Fischer Storage Heaters

lstar337

Be_Happy wrote: »

Went to visit elderly relative with dementia and discovered he had been taken in by these.

Has 2 storage heaters, but insists one is not working (I have doubts on this, as it is modern, but can't argue). Anyway, he saw advert in Daily Mail from a Scottish company and had salesman call. Was told that it would cost at least £200 for him to have his storage heater repaired and gave him a 'special offer' of a clay filled heater (obviously a plug in similar to oil filled radiator, but with clay panel inside) usual price £880 but he could have it for £440. Assured him it would heat up very quickly and retain the heat for a long time.

From advert relative showed me it gives the impression that this is a storage heater, but does not say this. Wording is something like "Having problems with your storage heater, we have the solution with our new heaters".

Relative insists this is a storage heater, which it's not, but won't hear any argument against this. As he is on E7 I've tried to emphasise that he shouldn't have this switched on overnight and that during the day he will be paying a high price for his electricity. He won't hear anything to suggest that he is not thinking clearly, so nothing more to do. As he keeps the house like a furnace, I dread to think what his electricity bills are going to be.

Only consolation is that somehow salesman didn't persuade him to have these heaters fitted throughout the house.

Sad story.

These are exactly the sort of thing that a few here battle against, sadly most of the people taken in by this are people who won't check this forum first.

lstar337

[TEXT REMOVED BY FORUM TEAM] Please keep us informed.

I would love to see them taken to court, though I would expect them to cave and just give you the £800 back before it gets that far.

It's probably worth contacting MSE direct if you want to get support from Martin or the rest of the team.

Good luck.

Richie-from-the-Boro

[[TEXT REMOVED BY FORUM TEAM]

Thanks for informing the group 'shitlyreviews' and best wishes on your journey for justice for your parents.

scottie_jo

Helping an elderly neighbour who was scared of having gas unton in the house. They cost her over £1000 each! Look great, heat up a room well, controllable and very expensive to run. Maybe she is doing doing something wrong but even on these recent very mild November days they are costing over £5 per day to run 4 heaters in a three bedroom house. She is not really very happy and sorting about how she will afford to run them during winter.

lstar337

scottie_jo wrote: »

Helping an elderly neighbour who was scared of having gas unton in the house. They cost her over £1000 each! Look great, heat up a room well, controllable and very expensive to run. Maybe she is doing doing something wrong but even on these recent very mild November days they are costing over £5 per day to run 4 heaters in a three bedroom house. She is not really very happy and sorting about how she will afford to run them during winter.

What did she use to heat previously?

If she had night storage, then these heaters will be on at peak rate most of the time. If she moves away from E7 then the heater running cost will go down but the cost of hot water will go up. Even away from E7 these heaters will not be economical to run unless the dwelling is super insulated.

This is the true cost of these heaters (in addition to the astronomical initial cost), the only way to get the bills more manageable will be to get rid of them.

Richie-from-the-Boro

scottie_jo wrote: »

Helping an elderly neighbour who was scared of having gas unton in the house. They cost her over £1000 each! Look great, heat up a room well, controllable and very expensive to run. Maybe she is doing doing something wrong but even on these recent very mild November days they are costing over £5 per day to run 4 heaters in a three bedroom house. She is not really very happy and sorting about how she will afford to run them during winter.

Your friend is not doing anything wrong, its the way the work, they are designed to be left permanently switched on, in this case on the expensive day tariff. One of these for £60 each would do the same thing :

What may be adequately warm at the moment may be totally inadequate in the same room when the winter outside turns cold [°C] today's 15°C might be 0°C my January with the result that that tiny heater can not cope and might need to be supplemented with an extra heater or left running 24/7 to compensate with the resulting double of the money costs. Best of luck - keep an eye on your friend over winter.

reeac

I love the sales blurb with these heaters that they retain their heat for a long time and yet give out lots of heat! Whatever happened to that old saying that you don't get owt for nowt?

xinstaller

Just got hold of this german heater, taken it apart and i see this chamotte stuff. Looks like a floor tile,quite a lot of them. Looking to see if i can take this thing apart to expose this tungsten element these sales/engineers/astronuts/astronauts claim to their customers are in these heaters. Will update the many old and aged people who get DONE and mislead into believing that these heaters will save them money in the long run." Well its very true the company over here has to spend £40,000 a week in advertising. Plus all other overheads ,its a real world out there."...SO PASS THE COST AND OVERHEADS TO THE CUSTOMER,.....well GET it from AMAZON at 1/3rd the price. A panel heater with the same output and controlled with a thermostat will achieve the same results.

carlover wrote: »

All you Experts ??? Are missing a big point.

"older" people are in all day by 10am in the morning the place is cold from the E7s being off so they are putting on Electric fires to keep warm.Very expensive.

The salesman will bring in a heater and demonstrate by putting it on for 10 minutes ,its very hot. Take the plug out and after 15 minutes feel again and its even hotter ,that is why its only on for 15 minutes every hour.
These other experts who say buy a cheap £20 job and its the same output ,gee whizz ,of course it is but turn it off and how quickly does it get cold ,in seconds probably.

You can buy £400 Electric heaters ,woopee do ,open them up ,no Chamotte,no tungsten element ,and thermosts IN the radiator ,no wonder its a lot cheaper.

To the person who reckons they get bought in for £250 ,well maybe but the company over here has to spend £40,000 a week in advertising. Plus all other overheads ,its a real world out there.

Frightened of the price ?
When you sell a High Ticket price product you have to justify the value of it ,the whys and wherefores.Thats selling ,what is wrong with that.Just telling someone a heater is £1500 ,a reflex reaction would be no thanks ,show that person WHY and they may make an informed decision one way or another.But the rooms have to be measured anyway so a from to ...is not easy anyway.

A night storage heater 3.5 Kw will cost 17.5p an hour and at 10am in the morning if you are in the house during the winter it will be cold.Awaste of time.

A fischer system will cost around 1/4 of that and give you heat when you want it delivered in a way that you want.

Wish you well.

Richie-from-the-Boro

xinstaller,

I'm interested in the numbers on the chips.

xinstaller

The number engraved on the clay is 25