Storage heater on a plug

[Bob Harris]

I'd like to install a storage heater in my concervatory.
The other rooms of my house all contain storage heaters since there is no gas to the property.
Is it necessary to run a separate cable to the economy 7 ring circuit or can I simply put a plug on the end of the heater's flex cable and plug that into a suitable plug socket timer to take advantage of the off peak electricity tariffs?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Is it necessary to run a separate cable to the economy 7 ring circuit

Yes, but not a ring.
A cable from heater to off-peak consumer unit/fuse board will be required.

or can I simply put a plug on the end of the heater's flex cable and plug that into a suitable plug socket timer to take advantage of the off peak electricity tariffs?

No.

 

[stem]

It's not good practice to use a plug and socket to connect fixed heating appliances, so ideally it should be installed using fixed wiring. I wouldn't recommend plugging it in, and the manufacturer's instructions will likely state that it should be permanently connected.

Having said that, if the heater's maximum input is rated at 2 kW or less I don't think that it should cause you a problem, but if any larger, then the plug / socket / timer may overheat due to the load and the length of time it is operating for. It's not how they are designed to be operated really.

 

[ericmark]

Tariff and wiring system are two different items. It depends on how house is wired.

 

[EFLImpudence]

That's true, and I understand the point, but unlikely to be the case with Economy 7.

Either way, the OP cannot -

simply put a plug on the end of the heater's flex cable and plug that into a suitable plug socket timer to take advantage of the off peak electricity tariffs?

 

[Bob Harris]

If the heater's maximum input is rated at 2 kW or less I don't think that it should cause you a problem, but if any larger, then the plug / socket / timer may overheat due to the load and the length of time it is operating for. It's not how they are designed to be operated really.

How about this timer: http://www.hydrogarden.com/product/10-470-055
With this heater: https://www.electricalcounter.co.uk...rage+Heater+1.7kw+Manual+(8+Brick)/1476419310

 

[Taylortwocities]

Bob. This is a forum designed to help DIYers who do not know what they are doing, and need some help.
If you don't read, or understand the replies above then you need to get and pay for an electrician. You'll run out of assistance on here if you go off piste..

I'll try and make it simple.

Question. Does your house have a separate economy 7 fuse board to which the storage radiators are connected? If the answer is yes, then if you get a new storage radiator, it will need to be wired on its own, separate circuit to that fuse board. The supply to that fuse board will already have a timer associated with it so you do not need to buy another one!

If your house does not have a separate economy 7 fuse board to which the existing storage radiators are connected then we need a photo of the meter and the fuseboard and the associated cables (the big chunky ones). Then we may be able to give different advice.

Over to you to clarify please.

 

[Bob Harris]

Sorry, I was directly replying to Stem's post. Is that not allowed?

My storage heaters have their own fuse board. (I thought it was called a consumer unit? Clarify please.)

It simply isn't feasible to run a separate cable to that board. I would need to dig up over 25 meters of concrete or duct through various walls, rooms, cupboards etc...

Hence my original inquiry.

However, my conservatory is adjacent to my garage. That has its own fuse board which supplies electricity to not own the garage but also the conservatory and greenhouse. That fuseboard in turn is supplied from plug circuit in the house. Not sure of the relevance but I've supplied the information regardless.

 

[333rocky333]

Sorry, I was directly replying to Stem's post. Is that not allowed?

I see nothing wrong with your post.
not sure why TTC responded in that way.

Your not the first person to do what you suggest and I dont see a problem with a smaller unit like you showed and a good quality timer,
was the plan to fit a new supply and socket or use an existing socket.

That fuseboard in turn is supplied from plug circuit in the house

could be an issue, can you elaborate



This is similar, though his installer escalated a simple task into a nightmare as the unit wattage was too big.
//www.diynot.com/diy/threads/d...-off-peak-electric-supply-wiring-help.453766/

Basicaly a fusebox has fuses and a consumer unit generally Mcbs
In the past Storage heaters tended to be on fuseboxes and whilst most people upgraded and changed the Main fusebox to mcbs the storage heater boards tended to be left alone, as fuses.
Most posters coming here still call them all fuseboxes, even if they have mcbs, so not a problem

 

[PBC_1966]

Having said that, if the heater's maximum input is rated at 2 kW or less I don't think that it should cause you a problem, but if any larger, then the plug / socket / timer may overheat due to the load and the length of time it is operating for. It's not how they are designed to be operated really.

Especially given the poor quality of most of the plug-in timers available today. If the load is small enough to consider this sort of option, it would be better to replace the socket with an FCU and hardwire through a good quality timer.

 

[Taylortwocities]

OK. For you the only way to use cheap rate electricity with your set up is to have a storage radiator connected to the off peak fuse board. If that is not practical then you need to look at a different form of heating to a storage radiator.
A panel heater of a suitable size with or without a timer may be an option. This could be plugged in to an existing socket, or provided with its own circuit* from the fuseboard that serves the conservatory.
*Subject to the loading on the circuits be properly assessed. If a new circuit is provided this is notifiable work.

I used the term "fuse board" as off-peak installations tend to use a distribution box that has fuses in it. The term "consumer unit" is nowadays a general term used to mean the same thing in a domestic premises. A consumer unit may have fuses, circuit breakers, RCDs or other devices in it. Other terms are distribution board, consumer control unit and electricity control unit. Basically, in a normal house, they are the same thing and do a similar job.


EDIT: Apologies, I typed this up last night and did not press the 'send' button.
AFAIK, for most installations, only devices connected to the off peak board get clocked at the cheap rate. There are some that work in a different way and could be engineered to work with an external timer.
Need photos of your incoming supply, meter(s), fuseboxes (etc!) and any timers associated with them to say exactly.

 

[Bob Harris]

I see nothing wrong with your post.
not sure why TTC responded in that way.

Your not the first person to do what you suggest and I dont see a problem with a smaller unit like you showed and a good quality timer,
was the plan to fit a new supply and socket or use an existing socket.

could be an issue, can you elaborate



This is similar, though his installer escalated a simple task into a nightmare as the unit wattage was too big.
//www.diynot.com/diy/threads/d...-off-peak-electric-supply-wiring-help.453766/

Originally my garage had no electricity supply. Rather than wiring directly from the consumer unit the electrician ran a cable from a plug socket in my hall to the garage. He then fitted a smaller consumer unit in the garage and from there ran a circuit for the light and another for the sockets. Since then another electrician has extended those circuits to power the conservatory and greenhouse.

 

[Bob Harris]

Especially given the poor quality of most of the plug-in timers available today. If the load is small enough to consider this sort of option, it would be better to replace the socket with an FCU and hardwire through a good quality timer.

What is a FCU?

 

[PBC_1966]

Fused Connection Unit. Like this:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CB4827.html

 

[Bob Harris]

Fused Connection Unit. Like this:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CB4827.html

Thanks, I know them as fused Spurs.