Storage Heaters - all 3 failed - no heating - cause & how to repair?

DIYhelp76

Hello

Hope someone can help.  We have three Economy 7 storage heaters.   It's a flat.  Overnight all three failed a few days ago, so we have no heating.  Up until now they've worked fine for several years.

We had the electricity supplier out yesterday and they changed the Economy 7 meter and isolating switch in the communal hall.  They couldn't test the heaters and supply during the visit because this does not "kick in" until midnight as it works overnight.

The heaters are Dimplex XL5N.

The rest of the flat electrics seem to be unaffected. 

Please does anyone have any suggestions for what could be wrong and how to fix?

We did our own googling and there is suggestion to use a reset button, but we can't find any reset button inside - I will try to upload pics below.

Many thx in advance as we're COLD brrrrrr!!  :-) 

DIYhelp76

Forgot to say, they have their own consumer unit inside the flat and none of the fuses have been tripped.

DIYhelp76

Will try to add photo below 

ThisIsWeird

Do you know what you are doing? These are all live parts you've exposed and, being 'timed' by a seemingly faulty system, could potentially become live without warning. So please STOP unless you are fully aware and competent.

Anyhoo, it has to be said that for all three heaters to fail at the same time has to be extremely unlikely, but it's not impossible. For all the elements in them to blow at the same even less so.

I've had a Dimplex heater apart only recently, and there's little to go wrong. Not sure they even had overheat stats, just the input and output controls, but you could look for instructions for that model on Google. I'll have a gander too.

tacpot12

If all three storage heaters have failed at the same time, then the problem isn't in the storage heaters themselves, but the supply to them. I would expect the problem to be in a cable between the consumer unit and the heaters. 

You don't have the knowledge to investigate this, so you need an electrician. If the flat is rented contact the letting agent or landlord. A lack of heating, in the winter, is an emergency, so they should get an electrican out within 48 hrs. 

ThisIsWeird

https://youtu.be/F5TY9nEnnw4

But for gawd's sakes make SURE it's isolated, and even then use insulated tools and rubber gloves. Do you have a mains tester?

ThisIsWeird

Do you cover them with clothes and stuff?

Jonboy_1984

You mention they have their own consumer unit, does this run back to the meter or is it connected to another consumer unit?

Do you have hot water on the economy 7 and is that heating ok?

knightstyle

Get a cheap non contact tester and see if there is power to the heaters at night. Then come back for advice.

GDB2222

It’s the LL's problem.

DIYhelp76

Hi everyone, thanks for all the replies.  

To reply to the queries raised:

• No, we never cover them with anything.
• It's not rented - it's owned for several years - never had this issue before. 
• Aware of the risks and our limitations, so will not do anything dangerous.
• I saw the above video and was looking for that reset switch, but can't find it.  
• Agree, very odd for all 3 to go at once, but I thought maybe if thermostat in one had gone and could be reset, that might link/feed into the others somehow, so all would then work?  Hence wanting to try that reset option before calling someone out. 
• Consumer unit set up - pls see image below.  There are 2 consumer units in the flat.  One on right is only for storage heaters and water heater. The main supply meter is then in the communal hallway outside the flat.  This main meter was switched yesterday along with a new mains isolator switch.
• Water heater - there is Economy 7 water heater but we don't use that as use just an "on demand" switch for hot water and then electric shower.  The "on demand" water heater works, but this is because it isn't on the Economy 7 supply I guess. 

I'm happy to buy this "non contact tester" - any links to what this is please and how I would use it to test the heaters at night?  This is the main issue because I think the Economy 7 only goes "live" midnight to 7am ish.  Would we switch all the switches off to do this or leave them on?  There's the individual fused spur switches next to each storage heater unit and then obviously the individual fuses on the consumer unit (plus it's main master on/off) and then the isolating switch at the mains in the hallway. 

Ideally would like to try safe options we can to narrow down to cause of the problem before calling someone out, if necessary.

Many thanks.