Electric radiators/ other heating

Dannii75

Hi all!
I currently have night storage heaters, the house is electricity only (no gas).
The nsh's are really old & rubbish. I know how they work they're just so old they're inefficient.
As we're going into the chilly season I'm thinking of replacing at least one of the nsh's to an electric radiator.
Can you recommend any electric radiators that you use?

Thank you!

System

Dannii75 wrote: »

Hi all!
I currently have night storage heaters, the house is electricity only (no gas).
The nsh's are really old & rubbish. I know how they work they're just so old they're inefficient.
As we're going into the chilly season I'm thinking of replacing at least one of the nsh's to an electric radiator.
Can you recommend any electric radiators that you use?

Thank you!

NSHs are not in anyway inefficient. That said, they may not provide you with the heat that you need at the time when you need it. If you go to Argos and buy a 2kW fradiator you will get the same heat output from it as if you had purchased a more expensive appliance from John Lewis. Please do not be taken in by manufacturers' claims that their appliances are more efficient than those from A N Other.

The other thing to bear in mind is that NSHs are powered by cheap overnight electricity whereas peak electricity can cost you twice as much.

Sorry - I haven't really answered your question.

Dannii75

Hengus wrote: »

NSHs are not in anyway inefficient. That said, they may not provide you with the heat that you need at the time when you need it. If you go to Argos and buy a 2kW fradiator you will get the same heat output from it as if you had purchased a more expensive appliance from John Lewis. Please do not be taken in by manufacturers' claims that their appliances are more efficient than those from A N Other.

The other thing to bear in mind is that NSHs are powered by cheap overnight electricity whereas peak electricity can cost you twice as much.

Sorry - I haven't really answered your question.

Thanks Hengus! So, in short, maybe buy newer models of NSHs?

System

Dannii75 wrote: »

Thanks Hengus! So, in short, maybe buy newer models of NSHs?

You could but first I would check and see whether there are any issues with your present NSHs. They are nothing more than a case full of bricks with heating coils. It could be that, with age, some of the heating coils have failed. It is a simple job to check with a cheap multimeter.

Are the NSHs set up properly. Some have controls so that you can adjust the amount of stored heat taken in over night.

https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/night-storage-heaters

The other big question is heat loss? How well insulated is your home? If insulation is poor then it could be that the heat output from the NSHs is just escaping through the walls. The same would be the case for a radiator.

coffeehound

Hi, people will be able to advise more if you can supply more info, like
What type of property is it
How long do you plan to stay there
Have the storage heaters been inspected or serviced recently
Is anyone at home during the daytime or is it just morning/evening

Dannii75

coffeehound wrote: »

Hi, people will be able to advise more if you can supply more info, like
What type of property is it
How long do you plan to stay there
Have the storage heaters been inspected or serviced recently
Is anyone at home during the daytime or is it just morning/evening

Hi there!
It's a mid-terrace (poured concrete) 1950s ex-council house. I'm thinking a layer of insulation wrapped around the house might help!
They've not been serviced, I'll look into that.
I've had the house a couple of years, been working hard to make it liveable & don't plan on moving.
I work at home so am here all day most days.

Dannii75

Hengus wrote: »

You could but first I would check and see whether there are any issues with your present NSHs. They are nothing more than a case full of bricks with heating coils. It could be that, with age, some of the heating coils have failed. It is a simple job to check with a cheap multimeter.

Are the NSHs set up properly. Some have controls so that you can adjust the amount of stored heat taken in over night.

https://www.cse.org.uk/advice/advice-and-support/night-storage-heaters

The other big question is heat loss? How well insulated is your home? If insulation is poor then it could be that the heat output from the NSHs is just escaping through the walls. The same would be the case for a radiator.

Hi Hengus, I'll get them looked at by someone who knows what they're doing! thank you!

coffeehound

Dannii75 wrote: »

Can you recommend any electric radiators that you use?

Hopefully your NSHs can be repaired etc, at least to get you through the coming winter. They are pretty much ideal if you are working from home.

But to answer your question, an oil-filled heater would be a good choice if you need supplemental heat perhaps in the evening. Since they radiate more heat rather than just blowing hot air around they are better for older houses. Dimplex and DeLonghi are good brands but quite pricey new. You might find a secondhand one on ebay etc for under £20.

Best used sparingly on the daytime rate. If your electricity meter is a digital one, all your usage is switched over to the cheaper rate at night, not just the nsh and water heater. This means you can also run supplemental heaters overnight e.g. in the bedroom or bathroom if required, using the cheap rate electricity.

AndyPK

To be fair you can't qualify any of the statements in the first post, if you have only just moved in!

You need to learn how to use them!
Last thing at night, set the output dial to 0.
When you get home from work, turn the output dial up to let the heat out.

The input dial should be low as its mild now, and near maximum in december

silverwhistle

coffeehound wrote: »

But to answer your question, an oil-filled heater would be a good choice if you need supplemental heat perhaps in the evening. Since they radiate more heat rather than just blowing hot air around they are better for older houses. Dimplex and DeLonghi are good brands but quite pricey new. You might find a secondhand one on ebay etc for under £20.

Best used sparingly on the daytime rate.

Funnily enough I was looking at these only this evening; Argos and Dunelm have their own cheaper ranges. My circumstances are a bit different in that in these shoulder months I have spare solar power which it would be good to use rather than export. Fans are noisy but a little oil filled rad I could use in the lounge or more likely bring it upstairs to my office desk. On cold evenings I tend to retreat to in front of the wood burner.

EachPenny

Dannii75 wrote: »

Hi Hengus, I'll get them looked at by someone who knows what they're doing! thank you!

This is the critical bit, you really need an old-school electrician who will try to fix any faults, rather than someone who will whistle, and then write you up a quote for full replacement of all your heaters.

Electric heaters don't get less efficient with age, they might develop faults, but that is not the same as being inefficient.

Now is not really the right time of year, but I keep an eye out on sites like Freecycle (especially in the Spring) and now have a small collection of oil-filled radiators which I use on E7 overnight to warm up the house when it isn't really cold enough to put on the GCH or on the extra cold Winter days.