Electric heating advice for a Chapel conversion...

vinyldude1210

I have underfloor heating installed under a timber floor, however it is completely ineffective at heating my flat, and, is in essence, just not fit for purpose. I live in a chapel conversion so have a high vaulted ceiling. There is provision to install supplementary heat - a single storage heater, on Economy 7.

I am not one of these people who requires their heating running at 21C (70F), or above. I'm quite happy with my comfies, fleece and a thick pair of socks with my feet up 'basking' in temperatures around 15-16C (60F).

My question is this; what is the cheapest, most efficient form of heater, I require? I'm not sure if a storage heater would be suitable for me, as the heat that's released the following day would be wasted, as I'm out!

If I can, I want to just stop the temperature from dropping below 15C through the Winter. I also have large mature Kentia Palms which aren't happy for extended periods below this temperature.

Any advice, much appreciated.

Thank you.

Andy_WSM

All electric heating is 100% efficient, so choose a heater that LOOKS good and emits the right type of heat to keep you comfortable. An oil filled radiator, for example, will emit the same cosy warmth that a central heating radiator emits. A convector heater draws the air in at the bottom and heats it making it rise out of the top.

Guessing you have high ceilings I'd go for an oil filled radiator where you can feel the warmth emitting from it over some distance.

Other good heat emitters are Halogen heaters, but these look ugly IMO and I don't like the bright light they give off - find it gives me headaches.

For running costs, multiply you unit cost (probably about 13p) by the rating of the heater, for example. 2.5kw heater on full power for an hour would be 2.5 * £0.13 = 33p per hour, assuming the thermostat doesn't cut it out sooner as you have reached your desired temperature.

HappyMJ

vinyldude1210 wrote: »

I have underfloor heating installed under a timber floor, however it is completely ineffective at heating my flat, and, is in essence, just not fit for purpose. I live in a chapel conversion so have a high vaulted ceiling. There is provision to install supplementary heat - a single storage heater, on Economy 7.

I am not one of these people who requires their heating running at 21C (70F), or above. I'm quite happy with my comfies, fleece and a thick pair of socks with my feet up 'basking' in temperatures around 15-16C (60F).

My question is this; what is the cheapest, most efficient form of heater, I require? I'm not sure if a storage heater would be suitable for me, as the heat that's released the following day would be wasted, as I'm out!

If I can, I want to just stop the temperature from dropping below 15C through the Winter. I also have large mature Kentia Palms which aren't happy for extended periods below this temperature.

Any advice, much appreciated.

Thank you.

Storage heaters are cheap when the output is set to minimum all the time. It'll give a low level of background heat which should be enough for your plants.

They'll be fine for background heat along with your underfloor heating.

You then only need a boost which a radiant heater such as a halogen or a fan heater directly pointed at you would be fine. Rarely used for less than a few hours a day and it won't cost that much.

If you are at home all day then more storage heating would be better and cheaper.

macman

So are you currently on E7 or not-is an E7 meter fitted? I can't see the logic of fitting u/f heating with E7?
One single NSH is going to be totally inadequate for such a large high property.
Otherwise just fit the cheapest convectors or oil filled rads that you can find and run on single rate tariff. The efficiency is exactly the same regardless of type or model.

vinyldude1210

I agree, the underfloor heating should NOT have been installed. The architect or whoever decided this, must have got his/her heat and loss calculations wrong. I ended up not even running it last Winter. There was no point. It's expensive and i wasn't getting ANY benefit. I thought I may as well open a window and start chucking pound coins out of it - running it on full for 24-36 hours, it only achieves an ambient temperature (I have a thermometer) of about 10-12C in the room. Just a joke!!! All it does it heat the floor and makes it pleasantly warm to walk on, in socks or bare feet.

I bought an oil filled radiator last Winter - useless. Didn't make any difference. Just a place where I could warm my hands.

I'm in the process of speaking to my local council about it, at the moment...

HappyMJ

vinyldude1210 wrote: »

I agree, the underfloor heating should NOT have been installed. The architect or whoever decided this, must have got his/her heat and loss calculations wrong. I ended up not even running it last Winter. There was no point. It's expensive and i wasn't getting ANY benefit. I thought I may as well open a window and start chucking pound coins out of it - running it on full for 24-36 hours, it only achieves an ambient temperature (I have a thermometer) of about 10-12C in the room. Just a joke!!! All it does it heat the floor and makes it pleasantly warm to walk on, in socks or bare feet.

I bought an oil filled radiator last Winter - useless. Didn't make any difference. Just a place where I could warm my hands.

I'm in the process of speaking to my local council about it, at the moment...

Underfloor heating is meant to be only background heat. If you did not have the underfloor heating then the internal temperature of the property will be near zero in the middle of winter. 10-12 degrees 24/7 is reasonable.

What would your council do? You bought the property. It's difficult to heat...that's your problem. It'll cost a lot to heat such a big space. That's something you will find difficult to avoid.

vinyldude1210

HappyMJ wrote: »

Underfloor heating is meant to be only background heat. If you did not have the underfloor heating then the internal temperature of the property will be near zero in the middle of winter. 10-12 degrees 24/7 is reasonable.

What would your council do? You bought the property. It's difficult to heat...that's your problem. It'll cost a lot to heat such a big space. That's something you will find difficult to avoid.

You're missing the point. It's not actually as big, as you're probably imagining. I'm not exactly sure on square footage but it's pretty small. It's part of a conversion with 8 other flats inside. Each one is unique. No two the same.

You're right about the underfloor heating being meant as background/supplementary, though. But, when it's the only and meant to be the main source of heat to heat the property and it's designed for this, yet fails to meet minimum guidelines. Someone is accountable.

HappyMJ

vinyldude1210 wrote: »

You're missing the point. It's not actually as big, as you're probably imagining. I'm not exactly sure on square footage but it's pretty small. It's part of a conversion with 8 other flats inside. Each one is unique. No two the same.

You're right about the underfloor heating being meant as background/supplementary, though. But, when it's the only and meant to be the main source of heat to heat the property and it's designed for this, yet fails to meet minimum guidelines. Someone is accountable.

Yeah....you... You bought the property. Your problem. Underfloor heating is background heat. If you want more heat then purchase more heaters. Several electric convector heaters should be enough. You can run quite a few on a standard electric supply.

ariba10

It is the high ceiling that is you main problem.

Heat rises and a space will warm from the top down.

I do not see an easy solution to your problem.

vinyldude1210

HappyMJ wrote: »

Yeah....you... You bought the property. Your problem. Underfloor heating is background heat. If you want more heat then purchase more heaters. Several electric convector heaters should be enough. You can run quite a few on a standard electric supply.

:sigh:

It's been installed, as I said above, to be the MAIN source of heat, that's the point, regardless of whether it is actually background. The provision for ONE extra storage heater, is if you want it warmer than the recommended minimum. Not my words, the words of the developer who I purchased it off.

Minimum temperature guidelines that a heating system has to achieve/adhere to, in a domestic dwelling, next please, somebody?

vinyldude1210

ariba10 wrote: »

It is the high ceiling that is you main problem.

Heat rises and a space will warm from the top down.

I do not see an easy solution to your problem.

I know. I have a mezzanine bedroom area and can climb up and reach the ceiling. It's only slightly warmer at ceiling height, and in no way what you would describe as being 'comfortable'.

It's a tricky one. Granted.