Key Post: Electric storage heater repairs/spares.

ClubMan

Registered User
Messages
49,168
Anybody know where I can get a replacement element for a Unidare storage heater which seems to have burnt out? Or do storage heaters have replaceable fuses built in which should be checked first? Alternatively, any recommendations on a reliable/affordable electrician to carry out the repair (Central Dublin)?

Brrrrr...... :(
 
Re: Electric storage heater repairs/spares

There is an overheating fuse link in storage heaters this could
be melted. The controller thermostat could be faulty also.
If you can get a loan of a multimeter you could check out these quite easily. Is your heater a slimline type?
If it is it it will have more than one element, so it would be unlikely that all are burnt out.
You would probably get parts from a Domestic appliance spares supplier , which are listed in the golden pages.
 
Re: Electric storage heater repairs/spares

Thanks bstop - I noticed a funny noise from the heater last week when it was charging (I was up late!) and it failed a few days later. It doesn't seem to charge up at all now so something is completely kaput. I'll check the overheating fuse - do you know where it's normally located? I have a multimeter and can also check the thermostat in case the "input/charge" circuit is broken. It's not very slimline - it's about six inches deep. I'll try my usual source (the domestic appliance parts place on North Frederick Street) for the part or advice on where to get it if it proves necessary. Thanks again for the advice.
 
euphony

and I believe that when one "consultant" signs another up, then the first "consultant" gets a cut on an ongoing basis from the first "consultant" and so on.

The numero uno "consultant" or even 2nd or 3rd must be millionaires several times oven

look pyramid 2 me
 
Re: euphony

And there's me thinking it was just a burnt out element! :eek

:lol
 
Re: euphony

Isolated it from the mains, partially disassembled it (front panelling etc. - not the bricks/elements or anything nasty like that), cleaned it out (7 years worth of dust & fluff which can't be good!), inspected the connections, switches and "fuseable link" for damage but everything seemed OK. Reconnected it to the mains and lo and behold it kicked into life at 11pm when the charging cycle starts! Strange. Hope the house doesn't burn down tonight! :lol
 
Re: euphony

Your problem might have been dirty contacts on the charge
thermostat ,that would cause sparking or sizzling noises.
 
Re: euphony

When you say "charge thermostat" do you mean the "charge/input" control on the heater itself as opposed to the room thermostat or something else inside the heater? I thought that input knob controlled a variable resistor (potentiometer?) or something like that but it seems to simply be a purely mechanical device (like a bi-metallic strip sort of gadget)? Maybe it was just dirt. Thanks for the help!
 
Re: euphony

Yes its the bimetalic strip device in the heater that i was
refering to. Its fairly basic technonogy, no electronics.
You can spot most faults by simply having a close look inside
the heater.
 
brrr...

Anyone know about getting more efficient storage heaters. Mine are 7 years old (Unidare I think) and are pretty pathetic at the "storage" part. I saw some on an american website that seemed better (probably using old space-shuttle tiles) but no indication of anything available in this neck of the woods.

thanks...
 
Storage Heater Timer gone Crazy!

My storage heaters have started coming on and off at the wrong times. They come on in the wee small hours and are still on when I go out to work at around 9am

In fact I don't think they came on at all on Sunday night.

Any idea how or where I can adjust the timer? I did find something on the fuseboard but it doesn't seem to make any difference.
 
Re: Storage Heater Timer gone Crazy!

Unless you have individual timers on your radiators it sounds like your night rate meter timing could be askew. Try checking the main and night rate meters to see if the time looks correct on them. If not call the ESB.
 
.

ESB coming out on Tuesday to replace timer. Thanks all.
 
One further question

Does the dodgy timer mean I've been getting charged off-peak rates during the day, or that my storage heaters have been charging up on full rate ESB?
 
Re: One further question

If your heaters have been charging up outside the Night Rate periods then you will presumably be charged full whack. If this was happening and it was because the meter timing was off (was it?) then you should contact the ESB and try to negotiate a discount.
 
.

Storage heaters came on at 11pm this evening!

ESB obviously arrived and did the job as promised. Well done :)
 
Re: .

Do you know if you they were charging on the daytime tariff at any stage and, if so, if there's any scope for obtaining any sort of compensation/refund? Basically - check your next bill carefully and if it's estimated check it against the actual meter reading!
 
Re: >>Optimum use of storage heating

Some other posts

Ocras
Frequent poster
Optimum use of Storage Heating.


I got some private PM’s regarding a storage heater post which accidentally disappeared into cyberspace, so I will repost it again. I hope it is of use too some AAM users. I also think that the ESB would be doing their energy conservation/awareness policy a lot of good, if they were to advise customers of their efficient use, as I believe a high proportion of storage heater users do not know how to use them correctly, at a financial cost

1. Storage heaters are exactly that. They store heat which is generated at night (11pm to 8am), by means of a cheap rate tariff, as there is not a high demand on our electricity grid at night. This is a separate meter that the consumer has and a separate sealed timeswitch, supplied by the ESB.

They store heat by means of elements heating bricks within the heater unit. To stop this heat dissipating immediately (during the night), the storage heater unit has an insulated housing.

To release this heat, there is an internal mechanical flap at the top of the heater, which the user can open to varying apertures, which allows heat to escape from the bricks and heat the surrounding environment.

2. To control the amount that we heat the bricks up to, we use the thermostat (Input Dial, situated at top or side of heater). This is a trial and error setting as it is relevant to the insulation properties of the building and heat required. As a base, during very cold weather, have it set high. During cold weather have it set medium. When the property is vacant, and dampness needs to be avoided, set both low. What you pay for your heating, will be proportional to this setting, but is also relational to the setting of the mechanical flap (Output Dial, situated at top or side of heater).

In other words, a kettle would take more time to boil, and hence use more electricity, if the lid was left off.

3. To control the amount of heat we let out of the heater, we use the Output Dial (mechanical flap). This should ideally be closed (output set low) during the night. As the bricks heat up, there is always some escape of heat through the insulation of the housing, which heats the surrounds adequately.

If we have this flap open (output set high) during the night, then the bricks are constantly releasing heat, so the thermostat does not control the input and you are constantly paying. Alongside this, the bricks have not stored enough heat to dissipate out during the day.

So the ideal setting for the flap is to have it closed during the night, and to be opened gradually during the day, as the heat is required. (please note, that if the area is still cold at night, with the input set high, you should open the flap slightly (output set low/medium)).
So, to summarise, Input is left at a certain setting relevant only to weather periods.
Output is left low at night and adjusted daily, relative to the heat required.

4. On the subject of combination heaters; In my personal opinion they are terrible. They have nothing to do with the storage heater. They are a separate convector heater, stuck on to the front of the storage heater, and run only on the high ESB tariff, day or night.

They have very bad thermostatic qualities, as they are attached to the storage heater, and hence their thermostat is reacting to the heat that is directly around the storage heater. They will cost you.

What I would recommend as a supplementary backup heater, irrelevant of what your main central heating system is, is the oil filled electric radiators on wheels. Their thermostat reacts excellently to the surrounding temperature, and does not click on, due to nuisance drafts, such as a door opening momentarily. In other words the differential in the thermostat is energy efficient.

sueellen
Moderator
Re: Optimum use of Storage Heating
.

Hi Ocras,

Thanks for taking the trouble to post this helpful/informative post. Hopefully it will prove useful/cost effective to any AAM storage heater users.

Thanks again,

Sueellen.

Daithi
Registered User
I would like to add


All storage heaters should be on timers. ie turn on and off at the required times set by the low rate of electricity.

Its amazing how many people leave the heater on all day using the day rate.

These heaters can be extremely economical if used correctly.

If you switch over to a night time meter then you should make damned sure that you have a timer on your dish washer, washing machine, dryer, hot water etc to make sure you get the value for the extra standing charge.

These appliances should come on during the low rate time.

Ocras
Frequent poster
Re: I would like to add

-
Hi Daithi, it's a correct addition, but is relevant to "Gold Shield Homes" or "Night Saver Tarriff" system only.

For any readers, my post related to standard storage heating installations which is indicated on their ESB bill.

ClubMan
Administrator
Re: I would like to add


Its amazing how many people leave the heater on all day using the day rate.

With Nightsaver/Goldshield storage heaters this is not possible unless the night meter's clock is out of whack or you are actually referring to the convection heater part of combined storage/convection heaters?

Daithi
Registered User
Any storage heaters i've seen


Any storage heaters i've seen can be left on in the day time and are not convection heaters.
 
can anybody tell me what my timer switchs should read for low cost,night and day?
 
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