Storage Heaters, Not sure how to work them

adutd

I have storage heaters all over my flat, im just really not sure what do do with the setting to benefit from them properly and economically.

I have 2 dials on the top of the heaters, numbered 1-6, the left is 'Room Temp' the right is 'Control settings'. I work shifts, for example I fonish at 7am tomorrow, so I'd like my bedroom warm when I get in, then im up at 2ish so I'd like my living room warm then, they just seem to come on at random times. Can anybody put it simply how I can get the best out of these?

Thanks

macman

Storage heaters work on using cheap rate E7 electricity, which is available typically for 7 hours between midnight and 7am (check with your DNO for the precise hours) So they shouldn't be on at 'random times'. Are you on an E7 tariff? Do you have an E7 dual rate meter?
The 2 controls should control 1) heat input (self-explanatory), and 2) heat output (higher output means a shorter release period).
For your particular usage, storage heaters sound ideal, as you need most of the heat in the early and mid parts of the day, not in the evening, when they can run out of heat.
However, given your description of the controls, I'm not convinced that you don't just have standard panel heaters with some sort of thermostatic or timer control. These run on standard tariff and can be very expensive.
Make and model would help.

redkite89

The dial on the left, Room Temp, opens a flap behind the grills, on 1 the flap is closed so minimum hot air is coming out of the top, on 6 the flap is fully open so max heat coming out.

The dial on the right, Control Setting, controls how much charge is put into the storage heater overnight. 1 is minimum charge, 6 is maximum charge. This is in effect a thermostat, which checks the surrounding temp. When you turn this dial from 1 to 6 you will hear a click that's the thermostats coming in and allowing the heater to charge. Hope this helps, I've had 7 years of living with storage heaters and I've come to quite like them but of course they're nowhere near as controllable as GCH.

fira

adutd

I had the same controls on each storage heater in my last flat.

The right hand dial 'Control Settings' let me control how hot the storage heater became when it was being powered during the off-peak periods. The higher the number, more electricity (and money!) it used and the hotter the unit became. I was always a bit cautious about how much power I wanted to burn to heat them so usually kept 'Control Settings' at around 4 in winter-time. The guy that installed the radiators explained to me that the left-hand control, 'Room Temps', should always be right down at 1 when the radiator is being powered/heated up. (see below)

The left hand control is then used to open up the vents that are keeping that stored heat in. Usually when I came home from work I opened those vents up, again usually to number 3 or 4 on the 'Room Temps' dial, and could immediately feel the heat pouring out of the radiator. Using this control costs you nothing as the heat is already being stored waiting on you to release it. If you want the room really warm keep the 'Room Temps' dial at a high number but be aware you will lose that stored heat much quicker. Once it's gone it's gone - until the radiator starts to power-up again!

Before bed just as the off-peak charging started I closed the vents, moving the 'Room Temps' dial back to 1.

fira

Just as redkite says! I typed the reply earlier and only just posted it but hadn't checked if someone else had replied.

adutd

Thanks for your help guys, printing this off (courtesy of works ink) and I'll give it a whirl in the morning.

Wywth

adutd wrote: »

I have storage heaters all over my flat, im just really not sure what do do with the setting to benefit from them properly and economically.

I have 2 dials on the top of the heaters, numbered 1-6, the left is 'Room Temp' the right is 'Control settings'. I work shifts, for example I fonish at 7am tomorrow, so I'd like my bedroom warm when I get in, then im up at 2ish so I'd like my living room warm then, they just seem to come on at random times. Can anybody put it simply how I can get the best out of these?

Thanks

You seem to say you want heat at certain times and the heaters are coming on at other random times?

Storage heaters should provide heat 24/7. Are you sure they are storage heaters you have, rather than just some kind of electrical heater?