Storage Heater Economy 7 on in day !!

Happy_monday_2

Hi all,
Fairly new here but have done a fair bit of digging around with old posts. I was unable to find an answer to this particular question, someone posted the same query last year but it was not answered.
I am all electric and am on E7 tariff with one storage heater and a separate system that heats wet radiators using a Nightstor boiler. The query is about the Dimplex storage heater.
This afternoon I switched on the storage heater in the hall to charge up overnight for an expected cold day tomorrow. I was expecting nothing to happen until 11.30pm when my E7 period kicks in on the cheap rate BUT, my newly fitted Teleswitch meter under the stairs started flashing at an alarming rate that coincided with me turning the storage heater switch on. I then turned it off and the meter stopped flashing, suggesting that the storage heater had stopped charging. I have not seen a timer switch on the electrical circuit between the storage heater and the meter and there is none on the heater itself to let me control when it starts charging. I presumed it would only start to charge when the E7 tariff turned on but the flashing meter suggested otherwise.
We have only been in this house a year and would like to know how we can ensure that the storage heater only turns on and charges during the E7 period and NOT during the day (normal rate). Does anyone please know the answer to this ?;)

Terrylw1

Is the storage heater wired to the off peak circuit in your fuse box? If so, it will be triggered by the internal switching of the telemeter on to off peak rate.

To be charged at day right if wired to the off peak circuit, it would be via private time switch you have, manually as you have done or timed controls on the heating.

The meter does very little really, it just works in accordance sign where your meter tails are connected and the signal sent to it.

In terms of meters flashing, some blink at a certain rate to show they are in use. Some blink against the specific rate they are recording on. If you boil the kettle, does it do the same hence normal?

jalexa

Happy_monday wrote: »

...my newly fitted Teleswitch meter under the stairs started flashing at an alarming rate that coincided with me turning the storage heater switch on...

What is the background to the Teleswitch meter being "newly fitted"?

Are you satisfied the Nightstor boiler is connected to the cheap night rate?

Happy_monday_2

jalexa wrote: »

What is the background to the Teleswitch meter being "newly fitted"?

Are you satisfied the Nightstor boiler is connected to the cheap night rate?

Thank you both for your replies. Re above, the Teleswitch was fitted because the original 1986 meter was running on its own idea of a 24 hour clock that was nothing like real time. This meant that you could have E7 electric in the middle of the day on one day and 9am the next, there was no pattern

In respect of the Nightstor boiler......Yes, it is now connected or rather comes on during the E7 period and i am content with this system at the moment.(Time will tell)

Happy_monday_2

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Is the storage heater wired to the off peak circuit in your fuse box? If so, it will be triggered by the internal switching of the telemeter on to off peak rate.

To be charged at day right if wired to the off peak circuit, it would be via private time switch you have, manually as you have done or timed controls on the heating.

[FONT=&quot]That's really what I am trying to find out....is the storage heater wired to the off peak circuit. There is no separate time switch connected to it that can see.
I suppose that you have answered my query really.......I have to get an electrician in to see if it is wired to the E7 or set up so that it only comes on at the E7 time.
Is there any way that I can check this out myself or should I leave well alone.
Thank you BTW
[/FONT]

jalexa

Happy_monday wrote: »

the Teleswitch was fitted because the original 1986 meter was running on its own idea of a 24 hour clock that was nothing like real time...

Ah. Are you saying that originally you had a meter (with two registers) and a seperate mechanical timeclock?

And you now (only) have a single unit?


It is not safe or legal for you to meddle with the wiring. Neither is it legal for your electrician to meddle with the meter connections.

However as a first stage there is nothing to prevent you visually familiarising yourself with your own installation, particularly your consumer units. Look for visual evidence relating to the Nightstor, your storage heater, possibly water heating and other circuits. How many consumer units? Which services are connected on which? Are the cables to the Teleswitch/meter evident?

Terrylw1

Don't worry about the meter yet.

From the meter it will have 2 sets of tails provided by the electrician. One of these goes to the normal circuit and one goes to the off peak circuit. You need to know that your storage heating is wired to the off peak circuit.

You could see this in your fuse box/consumer unit. In terms of metering, nothing would change because unless you paid an electrician to change anything, all the meter fitter would do is take the tails out of the old one and insert them into the new one. Even if you had an older 2 meter 24hr meter + dedicated off peak meter, providing the tails reached to a modern all in one style E7 meter, the meter fitter would do the same.

If your storage heating is wired to the off peak circuit, it will have a fuse. Could you check for that fuse being separate to lighting, sockets, etc?

Happy_monday_2

Terrylw1 wrote: »

From the meter it will have 2 sets of tails provided by the electrician. One of these goes to the normal circuit and one goes to the off peak circuit. You need to know that your storage heating is wired to the off peak circuit.

You could see this in your fuse box/consumer unit.
If your storage heating is wired to the off peak circuit, it will have a fuse. Could you check for that fuse being separate to lighting, sockets, etc?

Terry, I can see two sets of tails coming from the meter...and they go to different items. I have two fuse boxes, the second one being fitted as there wasn't enough room for all of the electrical items in the house. One of the fuse boxes has an item in it marked, storage heater and has a trip switch beneath it........ as do all of the others.
Sorry but i can't tell by looking at it, if it is connected to E7 and moreover, will only start charging up at the E7 switchover time, in my case that's 11:30pm. Any thoughts.

Off to work for 2pm today so will have reply Sunday.
Thanks

Terrylw1

Is it just the storage heating that's in that 2nd consumer unit? Trace the tails coming from the consumer unit back to the meter. Does it say on the meter which live/neutral connections they are such as off peak. If so, its connected correctly.

As long as the storage heating has always been connected to the off peak consumer unit, the meter engineer would just attach that tail to the off peak meter connection.

jalexa

Happy_monday wrote: »

I can see two sets of tails coming from the meter...and they go to different items. I have two fuse boxes, the second one being fitted as there wasn't enough room for all of the electrical items in the house.

For the avoidance of doubt when you say "two sets of tails",how many wires are connected into the bottom of the new meter (4 or 6)?

Describe the "different items". What do the other trip switches in the consumer unit with the storage heater say? Can you see a trip switch for the Nightstor? How are the other trip switches marked in each consumer unit?

grahamc2003

Happy_monday wrote: »

I am all electric and am on E7 tariff with one storage heater and a separate system that heats wet radiators using a Nightstor boiler. The query is about the Dimplex storage heater.
This afternoon I switched on the storage heater in the hall to charge up overnight for an expected cold day tomorrow. I was expecting nothing to happen until 11.30pm when my E7 period kicks in on the cheap rate BUT, my newly fitted Teleswitch meter under the stairs started flashing at an alarming rate that coincided with me turning the storage heater switch on. I then turned it off and the meter stopped flashing, suggesting that the storage heater had stopped charging. I;)

Did you repeat your test several times? If it had that effect everytime, it's likely there's an error in your wiring (if you're on e7).

Other things to try .... If your storage heater is a slimline reasonbly modern one - simply turn it on, turn the output to max, and feel it. The heat should come flooding out after a couple of minutes if it has a supply at that time. (Ensure the heater is cold and hasn't been charged up the night before before you start).

Do you have a 'hidden cable' detector (the ones you should use before drilling holes in walls)? As well as detecting a cable, they also detect whether there's current in the cable too.

Longer term, I'd recommend a switch at the heater which has an led which glows when the circuit has a live supply.

If the new meter was put in by the meter operator (and not your own contractor or someone else), then it's extremely unlikely to be wired incorrectly. Another point - are you sure you are on E7, and not some other multi-rate tariff (some of which switch on during the daytime)?