Storage heater bricks

[Bob Harris]

I've just brought a new storage heater.
One pack of bricks were broken in half, and the other packs have crumbled corners.

The company have agreed to send me one replacement pack.

My question is: does it matter all that much the corners are crumbled or should i insist on a replacement for all of them?

The bricks are incredibly brittle. If i breathe on them hard they are liable to crumble. Is this normal?
Curiously the bricks only came packaged in a wrap around sheet of cardboard. No bubble wrap etc...
As this is my first storage heater I've ever brought I'm left wondering if this is all normal or not...

 

[crystal ball]

I used to install S/H s for years and occasionally had damaged bricks, ones with clean breaks went in, and crumbled ones were replaced, as long as there are no gaps it will probably be ok

 

[333rocky333]

most wholesalers round here just store them exposed in there yard and sometimes there left for ages, due to there weight they do tend to get bashed about.
As they only absorb heat, a few chips missing may not drastically effect there output.
the elements tend to sit in the centre cutouts, so personally I dont think you will notice much difference to be honest if just corner damage

 

[flameport]

The bricks are incredibly brittle. If i breathe on them hard they are liable to crumble. Is this normal?
Curiously the bricks only came packaged in a wrap around sheet of cardboard. No bubble wrap etc...

Not normal that they are brittle, corners do get chipped off sometimes but the bricks themselves should be very solid.
The Dimplex ones are supplied in pairs held together in shrinkwrap plastic, no other packaging.

 

[Iggifer]

Yea the only bricks we ever get are shrink-wrapped, nothing else. And another vote for missing corners = fairly normal. crumbly/brittle bricks = not normal.

 

[ericmark]

There was a move at one time to move from clay to concrete, but it was found the bricks still needed pre-heating before sale because there was a chemical change with the iron ore used which resulted in loads of water being released. So I think they went back to clay? But be it concrete or clay 60% of the bricks are iron ore, so no where near as strong as a normal brick, the bricks we made did not crumble and did not chip, but they were made in a concrete press, if made with non pressed concrete or clay then they will easy chip. But it really does not matter, they will still store the heat.

 

[Risteard]

The Dimplex ones are supplied in pairs held together in shrinkwrap plastic, no other packaging.

Indeed, and I have a couple of pairs of storage bricks acting as paperweights at the minute! Maybe I should run a "freshen up your storage bricks for your Dimplex heater" offer...

 

[bernardgreen]

The bricks I recovered from the storage heaters in this cottage are dark reddish brown. Hard and resistant to chipping even when dropped onto concrete floor.

Being very heavy they make ideal stage weights and stabilising for posts for temporary lights and signage.