I've also had no issues since they were fitted in November 13. My bungalow is a 1950's with no insulation so I think I'm doing alright


I opted not to get the water heater and stuck with the standard water tank/immersion heater.

Davesnave

Snarlin wrote: »

So even though they may not be as efficient per Kw as they suggest I have noticed that I'm using much less electricity by being able to heat where I want

I bought an electric heater in Lidl which has a timer+thermostat, so it does the same thing.

It cost £20.

Snarlin wrote: »

My bungalow is a 1950's with no insulation so I think I'm doing alright

If that's true, then you are not doing all right at all, you're doing it all wrong!

Even those in rented properties can get free insulation.