Replacing very old overnight storage heaters

Moley27272

Hi,

First I should explain. I'm a retired pensioner so I need heating during the day and probably for longer than most. I require 3 heaters in my house.
I need to replace my 50+ year old brick storage heaters that were here when I moved in 2 years ago. They are in efficient, only half the radiator heats up. 
I've looked into Fischer storage heaters that, according to the sales rep, take 15 minutes to heat up the clay elements and releases the heat as and when I need it. They are very expensive around £2,000 each rad. Fischer are convinced they are the most cost effective to run.
I've also looked at Dimplex Quantum at around £900 each. These heat up overnight so I can use my economy 7 Tarif. Do these take all night to heat up? 
Has anyone any experience as to which heater is best and  are the most economical to run ? 

Thank you
M

Robin9

First  -  get an electrician in  as the problem may well be a thermal link.

Look at  various Fischer threads on this forum and make your own judgement.

Likewise  look at various Quantum threads.

FreeBear

Moley27272 said: I've looked into Fischer storage heaters that, according to the sales rep, take 15 minutes to heat up the clay elements and releases the heat as and when I need it. They are very expensive around £2,000 each rad. Fischer are convinced they are the most cost effective to run.
I've also looked at Dimplex Quantum at around £900 each. These heat up overnight so I can use my economy 7 Tarif. Do these take all night to heat up?

Fischer are telling porkies. All electric heating is (as near as dammit) 100% efficient. So for every kW of electricity going in, you get 1kW of heat out. Fischer have received numerous slaps from the ASA over false claims and I believe Trading Standards have also brought a prosecution or two.

The Dimplex heaters will be just as efficient as anything Fischer produce. The heat up time of any storage heater doesn't really matter too much as it is done during the night when you are (should) be in bed and asleep. Don't know specifically how long a Dimplex would take to heat up as I don't have one.

BarelySentientAI

Moley27272 said:

Fischer are convinced they are the most cost effective to run.

Fischer are convinced they can sell more radiators if they say they are the most cost effective to run.

Physics says otherwise.

molerat

A storage heater is simply an insulated box of bricks with a few cooker elements inside, they are not high tech and are usually fairly easy to repair. If it is only partly heating up then it is likely one of the elements has died.  Newer ones are pretty much the same but better insulated and a more controllable output.  The cheapest first option is to see if it can be fixed, an awful lot less than £900.  I have fixed several over the years - replaced elements, input stats and cutouts - the biggest thing to watch out for is if they have asbestos insulation.

Fisher are not storage heaters, they are quite controllable instantaneous heaters using peak rate electric so for the same amount of heat you will be paying 2 to 3 times the money compared to off peak stored heat.  They do look very pretty though

Moley27272

thank you for all your comments. I'm now thinking of looking at replacing the bricks in my existing old heaters. Maybe elements as well. Where do I start tho !!, Ive  googled replacing bricks in old storage heaters, nothing comes up. I just want to go into an old fashioned shop and speak with someone over the counter who is not waving one flag or another. As has been said each manufactur is going to big up there product and say its the best, which is often not the case. 

knightstyle

If I were you I would look at the latest intelligent" storage heaters from Dimplex and others.   Fischer are well known in the trade and I nhave taken out several of their radiators for disapointed clients, cheap oil filled radiators are just as good/bad.
I would also check to see if your windows, insulation and external doors are OK as in reality once the property is warm you only pay for the heat that escapes from it!

Section62

Moley27272 said:

thank you for all your comments. I'm now thinking of looking at replacing the bricks in my existing old heaters. Maybe elements as well. Where do I start tho !!, Ive  googled replacing bricks in old storage heaters, nothing comes up....

What/who has made you think changing the bricks is necessary or a good idea?

The lack of google results is probably a reflection that it isn't.

EssexExile

Moley27272 said:

thank you for all your comments. I'm now thinking of looking at replacing the bricks in my existing old heaters. Maybe elements as well. Where do I start tho !!, Ive  googled replacing bricks in old storage heaters, nothing comes up. I just want to go into an old fashioned shop and speak with someone over the counter who is not waving one flag or another. As has been said each manufactur is going to big up there product and say its the best, which is often not the case. 

I can't imagine why you'd replace the bricks, they can't go wrong. I worked for Creda may years ago and used to repair storage heaters. If it only half heats up then probably an element has gone, depending on the size they can have several. I've no idea if parts are still available for yours. Modern storage heaters are smaller, neater, better looking and more controllable. They heat up at night just like your old ones, some have fans & some have additional radiant heaters if you need a boost.

danrv

molerat said:

If it is only partly heating up then it is likely one of the elements has died.  

Worth checking. 
One of the elements in my old Unidare warm air heater had a different ohms reading than the others. 
Easy job for an electrician to check these.

I found this company helpful when enquiring about parts for older storage heaters:
https://www.electricairespares.co.uk/

Otherwise Dimplex Quantum are good 
and will retain heat better for when it's needed.
If the current storage heaters just have the one wall switch, a second supply nearby (24hr) would be needed for the Quantums.

ThisIsWeird

Hi Moley.
Could you post a pic of your storage heaters, please? Any model numbers anywhere - on the side, underneath, or behind a hinge-down cover? See if you can find the info plates somewhere on them.
Are they all the same, or have some been replaced along the way?
Most likely they'll be Dimplex make, and unfortunately some of the older ones did use asbestos as part of the insulation inside. In this case, they should be disposed of - no sparky should try replacing your elements for you.
From what I've Googled, the non-asbestos models were from around 1974, so yours - at 50-years old - would seem to be on the cusp of that change. We need to know the exact model.
If they do contain asbestos, they will need removing by a licensed contractor. I guess your first call would be to your LA?
If they don't contain asbestos, then the most sensible move forward would be to have them tested for the fault, which - as said by others - is most likely to be a failed element or two. In this case, a repair is almost certainly the smartest move, as the savings over replacing the whole unit will be considerable; £900+ for each new SH will cover a lot of your future energy use.
Yes, new SHs will almost certainly provide savings on your leccy bill, but will also almost certainly take many years to recoup the £900 outlay. 
So, we first need to confirm the exact models you have. Based on this, we can suggest the best way forward for you, including choice of model.

https://www.storageheaters.com/asbestos-list.htm