Removing Old Storage Heaters

Jimmy54321

Hi all,

I recently removed old Dimplex storage heaters from my property and was planning on installing either more modern storage heaters or just some electric heaters. I do not have gas access at my property and yes I checked they did not contain asbestos. Before removing them I kept getting told that I should get an electrician to do it but I couldn't really figure out why? I removed their wall support, levered them down to floor level, dismantled them and took the bricks out one by one to save my back and then subsequently disposed of everything. People kept telling me that I really should get an electrician to do this which has me concerned, have I missed something here that is going to screw me over?

If I went down the route of just getting some electric heaters that I can wall mount, I was just planning on buying some, mounting them and plugging them into the sockets. Again I have been advised to get an electrician to do this and am struggling to see why? Am I missing something crucial here? Somebody mentioned something to me about overloading my circuit but I don't really understand what they meant. I understand that new storage heaters may be a bit more of a job.

My final query is about the requirement for heating within a home. Personally I would almost consider not really having any heating outside of hot water as I don't really see the need for much of it in the UK. Having spent time in parts of the world like north Norway where it is properly cold, I rarely find myself feeling cold or even remotely uncomfortable in the UK (inside a house I mean) and if I do, a jumper usually solves the problem. The main reason I would consider adding some heating would be purely so that any guests/family would be comfortable and to aid future resale. Again am I missing something with regards to the need for heating within a home, is it bad for the fabric of the property to not be maintained at a certain temperature or something like that?

Thanks.

coffeehound

Condensation, damp, mould, mildew, rot, insects and fungus can be a problem in under-heated homes.

sgun

Absolutely no need to get an electrician in to remove storage heaters. Possibly people just mean to get an electrician in to disconnect the supply at the mains (mine was done when I had the meter removed). I also read online about how it was a really hard job and it takes ages but it was really easy and quick and the old bricks have made a brilliant fire pit and raku kiln.

You do need to heat your house every so often, think what empty houses smell like that have been left for ages.

knightstyle

As above no need to employ an electrician to do the dismantling and removal, plus you can DIY the new radiator installation if the radiators come with a plug attached.
Plus check your tariff for the electricity if you no longer use off peak heating.
Personally I would have left one storage heater and run it at minimum setting in winter and when leaving the place empty.

Le_Kirk

Older storage heaters would only have been connected to a switched fused socket outlet. Newer types would have two cables, with one being plugged into a normal socket. The switched fused socket outlet would be connected to your economy 7 (or similar) system so they only power up at night. The modern ones with an extra cable that plug into an ordinary socket are to allow you to top up during the day if required. You cannot (or should not) attempt to plug a storage heater with a single cable into a socket.

Mutton_Geoff

knightstyle wrote: »

Plus check your tariff for the electricity if you no longer use off peak heating

By all means check the day rate is competitive but if you've got "economy 7" or whatever it's called, then keep using it. My dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer are almost always set to run at night when electricity is a quarter of the price (and on a par with gas prices).

Fire_Fox

Jimmy54321 wrote: »

My final query is about the requirement for heating within a home. Personally I would almost consider not really having any heating outside of hot water as I don't really see the need for much of it in the UK. Having spent time in parts of the world like north Norway where it is properly cold, I rarely find myself feeling cold or even remotely uncomfortable in the UK (inside a house I mean) and if I do, a jumper usually solves the problem. The main reason I would consider adding some heating would be purely so that any guests/family would be comfortable and to aid future resale. Again am I missing something with regards to the need for heating within a home, is it bad for the fabric of the property to not be maintained at a certain temperature or something like that?

Thanks.

Homes can vary hugely in how cold they can become, and how cold they can feel in daily life. Better insulated homes - by surrounding properties, window treatments not just lofts, double or triple glazing - may well not 'need' heating each day from Autumn to Spring.

There is increasing evidence showing the importance of indoor air quality and ambient temperature on our health, particularly respiratory health. The recommended minimum for waking hours is 18C. This is particularly important if sedentary (sitting around) or for those at risk of chest problems (eg. history of smoking, family history of asthma) or circulatory problems (eg. high blood pressure).

For the wellbeing of your property and yourself it would be worth considering how effectively you ventilate - throwing windows open daily/ effective extractor fans in kitchen and bathroom - the spaces that you live in and those you do not (eg. storage). Without the option of heating it can be tempting not to ventilate well in very cold weather, but a property can quickly suffer with condensation damp.

For the same reasons it would be worth monitoring the ambient temperature and relative humidity in different rooms or different areas of your property. A digital gadget is a few quid on eBay or similar.

The living areas of my flat rarely fall below 16C and, like you, I am accustomed to an unheated home year round. The developer had fitted cheapo radiant panel heaters, which were impractical and unsafe so I removed or disabled them. However no heating at all had some impact on my health (mild asthma) and my cat's comfort level (early osteoarthritis).

I recently elected to fit vertical electric radiators to maximise usable wall space rather than 'take advantage' of the E7 electricity meter with bulky storage heaters. Currently the thermostats are set at the lowest level so they can increase the temperature a couple of degrees in cold weather.

HTH!

Ectophile

I assume people have told you that you need an electrician because the heaters need to be disconnected before you dismantle them. In practice, if you can disconnect 3 wires without doing anything stupid, you should be OK. Just don't leave bare wires hanging out of the walls.


If you had storage heaters, you may well be on Economy 7. That tariff assumes you use a lot of electricity overnight. If you don't, it could cost you extra.


The difference between the UK and north Norway is that we have a lot of wet here. We have fog and driving rain in the winter. As others have said, an unheated house in winter can have horrible damp and mould problems. That's not good for the house, or anyone living in it.