Storage heater system control

[BarryCambs]

I'm Treasurer for a charity run preschool which has it's own building heated with cheap electric panel heaters, fitted by the builders about 4 years ago. It's 2 large rooms, plus small office and kitchen. As you can imagine, the electricity bill is buttock clenchingly high! This is not helped by the heaters being left on overnight this weather as they don't have time switches and it's the only way to have the building warm when people arrive.

There is no gas supply. We are looking to upgrade the heating and as the building is only used between 8am and 5pm, it occurred to me storage heaters on Economy 7 might be a good way forward. While the heating was obviously installed to a price, it has a massive hot water tank, which could also be on economy 7.

What I'd like to do is link the new heaters in 3 zones using central controls for charging, thermostats and timers. I see on the dimplex site they have central charge controllers, but it's not clear if you can use a single thermostat/timer for each zone (as with gas radiator heating), rather than individual controls on the heaters. I looked at Creda, etc, but go no further forward.

I'd be very grateful for advice!

Thanks, Barry

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If it was only built 4 years ago it was required to be well insulated and airtight, and to be energy efficient.

"Central controls for charging"? You don't have thermostats for that, and depending on how your off-peak supply is arranged storage heaters might be on a circuit which is only live during off-peak hours.

What does your electrician say?

 

[BarryCambs]

As it is, the building is a wooden built modular type structure, so probably not as well insulated as a new brick built.

The central charging controls, such as on on the dimplex site, seem to act in a similar way to weather compensation does on a gas fired system, measuring outside temperature and limiting the charge time as suits.

The excellent electrician we use says he has fitted old type storage heaters, but none recently and is not up with the latest developments, so I said I'd see what is about. It looks as though the Dimplex units can have external thermometers and time switches fitted, so as long a one thermostatic time switch can be used for a couple of heaters in each room, that might do it.

Just don't want to get into the situation where the staff are trying to adjust 6 individual heaters all the time!

 

[ericmark]

There are water storage type designs which heat a water store then pump the water around as an when required. The insulation on the water store will allow the heat to be retained for days when not required and also allow heat to be added from multi-sources for example solar panels. Even an exterior wood burning boiler in a similar way to old boiler room.

Room to install the system and safety issues can be complex. I would be asking the question as to access to any type of heater where children are involved especially where they may come from a home which does not have the dangers so are unaware of the dangers.

If I was given the job I would pass the buck and get professional advice it would be so easy to invalidate insurance where non insured backed advice is taken. For a part intended to be touched but not hand-held there is a 70 deg C limit for metal parts and to ensure one stays within this limit where small hands can touch the item would be hard to control with storage radiators. Any item which covered the radiator could cause it to exceed the limits where with water if the circulating water is at 70 deg C then what ever happens to radiator the limit can't be exceeded.

So you need to pay for some professional advice even if then installed by the friendly guy as you need to be able to pass the buck and show you did nothing to compromise safety.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As it is, the building is a wooden built modular type structure, so probably not as well insulated as a new brick built.

Actually that type of construction can be extremely good. Wood is a much better insulator than brick.

The central charging controls, such as on on the dimplex site, seem to act in a similar way to weather compensation does on a gas fired system, measuring outside temperature and limiting the charge time as suits.

Don't know how successful it is to predict daytime temperatures on the basis of night time ones. What if it's warm-ish when the off-peak period starts, and then at 4 AM it plunges and remains bitterly cold throughout the day?

Just don't want to get into the situation where the staff are trying to adjust 6 individual heaters all the time!

Unlikely to be a problem - there's not much adjustment possible.

 

[pjcomp]

Upgrade from your cheap panel heaters to (onlyslightly) more expensive ones with built-in thermostats and timers.

pj

 

[flameport]

What I'd like to do is link the new heaters in 3 zones using central controls for charging, thermostats and timers.

Far too complex, likely to be misused, totally unnecessary.

Get some standard Dimplex XLS series automatic storage heaters of suitable size, and get the optional tamperproof control cover to prevent anyone adjusting them.

Make sure you have an E7 tariff and they type which is switched automatically by the electricity supplier.