Storage heater recommendations

Gerry1

lilac_dawn said:

Gerry1 said:

The old Box of Bricks NSHs don't have timers.  They have a simple thermostat to control the input charge and a flap that can be closed to reduce the heat output, but they will still emit a lot of heat during the night and at other times when it's not needed.

That's why the case will usually be warm whereas the Quantum's won't be because it's well insulated, hence the need to blow the heat out with a fan.  Another point the Amazon reviewers just didn't understand.

So how do they know when to charge up on off-peak elec? 2 of my SH are fine and come on to charge when the Eco 7 kicks in. The other 2 don't as they were permanently on and charging until the electrician put external timer switches on them.

To prevent peak rate charging, the electrician should have wired all the old style NSHs to an E7 circuit switched by the meter.

lilac_dawn said:

Now I set the times for them to charge according to the Eco 7 times.

That's basically a bodge.  Get the times wrong and it will be expensive.  What counts is when it actually switches, not when someone thinks it should.

lilac_dawn said:

One of my heaters also doesn't have an input dial as it's fan-assisted anyway so I suppose that would be the last to replace as it's the most efficient at the moment. 

It will have various settings that control how warm the room should be and at which times.  You also be able to minimise the amount of time that the peak rate boost heater kicks in, or set it to zero.

lilac_dawn

Gerry1 said:

lilac_dawn said:

Gerry1 said:

The old Box of Bricks NSHs don't have timers.  They have a simple thermostat to control the input charge and a flap that can be closed to reduce the heat output, but they will still emit a lot of heat during the night and at other times when it's not needed.

That's why the case will usually be warm whereas the Quantum's won't be because it's well insulated, hence the need to blow the heat out with a fan.  Another point the Amazon reviewers just didn't understand.

So how do they know when to charge up on off-peak elec? 2 of my SH are fine and come on to charge when the Eco 7 kicks in. The other 2 don't as they were permanently on and charging until the electrician put external timer switches on them.

To prevent peak rate charging, the electrician should have wired all the old style NSHs to an E7 circuit switched by the meter.

lilac_dawn said:

Now I set the times for them to charge according to the Eco 7 times.

That's basically a bodge.  Get the times wrong and it will be expensive.  What counts is when it actually switches, not when someone thinks it should.

lilac_dawn said:

One of my heaters also doesn't have an input dial as it's fan-assisted anyway so I suppose that would be the last to replace as it's the most efficient at the moment. 

It will have various settings that control how warm the room should be and at which times.  You also be able to minimise the amount of time that the peak rate boost heater kicks in, or set it to zero.

Gerry1 said:

lilac_dawn said:

Gerry1 said:

The old Box of Bricks NSHs don't have timers.  They have a simple thermostat to control the input charge and a flap that can be closed to reduce the heat output, but they will still emit a lot of heat during the night and at other times when it's not needed.

That's why the case will usually be warm whereas the Quantum's won't be because it's well insulated, hence the need to blow the heat out with a fan.  Another point the Amazon reviewers just didn't understand.

So how do they know when to charge up on off-peak elec? 2 of my SH are fine and come on to charge when the Eco 7 kicks in. The other 2 don't as they were permanently on and charging until the electrician put external timer switches on them.

To prevent peak rate charging, the electrician should have wired all the old style NSHs to an E7 circuit switched by the meter.

lilac_dawn said:

Now I set the times for them to charge according to the Eco 7 times.

That's basically a bodge.  Get the times wrong and it will be expensive.  What counts is when it actually switches, not when someone thinks it should.

lilac_dawn said:

One of my heaters also doesn't have an input dial as it's fan-assisted anyway so I suppose that would be the last to replace as it's the most efficient at the moment. 

It will have various settings that control how warm the room should be and at which times.  You also be able to minimise the amount of time that the peak rate boost heater kicks in, or set it to zero.

That was the point: there wasn't an e7 circuit. I can't remember all the details but there are 2 circuits here. He went into it in a lot of detail. I set the timers myself so not a problem as I know when the E7 kicks in and can also see it when the SHs on the E7 circuit light up. It was either that or have quite a bit of messy rewiring done. That's why I want someone in to look at it all. The fan-assisted one has no input control, just a room-temperature/output one. If the output is high enough, it will trigger the fan in an attempt to warm up the room. This is more in the evening as the heater runs out of charge. 
I moved here from another smaller apartment in the same development that had 2 SHs only but were both correctly wired to an Econ 7 circuit. The rest were panel heaters so obviously were live all the time.
I've suffered Econ 7 for almost 20 years so am sadly well versed with it. 

wrf12345

You can always "downsize" your windows internally by placing 50mm  insulation board (celotex) over most of the panes and hiding it behind curtains, having painted the outward facing surface matt black so it does not look weird to neighbours (more like a closed blind), Reducing external loss through the windows by say 80 percent would have a radical effect on heat loss and the cost of running LED light bulbs is minimal, these days. In an ideal world, your flat would draw in heat from the surrounding flats so no heating would be needed if you have a high enough insulation level... storage heaters are basically ways for energy companies to make loads of dosh, avoid!

lilac_dawn

wrf12345 said:

You can always "downsize" your windows internally by placing 50mm  insulation board (celotex) over most of the panes and hiding it behind curtains, having painted the outward facing surface matt black so it does not look weird to neighbours (more like a closed blind), Reducing external loss through the windows by say 80 percent would have a radical effect on heat loss and the cost of running LED light bulbs is minimal, these days. In an ideal world, your flat would draw in heat from the surrounding flats so no heating would be needed if you have a high enough insulation level... storage heaters are basically ways for energy companies to make loads of dosh, avoid!

Thanks but we have large patio doors as windows, with a good view, as well as doors on to a balcony so blacking them out isn't an option. I already have heat-reflective blinds and curtains with thermal linings so I pretty much have the windows as good as they are going to get Top floor so not attached but it does mean the ceilings are higher than average. The roof space is insulated. I'm afraid storage heaters can't really be avoided!

lilac_dawn

@Gerry1 do you know about the wiring on these? I see a bargain Quantum 150 but would need it to replace an old SH where there is only 1 circuit so constantly on, corrected with an external timer. I have emailed an installer but he hasn't got back to me. Also wondering if I can get all those bricks up the stairs...

Swipe

lilac_dawn said:

@Gerry1 do you know about the wiring on these? I see a bargain Quantum 150 but would need it to replace an old SH where there is only 1 circuit so constantly on, corrected with an external timer. I have emailed an installer but he hasn't got back to me. Also wondering if I can get all those bricks up the stairs...

You can take the bricks upstairs one by one if needed.

lilac_dawn

Swipe said:

lilac_dawn said:

@Gerry1 do you know about the wiring on these? I see a bargain Quantum 150 but would need it to replace an old SH where there is only 1 circuit so constantly on, corrected with an external timer. I have emailed an installer but he hasn't got back to me. Also wondering if I can get all those bricks up the stairs...

You can take the bricks upstairs one by one if needed.

All 36 of them Do you know about wiring? Wondering whether to take a chance on this FB heater or not.

Gerry1

lilac_dawn said:

@Gerry1 do you know about the wiring on these? I see a bargain Quantum 150 but would need it to replace an old SH where there is only 1 circuit so constantly on, corrected with an external timer. I have emailed an installer but he hasn't got back to me. Also wondering if I can get all those bricks up the stairs.

Yes, have a look at the wiring instructions.

https://www.dimplex.co.uk/product/quantum-hhr-storage-heater

Take GREAT care to verify your meter's E7 times (best to have a neon indicator on a circuit switched by the meter).

Similarly, make sure you understand and program the Quantum correctly.  Watch out for GMT/BST variances and 'split shift' E7 times with a two hour gap in the middle.

You in may also wish to set the peak rate boost heater so that it can't kick in automatically.

Get it right and it'll work a treat.  Get it wrong and it'll be expensive !

lilac_dawn

It's not the times I need to know - Gerry1 said:

lilac_dawn said:

@Gerry1 do you know about the wiring on these? I see a bargain Quantum 150 but would need it to replace an old SH where there is only 1 circuit so constantly on, corrected with an external timer. I have emailed an installer but he hasn't got back to me. Also wondering if I can get all those bricks up the stairs.

Yes, have a look at the wiring instructions.

https://www.dimplex.co.uk/product/quantum-hhr-storage-heater

Take GREAT care to verify your meter's E7 times (best to have a neon indicator on a circuit switched by the meter).

Similarly, make sure you understand and program the Quantum correctly.  Watch out for GMT/BST variances and 'split shift' E7 times with a two hour gap in the middle.

You in may also wish to set the peak rate boost heater so that it can't kick in automatically.

Get it right and it'll work a treat.  Get it wrong and it'll be expensive !

It's not the times I need to know, it's if it can be wired as my current one is - to a live circuit, with a timer attached to it. As well as an extra socket needed for the fan.  

QrizB

lilac_dawn said:

It's not the times I need to know - Gerry1 said:

lilac_dawn said:

@Gerry1 do you know about the wiring on these? I see a bargain Quantum 150 but would need it to replace an old SH where there is only 1 circuit so constantly on, corrected with an external timer. I have emailed an installer but he hasn't got back to me. Also wondering if I can get all those bricks up the stairs.

Yes, have a look at the wiring instructions.

https://www.dimplex.co.uk/product/quantum-hhr-storage-heater

Take GREAT care to verify your meter's E7 times (best to have a neon indicator on a circuit switched by the meter).

Similarly, make sure you understand and program the Quantum correctly.  Watch out for GMT/BST variances and 'split shift' E7 times with a two hour gap in the middle.

You in may also wish to set the peak rate boost heater so that it can't kick in automatically.

Get it right and it'll work a treat.  Get it wrong and it'll be expensive !

It's not the times I need to know, it's if it can be wired as my current one is - to a live circuit, with a timer attached to it. As well as an extra socket needed for the fan.  

No, it can't. (Well I guess it could but it's a dreadful kludge.)

In your situation it's best wired directly to the permanently live circuit, without an external timer and without an extra socket for the fan.