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What are Electric Storage Heaters?
Heat retaining clay bricks inside the
storage heater are charged over night to store heat and release heat
during the day. Convection and radiation give out a comfortable balance
of heat in the room. Storage heaters use economy 7 electricity at
night. Economy 7 electric tariff is designed to save money on heating
bills.
Storage heaters offer comfortable economical
warmth throughout the day by taking advantage of low tariff overnight
electricity.
Popular brands in UK
include Dimplex,
Creda,
Elnur,
Unidare,
Stiebel
Eltron
and Newlec. Older brands
include Heatstore, Berry Magicoal, Robinson Willey, Storad and Sunhouse.
Manual and Automatic Storage Heaters

Combination Convector Storage Heaters
Combination storage heaters have a convector
heater built into the unit in addition to a standard storage heater
system. It means the storage heater will be used to provide the bulk of
the heat with instant top using the convector heater. The convector
means that you will also have an alternative heat source for occasions
when it is necessary to provide all the heat. This storage heater is
ideal for a living room that has higher occupancy.
Fan Assisted Storage Heaters
Fan
assisted storage heaters are sophisticated at using off peak
electricity. Instead of automatically releasing the heat by convection
the next day, a fan assisted storage heater incorporates a silent fan,
which takes air through the heater and discharges it through the vent
at the base of the heater at a time that suits you.
The heat is stored inside a highly thermal
insulated unit. The insulation on fan assisted storage heaters has more
than double the thickness of standard storage heaters. Fan assisted
storage heaters are the most efficient at storing heat. Fan storage
heaters are ideal for home and office use. Fan assisted storage heaters
work from off peak electricity tariff supply. The fan is quiet and
requires a 24 hour supply. The fan can be controlled with a separate
thermostat control, which is supplied with the storage heater.
7 hour electricity charge
The 7 hour electricity charge value is the kw
rating times the 7 hour charge period. A 7 hour electricity charge
value would be 17.85 kw for a 2.55 KW storage heater. Storage heater
model numbers use a rounded up kw figure with the SH number.
Storage heater size
Storage heater dimensions should be
considered, space restrictions could mean that 2 smaller storage
heaters is better than one larger storage heater. Storage heaters are
deeper than conventional radiators, be careful when considering the
depth of the storage heater. Two cms too deep may make all the
difference when fitting the unit correctly in the room.
Storage heater outlet regulator
Make sure that your storage heater has an
outlet regulator. It provides better discharge heat than a storage
heater without.
Parts and insulation
An electric storage heater has an insulated box with heat
retaining bricks inside connected with electric elements. The bricks
heat up when the electricity is turned on. This will charge the heater.
Charging controls enable you to fill the heater with the desired amount
of heat. Heating elements switch off when the heater is full.
Insulation surrounding the bricks keeps heat inside for around 14
hours. A flap at the top of the heater enables heat to flow out and
heat the room quicker.
Benefits of Night Storage Heaters
Storage heaters used to be seen
as an expensive alternative to provide heat compared to other fuels.
Not today - with energy costs soaring, storage heaters now provide a
competitive source of controllable heat energy when compared to gas and
oil alternatives. Electric storage heaters are more flexible than
central heating. There is no flue modernisation, expensive pipe work or
plumbing necessary. They can be installed anywhere using a simple wall
bracket and have no maintenance costs. Rooms can be equipped with
modern storage heaters without major installation costs. No risks such
as Carbon Monoxide poisoning. The lifetime cost of an electric heat
system will be lower than heating using other fuels. Electric heating
is energy efficient and more eco friendly than central heating. Storage
heaters are ideal for homes that are occupied during the day due to
slow heat release throughout the day.
The early electric storage
heaters were bulky and space consuming; and they emitted heat at
a set rate, so the user had no control over the output. The heat stored
during the night could be adjusted - but this involved making an
estimate of the next day's heating requirements, and a sudden change of
weather could leave the user with too much or too little heat.
Improvements in technology and
design have enhanced their appeal considerably. Present day electric storage heaters are slimmer - typically 167mm
(6.2in) deep - and may either be wall-mounted or freestanding. They
retain their heat more efficiently and enable greater control of heat
output. Thermostatically controlled adjustable dampers and fans allow
the units to be run at low levels in unoccupied rooms and then at a
higher level when needed, perhaps late in the day. Some units retain a
residue of stored heat, which reduces overnight charging and cuts costs
further. Others monitor room temperatures at night, assess the next
day's heating needs (a cold night is normally followed by a cold day)
and adjust the heat charge accordingly.
Disadvantages on manual heaters
The main disadvantage is lack of heat
control. If excess heat has been stored, heat will be discharged into
the room even if it is not needed. If there is unexpected cold weather
and insufficient heat has been stored, full price electricity will be
needed to generate extra heat. Most heaters are heavy due to the bricks
inside used to store heat.
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Tips
A well educated storage heater user should
receive 10 hours of heat, make full use of it as they are cheaper to
use than panel heaters or gas fires.
If your room is cold at night... a high
output setting control early in day may leave too little heat stored in
the heater for night.
Factors to consider
when choosing a storage heater - KW, room size, frequency of usage and
responsiveness...
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