Storage Heater - No Timer

cb85

Hi,

I'm looking for some help with operating storage heaters.

My landlady initially advised that there's a timer in the hall cupboard for the storage heating. However, there's no timer there so she now thinks it might have been removed when the new electric meter was put in.

There is an off/auto switch and temp dial in each room.

I flicked the bedroom switch to auto yesterday afternoon to give it a go and see what happened. The temp dial was set to 70. I didn't notice any heat until about 3am when I happened to wake up. The room was freezing all day, definitely below 70! So I don't think the temp was the reason for the delay in the heat.

How do I control the heating to store the heat over night and give the heat out during the day?

Thanks,
Claire

Swipe

Storage heaters are normally wired into a separate circuit that is only active when the off peak electricity rates apply. You need to take a meter reading and then switch the heater on and make sure that the peak rate is not incrementing more than normal. If not, set your desired temperature and then wake up warm.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

could you stick up a photie of your metering setup, please, could be that time switch is incorporated in new meter.

cb85

[Deleted User] said:

Hi,

could you stick up a photie of your metering setup, please, could be that time switch is incorporated in new meter.

Here you go - thanks 😊

QrizB

OK, so you've got a five-terminal meter. It switches you between low rate (0030-0730) and high rate (0730-0030). There is no separate timeswitch.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

so if those are the actual operational times, you should notice the heat when you get up in the morning.

You can control settings using input and output controls.

What type of heaters have you, photie?

cb85

Thanks everyone for your comments so far.

It's underfloor heating.

There is just a small control box in each room, with a temp dial and off/auto switch - pics attached. I can't see any input/output controls anywhere.

elsien

So it’s underfloor heating and not storage heaters? 

cb85

elsien said:

So it’s underfloor heating and not storage heaters? 

Accordingly to my landlady, it's underfloor storage heating. It heats up over night and gives off heat throughout the day.

Forgive my ignorance if this isn't a thing, I'm just going off their info.

Their instructions (typed by the landlady, not an official manual) state that the timer needs to be set for the period of time that you wish the heating to start and finish.

But there's no timer!

Gerry1

Make sure that your immersion heater (the lower one if there are two) is on the switched E7 overnight circuit.  If there's an upper one (possibly marked 'Boost') leave it permanently switched off.  Only use it (very briefly) if you run out of hot water during the day or have been away.

Gerry1

cb85 said:

elsien said:

So it’s underfloor heating and not storage heaters? 

Their instructions (typed by the landlady, not an official manual) state that the timer needs to be set for the period of time that you wish the heating to start and finish.

But there's no timer!

The timer is in your electricity meter.  The start and finish times are shown on the label stuck on it.