Storage heater not retaining heat

[zac1234]

I had 3 storage heaters installed 3 years ago. Two if them retain the heat well, one of them doesn't. The one that doesn't will get just as hot when it's turned on but will loose the heat so much quicker.

I doubt there could be a problem with the elements as the unit isn't old enough. Is it worthwhile/safe for me to take the front of it off to have a look to see if I can see anything obvious?

Make: Elnur Gabarron
Model: ECOSSH158

 

[just pumps]

Is it in a colder area

 

[zac1234]

Is it in a colder area

It's in the living room behind the sofa

 

[Murdochcat]

It's in the living room behind the sofa

Which may suggest it’s not sensing the actual temperature of the room during the day which affects how much the heater heats up at night

So try moving the sofa away from the storage heater

 

[zac1234]

Which may suggest it’s not sensing the actual temperature of the room during the day which affects how much the heater heats up at night

So try moving the sofa away from the storage heater

Thanks for the advice, I will try this tonight

 

[zac1234]

Which may suggest it’s not sensing the actual temperature of the room during the day which affects how much the heater heats up at night

So try moving the sofa away from the storage heater

I tried this last night but unfortunately hasn't worked. The heater stops storing heat at 7am and I can already feel it getting cool less than 1.5hrs later

 

[ebee]

Is the vent flap open - Some storage heaters have two controls, one controls the heat taken in and the other one controls the heat allowed out.
The simple ones are a variable flap which is either fully closed or open somewhereup to a maximim. The "discharge" or whatever named control opens the flap partially and allows heat to escape to give an "afternoon" boost to the room. If it is set too high/jammed open then it might be letting the heater cool down too quickly because too much heat is escaping.
I`m assuminng you have checked that all the elements are working - check for cold spots on the otherwise hot heater, the elements are often 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 in number, depending upon the heater.
Heating elements are usually around 900W each so your model might well have 4 of them.
Note, some manufactures used to quote them as Watts x Time charging so if you had economy 7 (7 hrs) they`d call it by the theotical heat charge ift could store in 7 hours - the blighters!c some manufactures are always finding imaginaeable ways to discribe their products eg a sound system with 500w output power run from a 100w power supply and other daft stuff etc etc etc

 

[ericmark]

I do remember experimenting with the bricks used in storage heaters, they are mainly made of iron ore, mixed with some clay or concrete to bind them together, the ones I was involved with used concrete, which I think was a failure, as the ore changed chemical composition on first heating releasing water, so it was found even when made with concrete they still needed baking, so think idea shelved, but there is always the possibility that for some reason a batch has been made where the iron to binding agent ratio was wrong, and you have a mainly clay brick rather than iron, however it that was the case the brick would be much lighter, and one would have though it would have been noticed.

 

[ebee]

Interesting Eric lad

 

[Murdochcat]

Could 1 or more of the heating elements be faulty ?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I doubt there could be a problem with the elements as the unit isn't old enough. Is it worthwhile/safe for me to take the front of it off to have a look to see if I can see anything obvious?

Have you any means, such as a smart meter, to be able to monitor the wattage the heater is absorbing when it begins charging during the charge period?

 

[zac1234]

There isn't a vent to open/close.

I took it apart today and all looks good. The only thing I noticed is that some of the bricks seem to have some bits of metal coming out of it. When I took them all out, they all seemed hot. I was surprised at how hot they were as when I touched the outside of the storage heater before opening it up, it only felt mildly warm.

All heating elements were hot and no visible damage.

Have you any means, such as a smart meter, to be able to monitor the wattage the heater is absorbing when it begins charging during the charge period?

Yes, I could do this. It would be a case of one night having the radiator in my hallway on and another night having this one (in my living room) on. If this one was consuming less power, what would that mean?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Yes, I could do this. It would be a case of one night having the radiator in my hallway on and another night having this one (in my living room) on. If this one was consuming less power, what would that mean?

Assuming one was consuming less than another at the beginning of the charge, it would have to have a faulty element, or control, or wiring failure. If one stops charging early, it would mean a fault on the charge control.

 

[zac1234]

Assuming one was consuming less than another at the beginning of the charge, it would have to have a faulty element, or control, or wiring failure. If one stops charging early, it would mean a fault on the charge control.

I tested them and they both consume the same amount of power. What I am left with assuming is that there is a problem with the way the bricks were manufactured as suggested by someone else in the thread

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

What I am left with assuming is that there is a problem with the way the bricks were manufactured as suggested by someone else in the thread

That would seem very unlikely to me, I would favour it releasing it's heat much more quickly than the other one. Can you perhaps measure the temperatures of the two, towards the end of the cooling down periods?