Electric panel heater recommendations

dannysmith43

Hello,
First post on these forums but I've been lurking around reading threads for awhile :rotfl:
I'm moving back into my property since renting it out a few years back, downstairs has has storage heaters but we find they don't keep the heat in the evening when we need it. We are considering moving to some panel heaters, appreciate there will be additional costs in running these but we don't mind paying a little extra for the privileged of instant heat.

I've seen Fisher Future Heat and they do look great but as I've been educated by the electrical / heating engineers of this forum, they provide the same heat as a £20 convector heater (watt for watt)!

I really would like something more attractive that an Argos convector heater, well I say me...I mean my wife. I'm happy to pay the extra for something a bit more premium looking and appreciate the performance will be the same as the cheaper models.

...and so my question is, can anyone recommend something pretty, flat and reasonable in cost? I also like the Solaire heater (Adex) which are flat panels, they are still very pricey....looking at £150 for 1.5/2 KW versions and the additional wireless timer is over £60! They are very nice looking though, so something along those lines perhaps?

I did think about swapping over my older Creda storage heaters for some newer Dimplex Quantums but for £700 a pop, the investment is too high.

Thanks for your time and expertise!

matelodave

You can't get much neater than this http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4151364

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'.

Virtually all panel heaters have a thermostat. Some have built in timers and some can have remote control.

If you get plug-in panel heaters, you can cheaply get timing and remote control plugging in the heaters via an adapter that give those functions.

Thank goodness that you appreciate that all electrical heaters give the same amount of heat for the same running cost - spread the message!!

lstar337

matelodave wrote: »

You can't get much neater than this http://www.argos.co.uk/product/4151364

Pretty low output though!

lstar337

If you currently have storage heaters then panel heaters will be a huge jump in running cost. Have you considered that you will need to change your tariff (possibly meter), and possibly wiring?

Have you thought about your hot water costs?

Richie-from-the-Boro

something more attractive that an Argos convector heater

They sell everything under the planet, Marmite filled convector to the dreaded dust circulator, but they are all reasonably priced for their 6 - 30°C 5 Year Guarantee performance. The Neo have 7 in their range, anything under 2kW would be pointless and the PR-1 fully programmable off unit wireless controller, stat and 24 timer would be needed for fully automated operation.


The most important consideration would be (1) putting such a product into a UK under efficient housing spec (2) is the PR-1 and all electronic parts also covered in the 5 Year parts warranty and (3) do you need a PR-1 at that price for each separate panel install.

If you want such items go for it, you can buy three new 2.55kw Manual Storage Heaters for the same £200 quid a unit, and get the advantage of hot water & stored heat for 50% less money per kW.

dannysmith43

haha Cardew, I've read plenty of responses from yourself on these forums to accept that electric heat output is the same regardless of price and delivery method! Unfortunately some people get very defensive and can't seem accept the science behind it!
Thanks for all of your responses, I really like that Argos heater aswell, it's a shame they don't make them with more watts!

@Ritchie
Would you mind posting a link for those heaters please? The Creda ones I have look very similar to the ones being sold today, this leads me to believe they aren't as old as I thought they were. I'm just worried about investing in newer storage heaters and not getting much benefit for a big outlay. I wonder how much they can improve them in the last 10-20 years to keep the heat stored for longer, which is where I seem to struggle at the moment.

The tariff change isn't a problem and providing I can use a standard plug for the panel heaters, that's also fine. In terms of hot water, I find that my electric boiler only needs to be for about 2 hours a day for showers and hot general hot water...I guess it all adds up in the end! I imagine there isn't real way to tally up the differences but I guess that 50% less cost is offset slightly by not having to run the panel heaters at full-whack for 7 hours a day....well hopefully anyway!

Richie-from-the-Boro

x3 for £206.50 each.

People, all people make the mistake of calc summer / winter E7 costs - there's no such way of looking at it either it costs a CAC of £800 per annum for the luxury and convenience of 200 litres of boiling water every single day and a comfortable winter living area of 21°C or it does not.

The damper [output] knob on NSCH should be welded shut with superglue and the 3.4kW can should be filled with as much cheap heat as needed to supply radiated [not convected, that just warms the ceiling] as you need for the time of the year. Its a given that (1) older units leak heat mainly because people don't know how to use them. (2) Very few of the top priced makers put any R&D into NSH, most are making the same spec cans now that they did 50 years ago. (3) One maker you mentioned earlier does make an effort to control conduction, convection, radiation leeching and as you say is a premium priced product.

All women want the 'glossy magazine' designer look, but in a house less than EPC B-A that's gonna cost on any tariff .. .. .. compared to E7 & NSH which as has been said is by far the cheapest, but that's your comparison. To heat one cubic metre of air by 1°C requires 0.36 watt, which is why x2 3kW placed panel [or any] heaters is by far the better at quickly raising the living area temp and maintaining comfort not just °C of temperature. Best of luck !

Cardew

dannysmith43 wrote: »

I really would like something more attractive that an Argos convector heater, well I say me...I mean my wife. I'm happy to pay the extra for something a bit more premium looking and appreciate the performance will be the same as the cheaper models.

...and so my question is, can anyone recommend something pretty, flat and reasonable in cost? I also like the Solaire heater (Adex) which are flat panels, they are still very pricey....looking at £150 for 1.5/2 KW versions and the additional wireless timer is over £60! They are very nice looking though, so something along those lines perhaps?

If your wife likes the look of these I could probably arrange a good deal!

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=3+bar+electric+fire&qpvt=3+bar+electric+f

dannysmith43

Much food for thought on this, thank you for taking the time to reply! I'm not sure the "old school" electric bar heaters are really the look we was going for :rotfl: