Old storage heater replacement

RainbowsInTheSpray

Hi guys. I'd like to replace an old, faulty storage heater (2kw). Ideally with something (electric) which could also be a 'feature', as we're talking about a main room. The icing on the cake would be something which wouldn't be that much more costly to run if, say, used with a timer so as to avoid unnecessary running. Is there anything with a bit of class that doesn't turn out, on inspection, to be a tarted-up fan heater? Any electrics-savvy people around?

AskAsk

i can't imagine anything electric would be as cost effective as storage heaters.  if you do want to replace the old one, you will need to pay an electrician to reconnect it as it would be connected to the overnight power supply and not the day one.

you can get new storage heaters that don't look so bad.

RainbowsInTheSpray

Right. They don't look bad - they just look nondescript and characterless. Like a lump of metal stuck in a position it shouldn't rightfully occupy, since we're talking about a hearth area here! Have always wanted rid of it.

Really would appreciate any ideas at all.

AskAsk

RainbowsInTheSpray said:

Right. They don't look bad - they just look nondescript and characterless. Like a lump of metal stuck in a position it shouldn't rightfully occupy, since we're talking about a hearth area here! Have always wanted rid of it.

Really would appreciate any ideas at all.

we have storage heaters in the flat and we were told by the estate agent that they devalue the property as they are no longer as energy efficient as they used to be since electric tariff has become less effiicient on them.

nowadays anyone buying a flat in the block will replace them with gas central heating, so you should budget for this long term if you can't afford to do so short term.

if you want something that looks nice and is electric then you can go for a dimplex heater.  we got given one by the in laws and it looks like a gas fireplace.  it even has real coal on it for effect    works very well, but i think it will be expensive to run as a daily heater.

fenwick458

AskAsk said:

i can't imagine anything electric would be as cost effective as storage heaters.  if you do want to replace the old one, you will need to pay an electrician to reconnect it as it would be connected to the overnight power supply and not the day one.

really? you think storage heaters are efficient?
it seems to me they are terribly inefficient, the idea of storing heat in bricks and then releasing it when you want it, it's rediculous.
secondly, off peak tarrifs aren't as good as they used to be. if you have dual tarrifs, don't you end up paying more in the day than you would normally? 
also, due to new regs the new storage heaters cost an absolute fortune. I just don't see you ever getting that money back
I would get an electrician to convert the supply to that heater to the on peak side, and fit a modern electric heater that has a programmable thermostat built in.

AskAsk

fenwick458 said:

AskAsk said:

i can't imagine anything electric would be as cost effective as storage heaters.  if you do want to replace the old one, you will need to pay an electrician to reconnect it as it would be connected to the overnight power supply and not the day one.

really? you think storage heaters are efficient?
it seems to me they are terribly inefficient, the idea of storing heat in bricks and then releasing it when you want it, it's rediculous.
secondly, off peak tarrifs aren't as good as they used to be. if you have dual tarrifs, don't you end up paying more in the day than you would normally? 
also, due to new regs the new storage heaters cost an absolute fortune. I just don't see you ever getting that money back
I would get an electrician to convert the supply to that heater to the on peak side, and fit a modern electric heater that has a programmable thermostat built in.

as far as i am aware, they are still more efficient than other forms of electrical heating.  the daily tariff is the normal tariff.  the night one is the discounted one.  i think it used to be discounted to 60% of the day tariff but that has crept up so it is no longer as cost effective as it used to be.

the idea of storing the heat is all due to the night tariff as the heater charges up during off peak tariff and then gets used during the day when you are back to normal tariff when it doesn't draw any power.  it works well if you get a decent heater, but you can't just use it without planning as it needs to charge up the night before it is used.

the advantage of storage heaters is the maintenance aspect versus a gas boiler.  it is very simple so it doesn't need any maintenance or servicing and lasts for years.

however, it is out of fashion now so everyone is converting to gas central heating.  i don't know how energy efficient an electric heater with a thermostat would be.  i have seen them in small new built flats but not in large properties where the heating costs are more significant, especially older properties which are not as well insulated as the new build.

Ectophile

fenwick458 said:

AskAsk said:

i can't imagine anything electric would be as cost effective as storage heaters.  if you do want to replace the old one, you will need to pay an electrician to reconnect it as it would be connected to the overnight power supply and not the day one.

really? you think storage heaters are efficient?
it seems to me they are terribly inefficient, the idea of storing heat in bricks and then releasing it when you want it, it's rediculous.
secondly, off peak tarrifs aren't as good as they used to be. if you have dual tarrifs, don't you end up paying more in the day than you would normally? 
also, due to new regs the new storage heaters cost an absolute fortune. I just don't see you ever getting that money back
I would get an electrician to convert the supply to that heater to the on peak side, and fit a modern electric heater that has a programmable thermostat built in.

All storage heaters are 100% efficient.  Every kilowatt hour of electricity that you put in gives you one kilowatt hour of heat out.

The only difference between a good/new storage heater and a broken/old one is how much control you have as to how fast it releases that heat.

danrv

RainbowsInTheSpray said:

Hi guys. I'd like to replace an old, faulty storage heater (2kw). Ideally with something (electric) which could also be a 'feature', as we're talking about a main room. The icing on the cake would be something which wouldn't be that much more costly to run if, say, used with a timer so as to avoid unnecessary running. Is there anything with a bit of class that doesn't turn out, on inspection, to be a tarted-up fan heater? Any electrics-savvy people around?

As mentioned before, a storage heater is going to be the cheapest to run because it’s using stored energy, accumulated on cheap rate electricity. When is use, they cost very little or nothing to run, depending on type. 

There’s plenty of classy or feature electric heating products available but they’re direct heaters using expensive normal rate. 
They may have timers and thermostats but will all give out the same heat, relative to their power.
Storage heaters are going to quite bulky due to their brick core but the Quantum ones are a little more sleek looking.

RainbowsInTheSpray

Thanks for the storage heater debate, guys, but as mentioned this featureless and bulky metal slab is currently occupying a HEARTH area and I need it replaced by something which has the look of a fire. Sorry if I didn't make this clear. I was hoping to find something that combined the virtues of storage heaters and something more fire-like - but from what people have said this is too big an ask.

danrv

Don’t think anything like that exists. I’ve seen LCD panels with a fire motion picture. Maybe use one together with a NSH. 
Other than that, there’s standalone gas or proper log fire, presuming there’s a chimney.

Ectophile

RainbowsInTheSpray said:

Thanks for the storage heater debate, guys, but as mentioned this featureless and bulky metal slab is currently occupying a HEARTH area and I need it replaced by something which has the look of a fire. Sorry if I didn't make this clear. I was hoping to find something that combined the virtues of storage heaters and something more fire-like - but from what people have said this is too big an ask.

Unfortunately, it's a bit difficult to disguise a big box of bricks as anything other than what it is.

Could you move the storage heater elsewhere, and put a small electric fire in the hearth?