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

DIYhelp76

Photo of consumer units in flat 

DIYhelp76

Would add that no works of any kind have taken place in the flat which might have affected the cabling - so don't understand how there could be an issue between the cable supply from the mains/consumer unit to the storage heaters?  What might have caused this to become faulty/fail, if it is this?

tacpot12

This is the non-contact tester I have: Kewtech AC Non-Contact Voltage Tester with Red LED Indication 600V AC - Screwfix

If there has been no work done on the electrics, then the cause of a supply failure is most likely down to either age or possibly a problem with the orginal installation, e.g. a terminal not have been tightened correctly. Even now, not all electricians have a torque screwdriver to tighten terminal screws to the correct torque. Loose screws cause high resistance, which causes the terminal to heat up when the heater is used, the terminal then cools when the heater is off during the day, and this constant cycle of thermal expansion and contraction leads to the screws working their way loose to the point where there is no electrical contact - or what there is can't carry the current and burns away.   

The only way to go beyond testing at the heaters using a non-contact tester will require the cover to be taken off the consumer unit that supplies the storage heater, and will also need a multi-meter and a long cable. It can be done safely if you know what you are doing - you would isolate the storage heaters uring their individual isolators, turn off the main switch on the heater consumer unit, and isolate the supply to that consumer unit at the main consumer unit. You would then test between the heater consumer unit and the isolators at heat heater. 

It's not safe to use a non-contact tester to prove that the supply has been cut to the consumer unit - non-contact testers only show you the presence power. They cannot confirm the absence of it. You need more equipment (which electricians have) to prove the absence of power. 

With a multi-meter and long test cable, you can test for shorts and broken conductors. This is bread and butter for an electrician. 

Jonboy_1984

Looking at the image and your comments that nothing else was touched that should narrow it down to a fault on the meter itself or how it is switched on/off.

Did they fit a smart meter and/or is there anything next to the meter that says radio-teleswitch or looks like a clock?

Also which supplier (hopefully not British gas as they are know to have issues with smart meters and economy 7).


Trying the E-7 water heater tonight could confirm the whole supply is dead.

DIYhelp76

Thanks very much tacpot12 and Jonboy_1984 for the helpful detailed replies. 

That is a good suggestion to try the E-7 water heater overnight - I hadn't thought of that!  As you say, that might narrow down whether there is no E-7 supply at all. 

It's Ovo Energy and they did fit a smart meter (it was an older non-smart meter previously).  I can't see any clock.  Below is photo showing the new meter and isolator they installed, along with the cupboard as a whole which has the meters for the other flats. 

This testing sounds like it might be beyond our capabilities.  But I can definitely try the E7 water heater tonight and then maybe try OVO again to see if they have got a way to test that there is actually supply getting in?  The problem is the hours of operation...

DIYhelp76

Meter side of things

DIYhelp76

The new meter for our flat on right hand side, it's the one with the new isolator switch

DIYhelp76

Could this potentially mean ripping up walls and floors to change cabling, if it is cabling inside the flat?  Sounds a bit terrifying and like a long process? :-(

ThisIsWeird

Almost certainly this will be something 'simple'. One of these meters/controls/clocks/whatevs is having a bad day. Very unlikely to be a wiring fault, and even if so, will likely be at one end or the other. But, no option is off the table!

No idea what's controlling the timings of the off-peak in that setup - I don't know enough about it.

ThisIsWeird

Yup - that video isn't at all clear.

Best just do the 'hot water' test tonight