Storage Heaters - HELP!

SarahMollie

Hi Boards Community.

Just wondering if anyone can help me get a handle on my storage heaters? I've moved into a property in the last few months and this is my first winter relying on storage heaters and they have me a bit baffled.

We've only just started to use them as it hasn't been that cold yet this year, up to now I've just used the electric heater in our bedroom for an hour here and there, but now with the days so short, the place really needs a little heat!

A heating engineer who I had around over the weekend (he was there to deal with the non functioning boost function on the water heater) told me that the lights on the wall switches beside the individual heaters should come on around 11pm to coincide with nighttime electricity tariff. However, when we were sitting in watching tv last night, I noticed that the lights were coming on and off intermittently from 9pm.

Am I correct in assuming that whatever timing mechanism is governing the storage heaters is off somehow? Meaning that we are heating our storage heaters at the more expensive daytime rate?

Is this something that a heating engineer can come back and fix or does this have to be adjusted by the ESB?

Mrs OBumble

Yeah, it can happen that the building mechanism gets out of whack. I think an electrician can fix it, or if necessary can get ESB to do what's needed.

Fiona

Yeah there is a clock on your meter which monitors the time when the rates should change.

I hear a click on my fuseboard at 11.05pm and then my heaters come on so it's 5 mins out of sync which I hear is pretty good to be fair my sisters was 2 hours.

ESB will need to come and amend it for you.

SarahMollie

Thanks,

I guess I'll call the ESB and see whats what!
I've 4 storage heaters in the house (bedrooms are just normal electric heaters) so I'll maybe just use 2 storage heaters for now as its not that cold and I don't want huge bills if by charging them at the day rate.

Th3B1tcH

Check at the meter/ur main fuses (indoors where trip swithches etc are)where the timer is, on some u can ajust to come on/off before night rate kicks in should say -4,-2,0,+2,+4 those will control it start/stop

PS. On a side note I need get my timer replaced I assume its ESB need call ?

SarahMollie

I rang the ESB and they're sending someone around tomorrow to check it out - hopefully its an easy fix!

When i was buying the house, and they said it was electric only, I didnt think anything of it because I'd no experience of it, but assumed it would be grand! Regretting that now, so confused by the whole system!

listermint

Storage heating is hell upon earth. Incredibly inefficient and down right killer on electricity bills.

I would be seeking out alternate options tbh OP if this is a permanent purchase or is it only just rental ?

Mrs OBumble

listermint wrote: »

Storage heating is hell upon earth. Incredibly inefficient and down right killer on electricity bills.

I would be seeking out alternate options tbh OP if this is a permanent purchase or is it only just rental ?

Sorry, but if the house has insulation that's totally untrue.

It's only troublesome if you don't have the sense to check the weather forecast a day in advance.

And a lot more efficient than having E800 worth of oil disappear from your tank the day after it's been filled.

SarahMollie

listermint wrote: »

Storage heating is hell upon earth. Incredibly inefficient and down right killer on electricity bills.

I would be seeking out alternate options tbh OP if this is a permanent purchase or is it only just rental ?

Nope, I have the pleasure of owning it!

Don't believe there is an alternative, whole development is electric only as far as i know.

SarahMollie

As I mentioned above, I had a heating engineer out the other day to look at my water heater as the element for the boost function had gone. He said that even though it might seem a mad concept to me, that its actually quite efficient. it comes on a 3am and heats the water, and (so far at least) we've had hot water on tap. He said it should be costing me more than 40/50cents per night, perhaps less if we're not using it much.

He had a cursory look at the storage heaters and left me a brochure for newer ones, and I'm thinking of replacing them gradually, starting with the master bedroom and living room as thats where we'll get the most benefit. The property is about 15 years old and the heaters look origional. He said the new ones are at least 40% more efficient.

Has anyone recently invested in upgrading their storage heaters and found it worth the money?

Vodkat

SarahMollie wrote: »

As I mentioned above, I had a heating engineer out the other day to look at my water heater as the element for the boost function had gone. He said that even though it might seem a mad concept to me, that its actually quite efficient. it comes on a 3am and heats the water, and (so far at least) we've had hot water on tap. He said it should be costing me more than 40/50cents per night, perhaps less if we're not using it much.

He had a cursory look at the storage heaters and left me a brochure for newer ones, and I'm thinking of replacing them gradually, starting with the master bedroom and living room as thats where we'll get the most benefit. The property is about 15 years old and the heaters look origional. He said the new ones are at least 40% more efficient.

Has anyone recently invested in upgrading their storage heaters and found it worth the money?

We have the new storage heaters in the property that we are renting at the moment and dont find them very efficient. It's a small three bed semi detached and has 5 heaters in total, we used them (3) initially almost 2 months ago but as our electricity is prepay we could see the huge effect it had on it. Our landlord installed a stove instead which we now keep all doors open and it heats the whole house. The main bedroom upstairs is still slightly cold so we use the heater for that room alone. I would say though that I have used both types and I would say that the new ones are a lot better at heating a room.

SarahMollie

Vodkat wrote: »

We have the new storage heaters in the property that we are renting at the moment and dont find them very efficient. It's a small three bed semi detached and has 5 heaters in total, we used them (3) initially almost 2 months ago but as our electricity is prepay we could see the huge effect it had on it. Our landlord installed a stove instead which we now keep all doors open and it heats the whole house. The main bedroom upstairs is still slightly cold so we use the heater for that room alone. I would say though that I have used both types and I would say that the new ones are a lot better at heating a room.

Sorry, I'm confused.

Are you saying that you're happy with new storage heaters or that you're just happy with the stove and no longer use the storage heaters.

I've just replaced my entire kitchen so I don't think I'll be plonking in a new stove anytime soon!

josip

SarahMollie wrote: »

...
The property is about 15 years old and the heaters look origional. He said the new ones are at least 40% more efficient.

Has anyone recently invested in upgrading their storage heaters and found it worth the money?

Can someone explain how a storage heater becomes more efficient?
I thought energy in (electricity) = energy out (heat)
Is he suggesting that for the same amount of electricity in, they give out 40% more heat in total. That doesn't make sense to me.
Are they better at retaining heat throughout the day? In which case, how would that be measured as a percentage?

SarahMollie

josip wrote: »

Can someone explain how a storage heater becomes more efficient?
I thought energy in (electricity) = energy out (heat)
Is he suggesting that for the same amount of electricity in, they give out 40% more heat in total. That doesn't make sense to me.
Are they better at retaining heat throughout the day? In which case, how would that be measured as a percentage?

Not sure actually. Perhaps the energy used to heat the blocks within the heaters is less?

I'd actually love to understand more about this before deciding on replacing them or not as its not an insignificant cost.

Carawaystick

SarahMollie wrote: »

He said the new ones are at least 40% more efficient.

As any electric heater will be >95% efficient and probably >99% efficient, I can't see how you could get a 40% efficiency gain.

They turn electricity into heat. Any waste energy, gets turned into .... heat

So I would query the definition of efficency yer man was using.

SarahMollie

Carawaystick wrote: »

As any electric heater will be >95% efficient and probably >99% efficient, I can't see how you could get a 40% efficiency gain.

They turn electricity into heat. Any waste energy, gets turned into .... heat

So I would query the definition of efficency yer man was using.

He said they'd save me money, be easier to control and I could maybe only use one heater in my living room instead of 2 which I currently have. I'll have a better look at the brochure he left me to see if it clarifies.

Cilar

Carawaystick wrote: »

As any electric heater will be >95% efficient and probably >99% efficient, I can't see how you could get a 40% efficiency gain.

They turn electricity into heat. Any waste energy, gets turned into .... heat

So I would query the definition of efficency yer man was using.

They retain heat better and release it when needs as opposed to through the day. This avoids having a room hot in the morning and use the booster at full tariff in the evening because the stored heat is depleted

marsbar1

Electric heating is only more expensive because of the price charged for electricity as I understand.

Oil fired heating is cheaper, quite how much cheaper I wouldn't know. Or even wood burning stoves. But maybe some expert here can jump in

clmitchell

I have modern storage heaters in my apartment and find them very efficient. I was like you and completely confused about how the heating (both water and home heating) worked in Ireland when I moved here.

<MOD SNIP >

_Kaiser_

I've been lucky enough that I've never had to deal with these things but I've read enough about them that when I was last looking for a place I immediately discarded any that had these in the pictures.

Gas is bad enough as it is with the seemingly never-ending boiler issues I've encountered, but storage heaters just seem like a nightmare.

SarahMollie

Cilar wrote: »

They retain heat better and release it when needs as opposed to through the day. This avoids having a room hot in the morning and use the booster at full tariff in the evening because the stored heat is depleted

This would be great. I work normal office hours so I'm finding that my rooms are really warm when I'm leaving for work (not much use to me!) and then I've very little control over whats left in the evening.

I'm experimenting with the input and output settings to see if it makes any difference, but its seems as tho whether I have output set at 1 or at 6, the just release the heat the same way regardless.

I have 4 storage heaters (2 with boost function but haven't used this yet). I have input set to "4" and I've been experimenting with the output settings. Hopefully that won't prove too expensive!

On the upside, the water heater is actually a good thing in my opinion. Our tank is 120l, and we basically have hot water on tap constantly, as for 2 people thats more than enough. We havent had to use the boost function at all.

ronan45

http://www.smartelectrics.ie/lucht-radiators/running-cost

Costs can vary quite a bit depending on the settings as can be seen from this breakdown