Whats the most efficient setting for elect storage heating

We have recently moved into our new home which has a mix of elect storage heaters and electric heaters. We're not familar with either and are trying to work out the most efficient settings so that they heat the house properly without running up a huge bill.

Can anyone help?

Trying to remember the actual words on the buttons on the radiators and having trouble but here's what I think: There should be two knobs, one for Input and one for Output - 'input' should be around 6 (higher in very cold weather) and put 'output' down to about 1 each evening, then when you come in from work or whenever you spend most time in the house turn the 'output' up to the max to allow for more heat to come out. Remember to turn it down again though so as to conserve energy when you're sleeping or not there. That's for the storage heaters.

For the other ones just put on a timer to come on half an hour before you get up or something - those are expensive (not that storage heaters aren't).

Any use? I know that I previously posted my own humble summary guide to using storage heaters but I can't find it at the moment.

Update: maybe this is what I was thinking of...?

ClubMan said:

Any use? I know that I previously posted my own humble summary guide to using storage heaters but I can't find it at the moment.

Update: maybe this is what I was thinking of...?

Click to expand...

Apologies, as usual I done a search after posting and found loads of stuff.

I came across DuoHeat Radiators, which appear to operate like a normal central heating system but on electricity and certainly look light years better. Has anyone any experience of them?

As far as I can see DuoHeat radiators are simply combined storage and convection heaters. This is nothing new and many "Goldshield" homes already have something similar installed (at least downstairs - often just panel convection heaters upstairs). Basically the storage part is used for background heating (including the output "boost" when you come in in the evening for example) and the convection part can be used as a further supplement when necessary. We have such combined storage/convection heaters and have never used the convection part as the storage part and the house insulation keep the place relatively warm.

BTW - results for "storage heaters" on the ESB site might be of interest to you. In particular [broken link removed] summarises how to operate combined storage/convection heaters where the storage heating level is controlled by a wall thermostat.

Turning the output onto High will mean your heat will be lost very quickly....I leave the output on very low overnight and in the morning and turn it half way up when i come in in the evening...Best time to be at home for storage heaters is about 11am...I'm never there....Don't consider them to be efficient at all for normal life!

Lauren said:

in the morning and turn it half way up when i come in in the evening...

Click to expand...

As far as I know that's not really how it works. The output dial often simply controls vents above the storage bricks inside the heater so you should probably leave it at the lowest setting unless you need the heat during the day. It's often (always?) a purely mechanical control. These devices are not that smart and setting the output dial halfway doesn't normally mean that the heat will be released half way through the day or anything like that. Unless the technology has moved on since my heaters were installed anyway! Anyway - if you are out during the day then I would recommend that you set the output to its lowest setting and then turn it up when you get home. That way you should be maximising the retention of heat until the evening when you are actually there.

I agree that they are a clumsy solution to heating a house but we had no choice when we bought and at least the house is well insulated so retains a lot of the heat emitted.

Cheers for all the info Clubman!

Clubman...I think you misread my post...I wasn't suggesting that putting the dial up half way would give half heat or any such thing...If you reread my post I'm in agreement with you..I increase the output to half way when I come home in the evening......That simply gives me a release of whatever is left of the heat......Increasing it to its maximum releases heat too quickly at any time of the day imho.

Sorry - I did misread your post and thought that you were saying leave it at halfway and then crank it up when you come in.