Dimplex DuoHeat electric storage heaters: variants, modern replacements and servicing

BulliJudd4

Hello again - we didn't end up replacing the Duoheats and having set the settings in a more effective way managed to get the bills down a bit.

Something I have never been able to ascertain and am curious about is how the unit knows when it is going into the off-peak tariff hours and to start charging itself - is there an internal clock.timer somewhere?

Scot_39

RE How do they know when to charge - It depends

Conventional NSH were often only wired to the off peak circuit. And the meter or an auxiliary timer (mechanical / electronic / some RTS radio signal controlled ) - switched the supply on at off-peak time and switched the meter tariff.

Modern smart meters - have ALCS timers and switching built in.

More modern ones started to need both supplies - for thermostat vent control, fans and digital controller modules etc.

Modern ones to both peak and off-peak supply from meter controlled load switching is more normal. 

The quantums detect the off-peak live and use it to charge - as their learning algorithm determines.

A few can be single wired to 24/7 live - at least Dimplex Quantums and Elnur Ecombi iirc - in which case internal times are programmed on their own digital controls by user to match off peak meter tariff times.

And re noise - many modern lot 20 heaters are likely to be fan assisted.

To save money I thought about Credas for hallways and Quantum for living room - but in end my fault lay in CU not LR NSH unit I thought was failing.

I know someone who had their fitter back out due to noise on one of 3 units - they simply hadn't fitted one of the internals / case properly - and it was vibrating with air flow - once screwed on properly the noise was like others a low background hum - you had to be next to heater and listen for.  It sat about 2 feet behind their couch - they never complained about it - impacting their TV or radio listening.

BulliJudd4

Thanks for this detailed response, @Scot_39, much appreciated!