storage heaters/electric central heating or gas?

heater11

jawa1 wrote: »

A friend had a really bad house fire at 3am in the morning last march. It was caused by the storage heater overheating and I think the thermos failing.

The storage heater was 15+ years old.

The fire investigating officer said this it quite a common occurrence, (but he could have meant that storage heaters in general cause fires i.e clothes left on them rather than overheating and bursting into flames as what happened to a friend)

Do not mean to worry anyone, but if you have a old storage heater I would research into them more.

i am worried about the safety of the storage heaters in my flat as i have been ill since moving in-i have also been told my probs could be the fumes off the one in my bedroom-i have read that the heaters can overheat when very old-can anyone throw me any light on this please

amtrakuk

It depends what illness your referring to? Dry itchy eyes, headaches etc?

Not having and experience in storage heaters but looking at the design, when they are open they appear to work by convection, some people don't like this type of heating as it dries out the air, people complain of itchy eyes, blocked noses, headaches. If this is the case, it might be worth trying a "plug in" oil filed radiator as these work on the same principle as central heating by heat the moisture in the air giving a "cozy' feel. One of the downside of these heaters is they have next to no heat storage factor compared with storage heaters and therefore not really suitable for Off Peak electricity.

SuzySF

Hi I've sat here and read thru quite a few of these pages about storage heaters - this is my problem if someone could help please ????

my elderly mother lives in sheltered accomodation - as with many others in the UK the only method of heating/cooking is electricity. Gas is never installed due to the possibility of an elderly person turning on gas,and forgetting then it not ignigting, and perhaps eventually blowing half the complex into space..(at my mothers place calor gas heaters are also prohibited)

She only has storage heaters on Economy 7 (as well at a hot water tank that automatically heats on E7 tariff) however, by 3 pm in the afternoons last winter mum's flat (upstairs but not much in the way of heat from downstairs as the floors are some sort of slab concrete) was very cold, I bought her a 3 bar heater - those ones that heat quickly and glow read - sorry cant recall what its called but they are everywhere priced at 10.00 - 15.00, however she needs something to supplement that.

Can someone suggest a cost efficent background heating she could leave on - i have been told to get small oil filled plug in radiators but make sure they have a wide heat selection on the dial and a Freeze/frost setting too. I have asked in Currys ( the local electrical shop) but I may has well have asked an alien, they would probably have more of an idea !!! lol.

any help or suggestions gratefully accepted as this is now getting more urgent and i'm completley confused...on and with oil filled is is more economical to leave them on all the time but v v low - as heating oil from cold sucks in electric to warm it up ???

ohhh dear - soo many questions ..soo many confusing issues

many thanks in advance

SuzySF

Cardew

SuzySF wrote: »

Hi I've sat here and read thru quite a few of these pages about storage heaters - this is my problem if someone could help please ????

my elderly mother lives in sheltered accomodation - as with many others in the UK the only method of heating/cooking is electricity. Gas is never installed due to the possibility of an elderly person turning on gas,and forgetting then it not ignigting, and perhaps eventually blowing half the complex into space..(at my mothers place calor gas heaters are also prohibited)

She only has storage heaters on Economy 7 (as well at a hot water tank that automatically heats on E7 tariff) however, by 3 pm in the afternoons last winter mum's flat (upstairs but not much in the way of heat from downstairs as the floors are some sort of slab concrete) was very cold, I bought her a 3 bar heater - those ones that heat quickly and glow read - sorry cant recall what its called but they are everywhere priced at 10.00 - 15.00, however she needs something to supplement that.

Can someone suggest a cost efficent background heating she could leave on - i have been told to get small oil filled plug in radiators but make sure they have a wide heat selection on the dial and a Freeze/frost setting too. I have asked in Currys ( the local electrical shop) but I may has well have asked an alien, they would probably have more of an idea !!! lol.

any help or suggestions gratefully accepted as this is now getting more urgent and i'm completley confused...on and with oil filled is is more economical to leave them on all the time but v v low - as heating oil from cold sucks in electric to warm it up ???

ohhh dear - soo many questions ..soo many confusing issues

many thanks in advance

SuzySF

The important thing to remember is that all types of electrical heaters are exactly as efficient as each other i.e. they cost exactly the same to run for a given heat output.

The only difference is the way that they produce that heat. i.e. virtually instant heat with the 1/2/3 bar fire you have bought, or slow to heat like an oil filled radiator - but they retain heat.

The disadvantage with the 1/2/3 bar fire you have is they don't have a thermostat, they are either on or offf. The oil filled radiators and convector(fan)heaters have a thermostat so you can regulate the heat.

You are certain that the storage heaters are getting the full 'charge' overnight?

SuzySF

Cardew wrote: »

The important thing to remember is that all types of electrical heaters are exactly as efficient as each other i.e. they cost exactly the same to run for a given heat output.


You are certain that the storage heaters are getting the full 'charge' overnight?

Thank you for answering Cardew...quite honestly i have no idea if they are getting their full charge. they are all wired in and do their stuff automatically. I do think they are quite old now - 10+ yrs at least if i recall..(mum's not been there that long - 12 months just over). How do i find out if they are getting their full charge ? she keeps the output setting at 3, it was on 4 but i thought the less it pumped out the longer it would keep "going" before it was cold.

On the baisis that all heaters cost the same to run, i will get a couple of small oil filled ones so she has background heating all of the time in the hall and in her bedroom, which gets really cold by 7pm -its on the corner of the building- dont even know if they have cavity wall insulation there either.. we did put more insulation in her attic as it had barely 4" when she moved in - she now has about 10".

i know how miserable i get when I'm cold, but being alone (all the old dears are barricaed in by 6 pm in the winter its like a ghost town there !!) and cold must be awful. Also her hot water tank does not seem to have a thermostat on it (figure it must be internal) but the water that comes out of her taps is red hot...considering the ban on gas i would have thought the tempearture of the water would be conisdered a health hazzard - scalding in a hot bath ?? the water heats up automatically overnight too on E7, with a boost button for extra if its all used up - but thats another issue !!!

if you could let me know how to check if these heaters are getting their full charge I'd be grateful - if they are not, then i can get on to the housing association and sound as if i really do know what i'm talking about LOL

yooo moneysaving !!! get to know all sorts here

many thanks for your time Cardew it's appreciated.

jooocie

Hello everyone!

Been reading the posts here, I've just got a question which I can't seem to find the answer of anywhere...

Do 'portable', 13 amp, 3kW, plug-straight-into-socket storage heaters exist? Or do you have to wire each one directly to the main?

The reason I'm asking is I live in a rented tiny studio flat (about 4.5 meters x 3.5 meters for main room, plus small kitchen area and separate bathroom) which only has peak-time electric heating. It's a draughty ground floor flat with 2 outside walls and single glazing (with a not-insulated cat flap on the window). The floor seems very cold so ground insulation probably isn't best. I don't know how much it will cost since I only moved in April, but I have the feeling heating is going to be SERIOUSLY expensive this winter.

I don't think I could ask my landlord to install anything (GCH, storage heating) because the flat was in an absolute STATE when I moved in - I went through a LOT of hassle just to get him to wet clean the musky stinking carpet which was caused by serious condensation problem that was hidden from me until I signed the contract. There were many other problems and the landlord just doesn't care at all. :mad:

So, my landlord is not going to pay a penny and I cannot afford to install proper heating myself seeing as I am unlikely to stay here for long - come April when my contract runs out I will seriously consider moving out. BUT, comin back to my question earlier, if I could buy a 'portable' storage heater to plug into the mains, I can take it with me when I move or sell it along to friends, which would be a FAR better option than the current electric convector heaters I have now.

I would be most grateful if anybody has any ideas!

EDIT: I forgot to say I am on an economy 7 tariff, and I believe there used to be storage heaters in the flat (I see random switches on the wall and also massive marks), but these had since been ripped out. I wouldn't trust any of the old electric wirings in here anyway, I doubt anyone has checked them for 20 years...)

amtrakuk

Do 'portable', 13 amp, 3kW, plug-straight-into-socket storage heaters exist? Or do you have to wire each one directly to the main?

No. As they consume 3 or 4 KW.it is more than a ring main was designed to take for long periods. You need to have them wired in by a qualified electrician who will put them on the off peek ring main.

jooocie

Thanks Amtrakuk,

Thats really helpful information. But it just seems a little bit crazy to me, because when winter comes I'll be using my 3kW normal heater for hours at a time anyway! And that will be when I am trying to cook, wash up, hoover, etc at the same time! You would have thought the overall load on the main would be less of a problem at night time :rolleyes:

I guess there are no options for me to do anything here then except to stick with peak time eletric heating then. Sobs!

paceinternet

There are various sizes of storage heater:- see here:
Two issues with considering the items as portable are, that they are very heavy, and they need a reliably timed power input to ensure they charge during E7 hours. This is often done with a separate wiring circuit from the meters.
Some useful information from that site below as well, but interesting to note they have fan assisted models which are intended to only deliver the heat when required.

Storage heaters use energy supplied by low cost, off-peak electricity* and are cheaper to run than heaters that use day rate electricity. Generally the electricity supply is drawn at night (although some tariffs also have a mid-afternoon boost) and the energy is stored in special heat retaining bricks for use the following day. Storage heaters are usually used for 'living' areas and cannot be linked to a central programmer.

There is a variety of different models to choose from including: Ranges with an automatic charge control
This feature offers improved efficiency as it measures the room temperature whilst charging and then stores the appropriate amount of heat. All storage heaters put into new build properties must include this feature to comply with Part L of the Building Regulations.
Combination storage heaters
These products include a built-in convector heater which can be used when the storage heater element is switched off, or to supplement the stored heat in particularly cold weather
Fan assisted storage heaters
These are the most energy efficient storage heaters on the market as they have greater insulation than conventional storage heaters and a low noise thermostatically controlled fan to ensure the stored heat is delivered only as required.

*You can only get cheap night-time electricity if you are on an off-peak tariff such as Economy 7. Please consult with your energy supplier for more information or click on our links section for details of suitable contacts.

isobel81

Kalirel - don't do it!!!!!!! I have them. They are EXTORTIONATE to run. I want to cry when I look at my electricity bills....Unfortunately my landlord is deluded and thinks they are energy efficient. I am looking to move because I simply can't afford my electricity bill any more.