Apartment Heating - Electric Storage Jnits

Gumbo

I’ve just been asked by a friend that owns a 2003 built Apartment (recent purchase).

2 bedrooms have timed electric heaters.

Open Plan and hall area has 3 Storage Heaters.

Creda Quartz Electric Splashproof units is what they are

This an area I am not involved in career wise so couldn’t really advise.

Are there upgrades, alternatives that he can consider now to replace those units?

Better working, more efficient, smarter etc

colm_mcm

probably has a dual night rate meter, which is good for those bedroom heaters if they’re set to come on periodically through the night.

If storage heaters are set up properly for the right input charge and output setting (there may also be a devireg type device in the fuse box which adjusts the duration of charge depending on outside temp, or position of a control knob) they’re plenty efficient. You’re getting night rate electricity much cheaper than day rate, and there’s a lot of nonsense talked about so-called “smart” heaters which run on the more expensive day rate.

Before shelling out for these heaters that promise all sorts, get the existing storage heaters set up correctly.

Gumbo

Yes dual meter set up with night rate alright (ideal for EV but that’s for another day!)

The bedroom heaters seem fine and work as they should alright.

Setting up the main storage heaters correctly instead of changing them might be the way forward for him.

I’ll have to ask him to talk to neighbors to see how they can be set up and also check for the device in the CU.

The heaters have an input/output dial on them and from my reading up the input should be high and output mid to high at this time of year.

One of them has a fused switch that turns the convector fan on for instant hot air.

colm_mcm

Yeah, that’s basically a boost heater which is basically a fan heater, possibly linked to a thermostat in that room, you’d use that if the room was too cold. It’s obviously at day rate if used during the day.

People often make the mistake of having the output too high, or input too low, or both, then you’re letting the heat out too quickly, and by evening there’s not much left and you’re using the boost heater and clocking up extra money.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119951506#Comment_119951506

Thanks Colm.

Anywhere I can send him to get them set up properly or is it trial and error over the course of a few days adjusting the input/output dials?

colm_mcm

It’s kind of trial and error as you say, but first it would be useful for your friend to know if there’s a separate controller that defines how long they stay on for at night. You could be messing around with inputs and the actual duration might change completely separately to that because of outside temps. This is only based on my own experiences of having places with electric heating. There are actual manuals and stuff online that might explain it better!

they might find turning the output down during the day would help hold the heat longer too, as said trial and error!

That’s the controller I’m talking about. From around 2006 so could be similar.

https://www.gaia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/U-Installation-User-Instructions-for-Devireg-710.pdf

MicktheMan

I always advise the first port of call is to reduce the heating needed in the first place i.e. investigate what can be done to reduce significantly the heat loss. I've had excellent success in this area in several apartments of different eras mainly due to air leakage. For example, one such 2 bed apartment showed a nearly 80% reduction in convection heat loss!

So in addition to the very good advice from Colm above, I would advise that your friend also considers an air tightness test and take appropriate action based on the findings.