storage heaters/electric central heating or gas?

mute_posting

ElectricPeace wrote: »

I live in a terraced house and some time ago my neighbours got a new gas heating
system. The installers had the complete thoughtlessness to put the boiler on our
party wall where its noise has managed to make my life sheer hell. Fortunately
the local Environmental Health Department persuaded them to turn it off at night
after my own efforts failed.
Noise matters if you don't live in a detached house. My neighbour used to have
storage and immersion heating before and even dabbled in running their washing
machine in the middle of the night, but it woke them up so they stopped!! It
woke me up too and probably their neighbour the other side!
I too have gas water and central heating, but the boiler is placed on an outside
wall and I have had no complaints so far! However it is old and needs replacing.
I cannot face gas any more, both because of what my neighbour's noise has done
for me and because I fear disturbing my neighbour on the other side, so I have
been thinking of going electric, but have not known where to start. Coming upon
this forum has been such a help - you never come across adverts for electric
heating, only gas, and have gained some ideas and followed links. I realise that
it will cost more to run but am happy to pay extra for peace. Thank you all so
much and please bear noise in mind in your own plans if you live in a terraced
house or flat, as I'm sure most of you would of course anyway!

What sort of noise are we talking about? I think there might be something wrong with the boiler if it is making enough noise to be heard on the other side of a party wall!

Replacing a boiler will be pretty straightforward and if you have never had any complaints (?) why do you think you will start getting them now? If you are going completely electric I would think that will cost a lot more installation wise than just a boiler upgrade?

Also, like you say running costs will be more, and we could be talking almost double here for your heating and hot water needs (assuming 95% efficiency on a new gas boiler at 3p per Kwh that's 3.15p, versus at least 5p perhaps more for E7 units)

ElectricPeace

The noise is a hum which becomes a higher pitched whine as the day goes on and loudest in the evening. Also the wall is only one brick thick and we can hear quite a range of sounds in each others' houses, which usually doesn't matter, but the boiler is hard to live with. If you are right and a boiler should not be heard the other side of a party wall and therefore even less so where my own present one is then I might reconsider going electric, especially as your figures put it rather bluntly just how much more it will cost both to install and run! I've heard it my neighbour's side and it seemed quieter. It's inside a cupboard in their bathroom, but I get the full blast the other side of the wall in my bedroom, where it seems to be louder. Perhaps it's a freak acoustic effect.
Anyway I'm thinking of giving in and offering to pay them the full price to move it. It will be worth it for a quieter life! When I first contacted them about it they said they would move it if I paid for it. I replied that I would pay 30%. Then they told me it was installed under a Government grant, and they'd see if the installer would move it. He came and said it was all right and anyway he didn't think he could move it for some reason - regardless of the disturbance it was causing me! I'm hoping that with my offer that they will find an installer who will move it, especially as it won't cost them anything.

mute_posting

As you pay money to have them move it, you may be better of just spending your money on having your bedroom wall sound-proofed.

ElectricPeace

Yes, soundproofing does seem a possibility. What little I have found out about it suggests however that it might best be part of a wider
solution, as it seems it only cuts down on the noise rather than cut it out. Also one site by SoundStop referred only to airborne noise,
and my problem is wall-borne sound, and it does not take much in the dead of night to make a bedroom unusable. It seems too that it would
cost about the same as persuading my neighbours to relocate their boiler, which ultimately is the only long-term and complete solution.
As I fear I might be getting a bit off-thread, I've started another on the subject of gas boiler noise in the utilities board under Gas and
Elec.

ukthesis

At present, I have a back boiloer system, that's been installed since the early 1980s. Never had central heating. A 2 bedroom terraced property. I can't get a Warmfront grant because I don't qualify. Okay, which heating system would you recommend? Why (avoiding the technicalities)? What are the cost implications? How long should a back boiler system normally last? Electricity or gas central heating? Please try to focus on relative costs. Simplex company products (electricity) - are they better? Heard a lot about them. Thanks.

mute_posting

If you are installing a new system and have a gas supply, I'd suggest gas simply because it it is cheaper to run. If you need to have a gas supply installed that could add £500+ to the equation.

MP

amtrakuk

Cardew wrote: »

Agreed the heating will not be on all year.

However he stated an average of 70 units a day.

If it was only £32 a month that would be for approx 6,000kWh a year for a large 5 bed house with storage heating as well as the normal electricity use.

Well at 70 units a day(490 a week) he would use 6,000kWh in 12 weeks.

Seems strange that sanman has written a long and informative post and not visited the site since!

lol - perhapse he has gone for underfloor or instant convection heating?

Mind you my electric bill had sropped now im not using my convectors, worked out all in all aout 80-90/month lekky bill and have had them on for 4 months over the colder period so Im feeling pretty happy. My electric bill over the warmer periods including my redring powerstream for hot water is about 40-50 a month :T

One of the best investments Ive made. Anyone want a 2nd hand ravenheat gas combi boiler lol

amtrakuk

ElectricPeace wrote: »

I live in a terraced house and some time ago my neighbours got a new gas heating
system. The installers had the complete thoughtlessness to put the boiler on our
party wall where its noise has managed to make my life sheer hell. Fortunately
the local Environmental Health Department persuaded them to turn it off at night
after my own efforts failed.
Noise matters if you don't live in a detached house. My neighbour used to have
storage and immersion heating before and even dabbled in running their washing
machine in the middle of the night, but it woke them up so they stopped!! It
woke me up too and probably their neighbour the other side!
I too have gas water and central heating, but the boiler is placed on an outside
wall and I have had no complaints so far! However it is old and needs replacing.
I cannot face gas any more, both because of what my neighbour's noise has done
for me and because I fear disturbing my neighbour on the other side, so I have
been thinking of going electric, but have not known where to start. Coming upon
this forum has been such a help - you never come across adverts for electric
heating, only gas, and have gained some ideas and followed links. I realise that
it will cost more to run but am happy to pay extra for peace. Thank you all so
much and please bear noise in mind in your own plans if you live in a terraced
house or flat, as I'm sure most of you would of course anyway!

Electricpeace:

I switched to electric mainly because my combi boiler was abit temperamental and turns out the heat exchanger has gone only thing BG homecare dont cover.

Last year I was paying 30/month for electric and 50 for gas. Dont know what it would be now but I suspect way over 100.00 a month.

I enquired into a replacement boiler but I had BG quoting me 3.5k for replacement and fitting to 1.5k for an independent. I was warned by BG and an the engineer the cheap boilers will only last about 3-4 years so go for one over 1k.

Decided to go electric by someone else who got shot of gas, had a lekky in to upgrade the fuse box to a modern circute breaker one, wire in 3 electric points for heaters, and cooker point cost me 300.00 and went down to argos and baught 3 x 30.00 3kw convector heaters, a 2nd hand cooker for 100.00 and a 12 KW redring powerstream on-demand water heater for 200.00. All in all it cost me about £800 to convert to electric.

The thing I like about the convection heaters there is no moving parts except the thermostat (keep it simple) and so they should last many years and if they do go wrong its only 30.00 for a replacement.

The water heater seems pretty simple as well only a microswitch to turn the heating elements on as required and only uses juice when you turn the tap on, I was toying with a unvented cylinder but read it needs a yearly service, have to get approval from the council your installing it. I didnt get a quote for installation but I guess that is pricey to as have to be a specially qualified plumber, also the standing heat loss?

As I live on my own I got a table top induction hob for 25.00 off ebay and a table top nuwave oven both seems to be quite efficient.

I just feel quite chuffed Im only paying one standing charge instead of one for gas and electric, no yearly maintenance plan to pay for the boiler and much lower depreciation. Seems to be working well for me in a end terrace back 2 back

Cheeky people at BG charged me for ending my homecare service contract - £76.00! Dont know how they can justify that? :mad:

Ned_Ryerson

Hi,

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this but I had a house with storage heaters and they were complete rubbish.
The village did not have gas so I fitted a Trianco electric boiler and wet radiators which was absolutely fantastic.
Can't remember what the running costs were like but they can't have been that bad or I would heve remembered.
Hot water was provided by an immersion heater and tank on off peak which also worked OK.
In fact I am now designing and electric system to replace the oil fired boiler in my new house.

Ned Ryerson

Ada3050

Ned_Ryerson wrote: »

Hi,

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this but I had a house with storage heaters and they were complete rubbish.

Ned Ryerson

I have fairly old storage heaters, but I wouldnt say they are rubbish. I think the mistake people make with storage heaters is that they think they can be used in the same way as gas central heating.

They are designed to provide "core" heating as mentioned elseware in this thread.
It also depends on your lifestyle/ work pattern as to weather storage heating is suitable for your needs.

I work a 12hr shift pattern so in the winter I can be at home for 4 or 5 days at a time so to have a gas boiler running would cost a small fortune. As a single bloke I dont like my house too hot either so its only in the depths of a cold winter that I will need to top up with another heat source.

I had quotes for a new gas central heating system and the cheapest was £3300 up to £4500, so It would take a few years to break even at these prices. If you factor in the need for redecoration and new carpets that will push the price to near £4-5000. I cant justify that expense at the moment.

So its really down to your own lifestyle, type of house and how warm you want to be that is the deciding factor on this one.

For me storage heating suits me fine just now, but its not for everyone.