unlinkedstudent Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I'm with B and GR on this - they are ABSOLUTELY useless. Fine if you want no heat at night and are stuck in all day and are happy to change the heavy bricks in them every few years - and they ain't cheap. We ripped ours out and put in small Dimplex panel heaters - the 3 large Dimplex storage heaters were shot. As the alleged "Total Heat Total Control (ahem - they mean they control when it gobbles up your lekky and heats the immersion heater at 1am) package means that the heating is on the alleged cheaper tariff, why bother with the storage heaters? If you've got the space and no kids/animals to harm themselves, I'd go for a Calor portable gas fire. If not and you have a flue, whack in a multi burner wotsits jobbie. The price of lekky is crazy up here - it costs more to heat this one bed flat than it did for a smaller one down sarf with gas and lekky. Storage and panel heaters are not the cheapest option. Failing all the suggestions above, get knitting, wear 3 T shirts and 2 jumpers, 3 pairs of sox, tights under ya jeans and (for medicinal purposes naturally), have a large brandy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaxandTim Posted February 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 I must admit I'm a 'put a jumper on' kinda lady…. Have always lived in cold houses, which means I'm coping rather well with just 2 storage heaters and my trusty oil rayburn (can't run heating from it) My electric bill wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, thankfully! This is mainly due to me being tight I'm still undecided, as we've coped really well with what we have…. Many thanks for all your replies. Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharney houghs Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Have you ever considered an electric underfloor heating mat?I put one in my kitchen under laminate flooring and id say its excellent. I got mine from the underfloor heating store. They have all sorts to go under wood/laminate, vinyl and carpet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaxandTim Posted February 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 Hi Sharney, We discussed this as an option for our kitchen. One of our neighbours recommended it to us due to our rooms being so small….. They love theirs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muckleflugga Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Fine if you want no heat at night and are stuck in all day and are happy to change the heavy bricks in them every few years - and they ain't cheap. We ripped ours out and put in small Dimplex panel heaters Why on earth do you need to change the bricks?!? Also panel heaters on a normal tarriff? might as well burn £5 notes to keep warm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 ^^ Because the bricks only last so many years. Re small panel heaters - choice of running an old storage heater with the bricks crumbling and fallen to bits thus not retaining heat; plus it depends on how large your rooms are. Didn't have a few hundred pounds spare to buy a new storage heater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muckleflugga Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 20 odd year in the electrical industry, the first I've ever heard that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 20 odd year in the electrical industry, the first I've ever heard that!! Well, it came from Dimplex themselves. We phoned them up, explained the situation and despite Dimplex saying on their website about how their storage heaters are "maintenance free for life", their definition of "life" is five years (hence the warranty). I suppose if the bricks never needed replacing, there wouldn't be loads of new bricks for sale on eBay and other websites selling them. I know the days are long gone since asbestos was used in storage heater bricks but these storage heaters were in a right mess, dented, absolutely covered in dirt, the lot. I'm fortunate in that I type up building surveys, schedules of dilapidations, etc., for more than one surveyor and quite often it is recommended to either replace or refurbish a storage heater and they also recommend changing the bricks. I don't suppose Dimplex want to advertise the fact that the bricks don't last forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISOT Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Its not the bricks that are the problem, its the insulation in the heaters which breakdown and disintegrate making the heater less economical after a number of years. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unlinkedstudent Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Cheers ISOT - all I remember is a right mess when the covers came off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandpeat Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 I have found a few that had crumbled when I used to work with them. We thought that they had been wet at sometime, I remember getting told off by the chargehand for leaving bricks out in the rain, when they were being delivered.Though I think the constant heating and cooling must play its part over the years. But muckleflugga is right about the insulation, that too turned to a brown/gray dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keedle Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 I agree Peat with damp etc But we removed wans fae Mam an Dads hoose 15 - 16 yr ago an installed dem in me sisters hoose still goin withoot changen bricks ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 I have had storage heating for 20 years. The big one in the living room is useless and always has been since day one. It has been looked at several times by the council, but all they do is change the thermostat. The problem is; it just doesn't store any heat! It gets warm when I turn it up high - but it costs a fortune. I have asked for it to be taken out, but the council won't do it. It takes up space and is a pointless expense. Don't bother with the big storage heater if you are considering storage heating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
number 7 Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 the elements in the heater need to be checked , but if its 20 years old then they will require replacing ,due to the insulation breaking down and the bricks not holding the full heat due to there age . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 Thanks for that. I suspect it has been faulty since the beginning as it has never worked as it should. Nobody listens. I can't get the council to do anything about it and the hydro just say it's the councils responsibility. So I'm stuck with it and have to be cold in Winter. In fact I stopped using the room so much this Winter as it's uncomfortably cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.