Electric heaters, how to use efficiently

B

Brooklyn

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I have storage heaters in my living room, they're the Dimplex Duoheat kind. I understand the basic idea that they store heat during the Nightsaver hours and then release it during the day/evening. A couple things I don't understand though:

1) There are two power switches, one for the storage and one for the radiant heater. The instruction book says "to operate effectively both must be switched on at all times". Why would I need to switch the radiant heater on at all times, doesn't that defeat the purpose of storage heating? I have only been switching it on when it gets too cold in here - is that really making it operate less effectively?

2) I see on other threads people are talking about ... turn the input up and output down ... but this heater doesn't have separate "input" and "output" controls. There is a single control panel - and it isn't adjustable unless the radiant heater switch is on, so does it make any difference to the storage heating what level I set it to? And if so, how do I use it most cost-effectively?

In the bedroom, I have a regular electric heater which operates on a timer. I only put it on for about half an hour at night. I'm wondering if it uses up a lot of energy to keep the power switch permanently on for the sake of the timer, or if I should just manually turn the heater on for half an hour and then knock off the switch when I'm going to sleep. Would I notice any real difference in my ESB bill? (NB I don't have access to the meter.)

Sorry if these are stupid questions... new homeowner with no experience of electric heaters, me.
 
Duoheat heaters have been around for a while, but they don't seem to be too popular.
The controls are completely different to regular combi heaters, supposedly much more sensitive. The control unit requires permanent power,which is why both switches should be left on.
If you operate the heater with the radiant switch turned off, the storage heater will charge fully with no thermosatic control at all.
The setting instructions are in the user manual. Basically the normal display controls the radiant heater. You have to hold down the 'plus' button for about fifteen seconds and the display will change to the storage mode. You can set that with the plus and minus, probably one or two segments back from maximum. The display reverts to normal after a couple of minutes.
I think if you set the normal control to the lowest setting the radiant heater won't come on at all. If you're not happy with it you should ring Dimpco. They want to sell the things so they should be happy to help you to get it right.

Your other query about the panel heaters - the timer uses hardly any power.
You can either set the timer and leave it switched on or continue as you have been doing.
 
Thanks Hoagy, that's much clearer than what's in the user manual.

The problem with "as I have been doing" on the other heaters is that I keep forgetting to put them on half an hour before bedtime... so if it's not going to cost me anything to leave the timer on I guess I'll do that.

Not sure why this was moved btw, I would have thought questions about how to save on the ESB bill would qualify as financial issues, but since I got my answers I'll let it go...
 
Brooklyn said:
Not sure why this was moved btw, I would have thought questions about how to save on the ESB bill would qualify as financial issues, but since I got my answers I'll let it go...
Click to expand...
It was moved because it's a Homes and Gardens issue. Thanks for deigning to "let it go" though... :rolleyes:
 
OK, 24 hours after following Hoagy's instructions, I am now sitting in a rather chilly apartment, with a storage heater that seems to have retained a lot less heat than it did when I was operating it "incorrectly". :confused:
 
Ah, but think of the money you've saved.
So the controls are working ok, you just need to turn it up.
 
Turned it all the way up and it's still significantly cooler in the apartment than it was when I only had the storage switch on.

Basically if I use it according to the instructions, I am going to have to use the radiant heater as well, it is just too chilly in here.

Given the cost of using the radiant heater during non-Nightsaver hours am I not just better off letting the storage heater charge fully overnight?
 
Sounds like it, all right.
I wonder is the heater big enough for the room?
If you can, measure the area in sq mtrs and allow 150 watts per sq mtr.
The largest Duoheat (500i) is 2.6Kw, the next size (400i) is1.95Kw, whereas the largest regular storage heater is 3.4 Kw.
Maybe the heater was sized incorrectly.

I wouldn't use it permanently with the radiant switched off, i.e no control. It's bound to overheat at some stage and may fail.
I think most people living with storage heating find that they have to use some peak time heating as well.
 
Yes the heater is too small by those standards.

Another question occurred to me with regard to the storage heat level, am I supposed to adjust that at all during the day (eg. turn it down when I'm not at home and turn it back up when I get back) or keep it on high?
 
No the Duoheat is not like a regular storage heater which has an output control. There isn't anything you can do during the day to affect it.

That heater is always going to struggle if it's too small.
Long term you're going to have to add another heater or replace the one you've got with the largest regular combi heater if that's big enough.
 
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