3A fused spur

[Brizz76]

Hi all,
I'm hoping to buy a fan convector heater to be fitted in my conservatory (a Myson Hi-Line) and the installation manual I've found online says that it will need a 3A fused spur for power. The fan will be wall-mounted up high. At ground level, immediately below where the fan will be fitted, is a double plug socket and halfway up the wall is a double light switch for the two lights in the conservatory. Obviously I'll need to get an electrician in to do the work, but how tricky a job is this, how long should it take and (accepting that accurate figures can't be given) what sort of ballpark figure should I exepct to be paying for the job. I live in South Wales if that's any help in terms of costing.
Many thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[Chri5]

Easy job to fit a f/spur from the d/socket.

Alternatively you could provide a suitable flex from the heater to a plug with a 3amp fuse in it.
Cost about £3

The f/spur on a trunking run for the cable would be 15 times that (subject to area costs for trade person) plus materials.

The f/spur hidden cabling inside wall via chasing wall and back fill, or fishing the cable if a stud wall would be even more.

 

[Brizz76]

Chris5,
That's brilliant - just what I was looking for.
Am happy to to have it chased out, if only to keep it tidy and keep the wife pleased.
Will get onto a spark.

Thanks again.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Before you do that have a re-think on the heater - a 700W device mounted high up will do b****r all except slightly warm the air at roof level.

 

[Brizz76]

Hi ban-all-sheds,

The unit that I'm looking at is specifically designed for being mounted up on a wall and the fan blows heat out through a louvred grill at the bottom, pushing the hot air downwards. The research I've done online says that the Myson one I'm looking at is specifically desinged for residential use and the wattage/BTU rating is supposed to be the right level for the size/type of room I'm using it for.

Thanks for the advice though - all of it is gratefully received before I make a final decision.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hot air rises. Ye cannae change the laws of physics. Even if it blows it downwards I'd be surprised that you'd feel much benefit unless you were sat right under it.

And is the heat output OK for a conservatory of that size, given the huge heat losses from those compared to, say, a bathroom?

 

[Brizz76]

I get your point about the hot air rising, but am relying on the fact that these are units that are specifically advertised for mounting high on a wall and for heating a room. The one I'm going for is advertised as being suitable for a consevatory and the kw/BTU output is more than enough for the size of the conservatory.
It's not going to be intended to make the conservatory toasty warm, it's more so to just stop it from being unbearably cold and also to ensure that there is a bit of slightly warm air circulating as we have had a few problems with condensation on the windows and mould patches on the odd bit of wall.
It's the only option I have anyway, so it's gonna be a case of $hit or bust I think!
Thanks again for your input though.

 

[maguire]

Hi have you considered tube heaters, I fitted two steel containers with these that were being used to store linen sheets and the like and the head house keeper says they are brill TLC among others stock them

 

[Steve]

We had a 4kw output* air conditioner working the last few years, and that heated our conservatory nicely.

This year it broke and we had a total of 1.8kw of oil heaters in there at xmas. It was barely warm, and they were running flat out.

As ban said, you cant change the laws of physics. An electric heater is an electric heater, they all have the same efficiency (apart from fan heaters which are slightly less efficient due to fan).

So instead of getting an unsightly fan heater (which everyone will see and say "errgh" in their heads), get a couple of 2kw oil heaters if you must have direct electric heat.

*For the 4kw output, the unit we have has a 1.2kw compressor. It is 300% efficient.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I was going to suggest an air-source heat pump, but they are just a tad more expensive than a small fan heater. And AFAICT decent ones with a good COP are not of the pre-charged DIY install variety, so you need a professional installer.

Although does that only apply to split units? What about an integrated one where you just have a duct running through the wall? Bit noisy though....



Electric UFH?

 

[Steve]

Although does that only apply to split units? What about an integrated one where you just have a duct running through the wall? Bit noisy though....

I cant imagine the COP of a through-the-wall unit would be anywhere near as good as a split unit. They'd inevitably dump some of the heat back into the room, and I can imagine they are very noisy.

I have a freestanding air con, and it is noisy - most of the noise comes from forcing a large volume of air through the machine, but most of the air ends up outside through the hose - only a small amount it uses to cool the room.