What is the best electric heating for a flat?

Mindovermatter_2

We live in a two bedroom flat, it's a new build and they have creda panel heater system, it can be controlled centrally, although we don't tend to use that we just have them set to 5 and they come on and off when the temperature drops.

MADMagic

Some really helpful ideas and suggestions, thank you all very much. I shall certainly look at the Dimplex oil filled radiators. I need something wall mounted due to space and reasonably presentable as well. In answer to the other questions, I own the flat - no mortgage. It's in a block of retirement flats which do provide some residual warmth, but clearly I need to boost inside the flat. I do also have a small storage radiator in the hall which I also have on in the winter.

The price I was quoted for my Fischer heater 2 kw was £1800. This was including the controll unit.

Again thanks to all

Richie-from-the-Boro

MADMagic wrote: »

Again thanks to all

The price I was quoted for my Fischer heater 2 kw was £1800. This was including the control unit.

- thanks for that my friend

One additional consideration for your mix of options :

- if you are not on the gas-grid night store is the most cost effective solution
- change the small hall for a 3.4kW will at least double the available heat
- a straight swap-out and no need to redecorate as it will be physically bigger
- the cost of the heat stored upgrade .. .. £250 and a screwdriver

rogerblack

MADMagic wrote: »

The price I was quoted for my Fischer heater 2 kw was £1800. This was including the controll unit.

Comedy.
For that price you can get two 2.5kW output quality heatpumps.
http://www.orionairsales.co.uk/toshiba-air-conditioning-ras-b10skvp-25kw--8250btu-inverter-490-p.asp

This would generate about 5000W of heat, on 1000W of electricity, working out actually cheaper than gas.

(these do require rather more installation, of course)

The_Boss

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

You can help this group enormously by telling the group the installed and working price of your recommended Fischer system, particularly the Room Temperature Control System.

- exactly which "modern Dimplex" ?
- how do you heat your water ?
- exactly which electricity tariff are you on?
- rent or mortgage ?

Two of these will warm even a big room very quickly, the stat will then kick in and maintain your preffered °C / °F at an economic rate.

Two of these will warm even a big room very quickly, the stat will then kick in and maintain your preffered °C / °F at an economic rate, and switch on and off automatically for you at times that suit you. Example 10 minutes before you get up in the AM or 10 minutes before you get home in the evening etc.

Two of these will warm even a big room very quickly, the stat will then kick in and maintain your preffered °C / °F at an economic rate, and switch on and off automatically for you at times that suit you. Example 10 minutes before you get up in the AM or 10 minutes before you get home in the evening etc. Additionally you can see the stat temps and setings etc from across the room and make changes by remote from your armchair. Wall hung or move room to room £60 each from here, two tiny supplied wall brackets to mount. I tried this product in its old non-glass form more than a decade ago and can confirm it works as stated. If the property is rented - take them with you. To yourself and others a good starting point for electric heating type and price is here, scroll down the left from loo to whole house .. .. and Halogen to ceramic to oil to etc.

As to an E7 tariff and night storage heating, a mains powered wall mounted control units is available for the Monterey, Girona, EPX, RPX, Apollo and DuoHeat radiators supplied by Dimplex. Single heater or 4 different zones any combination is available. In your case a DuoHeat will give the cheap rate 'bulk' of your heating needs and the 13a panel element built into the Duo will provide any supplementary instant extra heat you may need, and because the panel heating element is built into the heater no extra wall space is required.

Hope this helps..................

MADMagic you can help this group a great deal by telling the group the installed and working price of your Fischer Room Temperature Control System.

That's a really great post, thanks.

My question is : is a 2kw panel heater more efficient than a 2kw oil filled radiator?

We have no central heating (due to no gas supply) and the flat gets insanely cold in winter. We currently have an oil filled 2kw heater in the bedroom, front room and spare room (which is barely ever used). So some rooms get warm, while the hallway, kitchen, toilet etc stay cold. The temperature changes make me rather ill so we were going to get some more heaters (although my gf refuses storage heaters completely, and she owns the flat). Would panel heaters be better than getting non oil filled electric radiators (which I've heard are more efficient)?

Andy_WSM

The_Boss wrote: »

My question is : is a 2kw panel heater more efficient than a 2kw oil filled radiator?

No.

The efficiency is exactly the same for both. 100% (near as dammit!)

The type of heat emitted is different though.

Panel heaters tend to give out mostly convective heat with some radiated heat. Radiators - mostly radiate with some convection.

Radiated heat "feels" warmer to us.

Panel heaters will be near instant responding to being turned on. Radiators slower - but conversely, cool down slower when turned off.

The_Boss

Andy_WSM wrote: »

No.

The efficiency is exactly the same for both. 100% (near as dammit!)

The type of heat emitted is different though.

Panel heaters tend to give out mostly convective heat with some radiated heat. Radiators - mostly radiate with some convection.

Radiated heat "feels" warmer to us.

Panel heaters will be near instant responding to being turned on. Radiators slower - but conversely, cool down slower when turned off.

Thanks for that - the efficiency bit is as I thought.

Is convected heat better for overall quality of consistent heating than radiated heating? We're looking to heat our flat consistently rather than blast the front room and bedroom with the oil heaters as we have been doing so were looking at adding a panel heater to the reception area and kitchen.

Andy_WSM

I personally don't like panel heaters as they can burn the air and dry it out (look inside one that's on and see the orange glow, like you get in your toaster!). You get that burnt dust smell when you turn them on too.

Oil filled radiators don't have an element exposed to the air so no such problem.

You can get wall mounted oil filled radiators that look like wet central heating radiators and have built in thermostats, so no need to "blast" heat out, set them down low and let them gently tick over providing a gentle warmth. Fit with a timer and you have a very controllable "central heating feel". Dimplex make wall mounted radiators in white, that if fitted to the wall pass off for central heating type radiators. Search for "dimplex oil filled" on Google or eBay for ideas and look for the wall mounted ones.

p.s. Singing the praises of Dimplex at the moment, not because I work for them, but because I have purchased a couple of their wall mounted oil filled radiators whilst I await parts to repair my central heating system. Very impressed, silent, look good and radiate a nice warmth.

The_Boss

Andy_WSM wrote: »

I personally don't like panel heaters as they can burn the air and dry it out (look inside one that's on and see the orange glow, like you get in your toaster!). You get that burnt dust smell when you turn them on too.

Oil filled radiators don't have an element exposed to the air so no such problem.

You can get wall mounted oil filled radiators that look like wet central heating radiators and have built in thermostats, so no need to "blast" heat out, set them down low and let them gently tick over providing a gentle warmth. Fit with a timer and you have a very controllable "central heating feel". Dimplex make wall mounted radiators in white, that if fitted to the wall pass off for central heating type radiators. Search for "dimplex oil filled" on Google or eBay for ideas and look for the wall mounted ones.

p.s. Singing the praises of Dimplex at the moment, not because I work for them, but because I have purchased a couple of their wall mounted oil filled radiators whilst I await parts to repair my central heating system. Very impressed, silent, look good and radiate a nice warmth.

Thanks. Panel heaters were my choice for the reception and kitchen because they're not as bulky and space is an issue in these areas - can you get wall mounted radiators that are not bulky? The current ones are approx 6.5"/17 cms wide so unsuitable to get a similar one for these areas.

Andy_WSM

If space is a limitation then panel heaters do offer a solution due to their compact size, so probably the way to go in those locations. You'd benefit more from radiators in a living room or bedroom than you would in a hallway or kitchen anyway.