Electric Only Heating - Cosy Octopus - New Approach

bob2302

finallyfree23 said:

There are small storage heaters in the open plan lounge and the bedroom, but they’re really badly located in the small space meaning I’ve never been able to utilise them as they’re blocked by furniture (and if I unblocked them, there’d be no suitable space for said furniture! It really is small) 

Are you sure about that? Storage heaters don't relay on radiant heat. 

Gerry1

Once again: What type of storage heaters are they, old ones with two knobs or modern ones with a screen and menus?  Make and model, please.

finallyfree23

Gerry1 said:

Once again: What type of storage heaters are they, old ones with two knobs or modern ones with a screen and menus?  Make and model, please.

Sorry I’ve been in work since you first asked, so haven’t had the opportunity to grab details. They’re hidden behind furniture, but I’ll move things around tonight and find out the model numbers.

They’re definitely old and manually controlled.

@b@bob2302 my concern using them isn’t that they wouldn’t be able to heat efficiently due to the furniture, more about creating a hazard as the living room one has a fabric sofa shoved up directly against it and the bedroom one the edge of a double bed/mattress. 

Gerry1

I'd have thought they were unlikely to cause that much of a hazard.  The case does get warmer than the HHRs but shouldn't be so high that you could get burned by touching, let alone hot enough to cause a fire.  Much of the heat comes out from the top via convection anyway.

The problem is that they wouldn't release heat so quickly.  But did you try them?

Make sure you're using them correctly.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=UeB3Xf_qKvA

Scot_39

Gerry1 said:

I'd have thought they were unlikely to cause that much of a hazard.  The case does get warmer than the HHRs but shouldn't be so high that you could get burned by touching, let alone hot enough to cause a fire.  Much of the heat comes out from the top via convection anyway.

The problem is that they wouldn't release heat so quickly.  But did you try them?

Make sure you're using them correctly.

Like you never thought mine really got hot enough - have measured into 50s and 60s - but conventiona rads get that warm and more - but there are other ways of damaging soft furnishings and hard alike - at much lower temps.

Dimplex for instance currently recommend 30cm - 1 foot clearance to the front of their XLE lot 20 fan assisted. Which like the Quantums I suspect blow heat out of the bottom

On page 1 in fact of the quick start guide

https://product-portal.gdhv.com/sites/default/files/2022-10/XLE Quick start guide Series C - Issue 9.pdf

"Nothing may be placed in the 300mm (1 foot) in front of the heater
at any time. This is to avoid items coming into contact with the
grilles and the heated air which leaves it. Blocking some or all of
this area could represent a fire hazard."

My c 30 yr old Unidare guide - dated 1993 - just says - 

- do not cover the heater with clothing etc at any time or position furniture close to or against the heater.

- ensure a clearance of at least 150mm between heaters and curtains

So guess on that basis the OP is certainly not without reason - and if values the space more than economy 7 savings with old leaky rads heating when not required....

But having read the spec of a potentially similar model to OPs having googled beldray 2000W ceramic heater or some scu

https://beldray.com/content/HCH230208 ARG EH3110V2 IM.pdf

Note sure I like the warnings in the SAFETY instructions.

The one about 

DO NOT use on carpets, rugs, or other flammable floor-based textiles.

Why fit a heater with the option of wheels and then add that -  how many homes wouldn't really want to use a portable heater in some such rooms. Might be why most seem to be photographed on laminate / wood here

https://beldray.com/ceramic-heaters/

Maybe I shoud check my oil filled radiators instructions if still have them - to see if says similar.

Gerry1

Scot_39 said:

Gerry1 said:

I'd have thought they were unlikely to cause that much of a hazard.  The case does get warmer than the HHRs but shouldn't be so high that you could get burned by touching, let alone hot enough to cause a fire.  Much of the heat comes out from the top via convection anyway.

The problem is that they wouldn't release heat so quickly.  But did you try them?

Make sure you're using them correctly.

Dimplex for instance currently recommend 30cm - 1 foot clearance to the front of their XLE lot 20 fan assisted. Which like the Quantums I suspect blow heat out of the bottom

On page 1 in fact of the quick start guide

https://product-portal.gdhv.com/sites/default/files/2022-10/XLE Quick start guide Series C - Issue 9.pdf

"Nothing may be placed in the 300mm (1 foot) in front of the heater at any time. This is to avoid items coming into contact with the grilles and the heated air which leaves it. Blocking some or all of this area could represent a fire hazard."

The OP has old style 'Box of Bricks. NSHs without fans.  Obvious they'd need to check that the sofa etc wasn't so close that it was getting too warm.

Scot_39

Thats why I gave my Unidare guide advice - the "or position furniture close to" - as they are old box of bricks without fan.

Forgot to measure my box temps when turned up for a few days last month - but even on sort of 25% - input dial at 3 oclock - they get to around 60C. 2 including the one I turn up the highest arent even on right now.

EssexHebridean

Gerry1 said:

Scot_39 said:

Gerry1 said:

I'd have thought they were unlikely to cause that much of a hazard.  The case does get warmer than the HHRs but shouldn't be so high that you could get burned by touching, let alone hot enough to cause a fire.  Much of the heat comes out from the top via convection anyway.

The problem is that they wouldn't release heat so quickly.  But did you try them?

Make sure you're using them correctly.

Dimplex for instance currently recommend 30cm - 1 foot clearance to the front of their XLE lot 20 fan assisted. Which like the Quantums I suspect blow heat out of the bottom

On page 1 in fact of the quick start guide

https://product-portal.gdhv.com/sites/default/files/2022-10/XLE Quick start guide Series C - Issue 9.pdf

"Nothing may be placed in the 300mm (1 foot) in front of the heater at any time. This is to avoid items coming into contact with the grilles and the heated air which leaves it. Blocking some or all of this area could represent a fire hazard."

The OP has old style 'Box of Bricks. NSHs without fans.  Obvious they'd need to check that the sofa etc wasn't so close that it was getting too warm.

All our various models of box of bricks style heaters had stickers on them saying that the vents shouldn’t be blocked Gerry - I really would suggest that the OP shouldn’t be encouraged to use NSH’s where furniture is right against them.

finallyfree23

Apologies, I’ve only had the chance to pull the furniture out today and have a look at the “storage” heaters.

Turns out they’re actually not, they’re just standard 2KW panel convector heaters (Elnur PH-200T). 

Begs the question, why the previous occupant of the flat was on an E7 tariff, no doubt paying much more than necessary for their daytime usage whilst not being able to benefit properly from the overnight savings. 🤷‍♂️

New ceramic heater is now set up and scheduled to make use of the low rate hours, with an extra hour at standard rate, and I’m going to see how it goes both in terms of energy usage and warmth over the coming week before tweaking if necessary.

I only got it set up this afternoon so only had an hour or so of heat before it went off at 4pm. It had raised the room temperature to approx 19c, and the panel stayed hot for a good hour after it cut off. It’s been off now for 3.5hrs and temp has dropped to just under 17, but it’s due to come back on at 7 for an hour, off until 10 and then 2 more cheap hours at the end of the evening.

Assuming I keep with the current schedule running all of the cheap hours plus 1 extra at standard rate then the heating cost per day will be less than £3, leaving plenty of headroom if I want to run extra hours on colder days. And that’s assuming it draws the full 2KW when on, monitoring the graph earlier when it was on it does drop in and out when needed, so the true cost per hour will likely be lower.

Also now got the water heater set to only run during the lowest cost times, and will run washer/dryer then too. Not really practical to shift my only other high usage, cooking, to the cheapest slots but I can avoid the peak rate.

Let’s see how it goes.

QrizB

Probably a previous owner or landlord of the flat thought the storage heaters took up too much space (you've said it's tiny) and swapped them out for slimmer convectors. Then moved out before having to face the consequences (a much higher energy bill).

Glad to hear that your ceramic cored heated seems to do the job, and hopefully the worst of the winter is behind us now that it's March!