Dimplex Duoheat - experience?

Ignite

I've done some installs with the Dimplex, Creda and Dealecs own ranges, and must say that there is very little between them for the basic storage heaters. The bricks, elements and insulation are the same, and at the end of the day, it is only the look that is between them. The Dealec range is actually the Newlec units from http://www.neweyandeyre.co.uk/. They are the cheapest, and in our last place, did the job.

One thing to check before you start removing the old storage heaters is Asbestos. There are a couple of websites that allow you to look up the model number and it will tell you what the issues are.

Stardelta

First "Size does not matter it's how you use it" with storage heaters it does matter, not big enough no matter what you do you will not be happy. The trouble over many years has been stick a storage heater in there, cheap compared with a full heating system, but the user not happy, it was not sized for the room correctly. Visit https://www.dimplex.co.uk Send for The Guide mine is September 2007 CI/SFB (56) may be a new one out. On the website, click on > Aftersales > click on > Guide to the design of electric space heating system. When you bet the Guide in the post, you can read all about the Duoheat and other storage heaters also direct heaters, and more important HOW to work out the size you need. Just a thought my storage heaters are Creada 1984 I have glass shelve over the room one with a pot dog ornament in the middle, if one the rare occasion I open the damper at night I move the dog over the controls, this is to remind me NOT to forget to close it when I go to bed. If you do forget it will close when the power come on, but will open during the day letting out the heat you require for the night, and I have forgotten on more than one occasion.

rathga

For those interested, here's a reply from Dimplex:

Thank you for your e-mail enquiring about the Dimplex Duo Heat. I can advise that the Duo Heaters are designed to charge over night and will continuously release the heat. The storage supply is connected directly to the economy 7 supply (not the programmer on the 24 hour supply) and will use electricity only during the off peak hours. The Duo Heat incorporates a low wattage radiant front panel which is connected to the 24 hour supply which can be connected to the programmer. Unfortunately it is not possible to shut the heat off and release when you want it to release the stored heat.

Once the heater has taken a charge, it will release the heat by natural convection. However, with the use of electronic sensors and high spec insulation, storage heaters are efficient and can provide long lasting heat. If the heaters are correctly sized for the room and they are then operated correctly, takes sufficient charge, the heaters can operate so that the heat lasts and still gives heat in the evening. The Duo Heat has the radiant front panel connected to the 24 hour supply, so even when the stored heat is almost gone, the low wattage panel can help boost the room temperature.

So essentially:

• As ignite mentions, these are basically normal storage heaters, but with a panel heater on the front to allow an evening boost
• As such they probably don't offer the level of control I was hoping, but maybe are still a little more flexible than a standard storage heater
• Question about whether the heater can still function as a panel heater when it hasn't been on overnight is unresolved

gouldilocks

I've only just seen this post so sorry for the delay.

We use panel heaters in the bedrooms and downstairs we use two Duo Heat, 300 & 500, we find them really good, yes you can use them without heating at night, in say Spring / Autumn although we haven't done this, we have the background heat on at a set temperature and then adjust the peak when we come in in the evenings and it works fine.

gc_bus

We have three (Dimplex) panel heaters upstairs plus one in the kitchen and one in the conservatory. All are 500w EPX models. In the living room are one Dimplex XLS18N storage heater and one Dimplex Duoheat 400 storage heater. Apart from the XLS18N, the whole lot are controlled via the mains bourne signalling MBS20 controller over four zones - it's brilliant is all I can say and in a well insulated 2-bed mid terrace house such as ours works out to be around £50 per month running costs in the winter months. :j

Lamb333

I have installed many of the DUOHEAT storage heaters, N range. Yes the panel heater can operate when the storage side is switched off. HOWEVER there would appear to be basic design fault in the DUOHEAT range. The lowest room temperature than can be achieved using the convector setting at frost lowest setting and the storage heating at the first red mark lowest setting is20Deg C. Dimplex tell me this normal ! This has been tested on 12 individual heaters and the all behave in the same way. So if you think you might wish to have one of your rooms operating with a background heat lower than 20 Deg C , think twice before installing a Dimplex Duoheat.

myutopia

I was giving the duoheat radiator some serious consideration until I read these posts.

I've moved into a house where the heating is pretty much on it's last legs and needs ripping out.

My plan was to remove the old fire backed boiler, put in a good combi boiler for the Domestic Hot Water and rip out all the radiators and replace the lot with electric. Although I'm not on economy 7 I was considering something with storage heater capabilities as I have one eye on eventually putting in solar panels and wind turbines, so would like them to be able to use the energy I generate.

I do want to be able to put them on a timer, a control panel for managing the lot would be good but if it's going to add more than £100 to the installation I'm inclined to not bother.

I plan to track down a few showrooms but was wondering if anyone had any advice on this, I'm one of those people that tends to over egg things.

jalexa

myutopia wrote: »

I was considering something with storage heater capabilities... as I have one eye on eventually putting in solar panels...

I think I see a problem there.

Cardew

myutopia wrote: »

I was giving the duoheat radiator some serious consideration until I read these posts.

I've moved into a house where the heating is pretty much on it's last legs and needs ripping out.

My plan was to remove the old fire backed boiler, put in a good combi boiler for the Domestic Hot Water and rip out all the radiators and replace the lot with electric. Although I'm not on economy 7 I was considering something with storage heater capabilities as I have one eye on eventually putting in solar panels and wind turbines, so would like them to be able to use the energy I generate.

I do want to be able to put them on a timer, a control panel for managing the lot would be good but if it's going to add more than £100 to the installation I'm inclined to not bother.

I plan to track down a few showrooms but was wondering if anyone had any advice on this, I'm one of those people that tends to over egg things.

Combi boiler? - you have gas?

If so forget about electrical heating and solar panel/tubines

grahamc2003

myutopia wrote: »

.

I plan to track down a few showrooms but was wondering if anyone had any advice on this, I'm one of those people that tends to over egg things.

Hmmm, I'm sure you'll get plenty of advice from solar and windmill salesmen, and from plenty on these boards, that your ideas are spot on. But those types of people are a couple of yolks short of an omelette.

For many reasons it wouldn't work as you expect.

If you have a high standard of insulation, then (bog standard, nothing fancy like the Duo) modern storage heaters on E7 aren't as bad as most people think, with a major advantage over gas of having zero maintenance, compared to expensive servicing and maintenance of gas. The controllability of gas makes it the winner overall though for most people. Correctly installed Storage heaters on e7 would be of virtually no practical use in using the output from solar panels or a windmill on your roof (because, for starters, the solar generates in the daytime, and many home windmills produce little, or nothing, or have a net demand instead of generation).