Change from Electric Storage Heating to Gas - Apartment

chops018

Looking at an apartment in a block. They are really nice. But electric storage heating. Can you install gas heating?

Caranica

chops018 wrote: »

Looking at an apartment in a block. They are really nice. But electric storage heating. Can you install gas heating?

It depends on whether there is gas in the block. When you buy an apartment you become part of the management company and that brings rights and responsibilities. Installing gas could involve major structural work beyond your apartment, which you wouldn't be entitled to do.

Gumbo

chops018 wrote: »

Looking at an apartment in a block. They are really nice. But electric storage heating. Can you install gas heating?

It depends on whether the building had been plumbed for gas.

Typically and currently it’s very rare to have gas feeds in apartments due to the increased requirements for protection, especially fire. They require their own shafts so take up space on the floor plate.

I’d I was to hazard a guess, I’d say no, you can’t install gas.
But to be sure, contact the management company to see if there’s a gas feed to the units.

brianc27

You could replace the storage heaters with electric heating radiators, any ones I've seen look nice, not the eye sore storage heating is, pretty sure they would be more efficient too

Mrs OBumble

brianc27 wrote: »

You could replace the storage heaters with electric heating radiators, any ones I've seen look nice, not the eye sore storage heating is, pretty sure they would be more efficient too

If you learn how to use storage heaters, and keep an eye on the weather forecast, they are not inefficient.

Also depending on the shape of the building, you may get a lot of heat from neighbouring units, and not have to heat much yourself.

Del2005

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If you learn how to use storage heaters, and keep an eye on the weather forecast, they are not inefficient.

Also depending on the shape of the building, you may get a lot of heat from neighbouring units, and not have to heat much yourself.

Problem is that our weather forecasters always err towards bad and even over short distances the weather can vary wildly so forecasts can't be relied on, I'm 5km away from my brothers house and about 15km from my parents yet we get completely different weather. So you get a forecast of overcast/rain with temp of 5C and set your heating for that, then we have a lovely clear day and your in a room at 30C but you can't open any doors or windows as you'll loose the stored heat.

chops018

Thanks for all the comments. Not sure what to do. I asked a couple of people who rented apartments with electric storage and they all said they found it fine. The apartment is lovely and a good price and would be good to get us started on the property ladder and would keep us in our hometown. Not sure though, could be better off holding off another year to try get a house as the apartment would only really be something for 5 years or so and then sell it and move to a house, which is probably easier said than done.

usernamegoes

chops018 wrote: »

Thanks for all the comments. Not sure what to do. I asked a couple of people who rented apartments with electric storage and they all said they found it fine. The apartment is lovely and a good price and would be good to get us started on the property ladder and would keep us in our hometown. Not sure though, could be better off holding off another year to try get a house as the apartment would only really be something for 5 years or so and then sell it and move to a house, which is probably easier said than done.

I hate storage heaters. I'm looking at apartments now and it's one the of primary factors I consider when looking through Daft photos. Whenever I have rented with storage heating, I hated it.

Installing gas is unlikely if it's not already in the building. If they allowed you to install a unit on a balcony perhaps an air to water heat pump would be an option.

odyssey06

I found storage heater in the main living room was good as long as you kept an eye on the forecast and used the 'boost' option judiciously.

They would make sense in a bathroom too.

But in a bedroom made no sense... get too hot during the night.

Jmc25

chops018 wrote: »

Thanks for all the comments. Not sure what to do. I asked a couple of people who rented apartments with electric storage and they all said they found it fine. The apartment is lovely and a good price and would be good to get us started on the property ladder and would keep us in our hometown. Not sure though, could be better off holding off another year to try get a house as the apartment would only really be something for 5 years or so and then sell it and move to a house, which is probably easier said than done.

I've lived in places with storage heaters for the living area and electric heaters for the bedrooms. It's certainly liveable and I wouldn't knock them once they're used properly. Can be relatively cost efficient if you've a day and night electricity meter. Fine for renting anyway.

Still, there's no comparison to both the performance and convenience of gas. Irish weather is unpredictable and with storage heating there's gonna be days that you're too hot and days where you're too cold. Never the case with gas. I'm looking to buy at the moment and if a place didn't have a gas connection I'd consider that a major major drawback.

It's very very very (I'll say it again for good luck, VERY) unlikely a management company will agree or be able to afford to undertake the work required to connect a building to gas and if you contact the managing agent they'll probably confirm that for you.

silver2020

brianc27 wrote: »

You could replace the storage heaters with electric heating radiators, any ones I've seen look nice, not the eye sore storage heating is, pretty sure they would be more efficient too

Night-time electricity rates are far lower, so in winter storage heaters are far more efficient as you need more heat.

There are many decent designs of storage heaters now on the market, so I'd be upgrading the heaters themselves assuming the current ones are the ugly traditional style.

However, if you do not use the apartment (or house) frequently in the day time, it may be less efficient as most of the storage heat emits during the daytime.
In that case, decent electrical heaters with thermostatic controls will be best

punisher5112

Don't forget in most cases apartments are smaller, better insulated and have usually only one or maybe 2 outside walls.....

This in turn makes them quite a warm place to be anyway.

It all depends on year built and how well....

I'd be more concerned over noise levels such as pumps and floor noise from say above.

If you keep the heaters maintained, cleaned from all dust and hair they can be very effective in heating, use the night time rate to your advantage and use the heaters between 11- 8 winter and 12-9 summer.....


Another thing is setting the storage heater up correctly to get the best out of it, close the vent on top until you need the heat output so it will last longer for during the day/evening.

chops018

A friend has a friend who bought an apartment in the same complex, apparently they find it ok. Also, I saw one of the apartments previously sold had "under floor" heating. Presumably that was electric under floor heating. Emailed a crowd about it and they said they can install to apartments, around €85 per square foot, so that's around €6,000. Would this be good to put in?

Mrs OBumble

chops018 wrote: »

A friend has a friend who bought an apartment in the same complex, apparently they find it ok. Also, I saw one of the apartments previously sold had "under floor" heating. Presumably that was electric under floor heating. Emailed a crowd about it and they said they can install to apartments, around €85 per square foot, so that's around €6,000. Would this be good to put in?

It totally depends on the design of the block. Seriously. I live in an apartment. We run ONE small storage heater in the living room. On the coldest winter nights (maybe 5-6 times a year) we put the wall-heater on in the bedroom for 1/2 an hour in the evening. That's it. All the rest of our heat comes from the surroundings and downstairs. We ain't cold.

Yellow_Fern

chops018 wrote: »

A friend has a friend who bought an apartment in the same complex, apparently they find it ok. Also, I saw one of the apartments previously sold had "under floor" heating. Presumably that was electric under floor heating. Emailed a crowd about it and they said they can install to apartments, around €85 per square foot, so that's around €6,000. Would this be good to put in?

Electric underfloor heating is much more expensive to run then traditional wet systems. I wouldn't be keen on it. However it is very easy to install. €85 is very very high to install. You can install wet systems for less

chops018

Nevermind. Bids are already gone well over asking. I think we will hold off until next year where we will have more savings and hopefully can buy a house, which we would prefer anyway. Thanks for all the replies!

Sierra Oscar

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

It totally depends on the design of the block. Seriously. I live in an apartment. We run ONE small storage heater in the living room. On the coldest winter nights (maybe 5-6 times a year) we put the wall-heater on in the bedroom for 1/2 an hour in the evening. That's it. All the rest of our heat comes from the surroundings and downstairs. We ain't cold.

Likewise. I've never had an issue with storage heating. Use the one in the living room during the winter months, usually on a lowish enough setting to keep the place at a nice temperature. It's an upstairs apartment, it always retains heat. If I know a cold spell is incoming then I will boost the heat. Sometimes I have to use the electric heater in the bedroom on cold nights for half an hour before bed and just before I get up. It's cheap to heat the place.

People say the Irish weather is too unpredictable for electric heating. That's nonsense to be honest. We always know when there is a remarkable cold snap incoming and that's all that really matters, not whether it's dry or raining outside.

Obviously it depends on when the apartment was built, but any decent apartment built from 2000 onwards should be easy enough to heat.

Yellow_Fern

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Likewise. I've never had an issue with storage heating. Use the one in the living room during the winter months, usually on a lowish enough setting to keep the place at a nice temperature. It's an upstairs apartment, it always retains heat. If I know a cold spell is incoming then I will boost the heat. Sometimes I have to use the electric heater in the bedroom on cold nights for half an hour before bed and just before I get up. It's cheap to heat the place.

People say the Irish weather is too unpredictable for electric heating. That's nonsense to be honest. We always know when there is a remarkable cold snap incoming and that's all that really matters, not whether it's dry or raining outside.

Obviously it depends on when the apartment was built, but any decent apartment built from 2000 onwards should be easy enough to heat.

Should but many won't be. I wonder are there any storage heaters that can weather forecast date. Would save a lot of effort