Electric storage heaters

[plasticpete]

Hi,
We're thinking of moving into a flat, and the ones we have seen are all electric. Most of them just have electric radiators which we're thinking of changing to storage heaters. Is it simply a matter of just wiring the storage heaters into the already installed points that the electric rads are using (and changing to economy 7, of course)?
Sorry to be a div, but I've never had electric heating before! In fact, any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Maybe, maybe not, they will each require their own circuit (cable).

However, they may already have that if the radiators have previously replaced storage heaters.



Picture of electrical distribution (fuse box(es)) may help.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Lordy, I remember storage heaters in a flat I live in. They'd be toasty in the morning. Then you go out to work. Then you arrive home to find they've cooled down and have to spend the rest of the evening in a cold flat. Their passing will not be mourned.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I know someone once who trawled charity shops and jumble sales for old duvets, and would cover his heaters over when he went out in the morning.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I know someone once who trawled charity shops and jumble sales for old duvets, and would cover his heaters over when he went out in the morning.

And returned home late one evening after a long train delay to find the off peak had switched on and the duvets were on fire?

But seriously, off peak usually means separate wiring. Read EFLI's post above, send us some pix.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And returned home late one evening after a long train delay to find the off peak had switched on and the duvets were on fire?

Ha ha.

Not to my knowledge. But as they are meant to store several kWh of heat, they probably wouldn't do that.

 

[swishy6]

Some of the air con units on the market these days, the ones with reversible pumps for heating, they claim amazing efficiency. I've seen one for around a grand that's over SCOP 5. I think that means 500% plus efficiency although I admit I haven't done the real homework on them. I'm looking for something electric to heat my basement and air con looks tempting at present.

 

[plasticpete]

Can't send details of distribution boards as we haven't decided on a flat yet! We're looking at several, purpose built apartment blocks all of which have been built in the last 10 years.
Thanks for advice though. I shall start looking at the distribution boards. Would each storage radiator need its own trip switch?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes.

If there are two fuse boxes, one with possibly four 15A fuses in it then likely it will have been swapped for the radiators and could be changed back and Economy 7 reintroduced.

If just one modern consumer unit then it would be more difficult.

 

[ericmark]

You can't store electricity however you can turn in into another form to store, be that chemical energy (battery), kinetic energy (flywheel), potential energy, (water held in a dam) or heat energy. There are two problems, one making the unit small enough, and two stopping the energy escaping.

Heating water means large units, heating iron means high loses. There were some attempts at using the latent heat of fusion, but these did not really catch on.

So a large tank full of hot water works well, but it is a large tank to hold enough water to keep a house warm all day from the energy absorbed during the night, where the design was at the building stage it can work well, but as an add on, it is the space required. Using bricks made of iron with either concrete or clay to form them into bricks is far smaller, however they leak heat all the time. Although you have some control you can't turn the output off. For an office block it can be reasonable as by time they are running out of heat, it's the end of the working day. OK heart of winter but in the transition time spring and autumn, you can both get the house too hot and too cold. If they have heated up over night and then you get a fine day, there is no way to turn heating off. Also the reverse day like today and becomes really cold unexpected and they run out of heat.

Where the house is occupied 24/7 then it can work out cheaper using bricks. Where the occupants are away at work during the day it does not really work.

The water system is being used more, as it can be integrated with solar panels, and solid fuel heating. With a flat in the main there is simply not enough room to fit the water system.

 

[flameport]

When sized correctly and installed to the correct supply (as in a 7 hour charge period), and the controls are set properly, storage heaters work perfectly well to heat the building.
Their main disadvantage is that they are designed to provide heat all of the time, so are not particularly useful where the building is unoccupied for long periods during the day as you will be paying to heat an empty building.

If they are cold in the afternoon or evening, then either they are undersized, one or more elements have failed, or the controls have been set wrongly.
It is also necessary to use all of the heaters in all rooms, or none of them. Using one or two will again result in no heat by the evening, as the heat losses from the heated room will be substantially greater due to the cold adjacent rooms.

The input control determines how much heat is stored - set to higher in colder weather.
The other one opens a mechanical plate inside to allow air to flow through the brick core, so that substantially more heat is emitted. This should be set to minimum most of the time and only adjusted if extra heat is required for a short period. Leaving that on maximum all the time will result in the stored heat being gone by the mid afternoon/evening.

Certain manufacturers of electric panel heaters claim that their products are vastly cheaper and better than storage heaters. This is only true if heating is required for a couple of hours each day, the savings being from only having heat for a short period. If used all day, they will be significantly more expensive to use.