Feel stupid for not knowing how to use our storage heaters

[Beth2511]

We moved into our flat in july and only just needed to use heating. I can get the one on but its cost us £5 in 2 days and i cant figure how to even get the others on. All 5 are different. Our bedroom is so cold we can see our breath and my little girls room is too, we are layering her up with 6/7 blankets but we need to figure how to use them.

Any ideas?

[dementedpixie]

Have you googled the make to see if there are instructions online?

[wasonthelist]

YANBU

Are you sure they are all storage heaters? The only one that looks like a storage heater to me is the one with all the writing (instructions?) on it. The others just look like convector heaters to me.

For the storage heater, there's usually an "input" dial - you set this to determine how much heat is put in overnight - this requires you to guess what the weather will be like tomorrow - then there's an "output" dial that determines how much heat to release - these are tricky as well - if you crank it right up all the heat may be gone too soon in the day.

The one with the clock appears to have a 24 hr timeclock built in so so you can set it to come on and go off at different times of the day.

[blueteapot]

Is it a rental? Contact your landlord?

[dementedpixie]

www.storageheaters.com/how-storage-heaters-work.htm - gives a basic idea on how they work

[Pipbin]

Move house - that's what I did. Storage heaters are a big load of bollocks. 10 fucking years I put up with them until we could move.

[Pipbin]

They aren't storage heaters OP. They are just wall mounted electric heaters.

[Pipbin]

First one: I think the dial on the left is the thermostat. Put the fist switch to the two lines, then the second one to the hand to just turn it on or to the clock to have it run on the timer.
I don't think its a storage heater.

[Oysterbabe]

I had storage heaters in my tiny one bed flat. My electricity bill was £1200 a year. I'm sure I was somehow doing it wrong but fucked if I could make them work with any kind of efficiency.

[AwakeCantSleep]

Pic 1 and 3 look like convector heaters. You can choose between off, on or timed. They also have two settings (low or high) and a thermostat dial. Middle one could be a storage heater.

Do not cover the heaters (especially convectors) with curtains and such things!! It's a fire risk.

I agree about moving. I had to put up with electric heating in the past. It must be the most expensive way of never being quite comfortable...

[Pipbin]

I think the second one is a storage heater with a booster function.

The third one is just a regular on/off heater.

Do you have two rates of electricity? Is it cheaper at night? You can only have storage heaters if you have economy seven electricity.

[BrandNewAndImproved]

£5 every other day is normal for storage heaters.

[AGrinWithoutACat]

The one in the middle looks like a storage heater - does it have an input and an output dial? If so then the input is what energy it will take in and output what it will give out, once the output is gone it's gone until the heater recharges from the input over night

Try having the input on a medium setting and the output slightly lower, check throughout the next day how warm and when the heater is warm

If you are happy with the heat but want it on longer turn your input up but leave the output alone, if you want to cool it down turn the output down slightly. Turning the output up will discharge all the stored heat early in the day. You will figure out the right level for you needs over a few days.

The ones with times are bog standard heaters, they will be on when you set them and off otherwise

[Spellcaster]

Contact your landlord asap, also read your tenancy agreement in case heaters are mentioned. Might also want to contact citizens advice or similar if landlord does not help, as not having heating is no joke. Can ask friends/family to lend you an electric heater in the meanwhile, oil filled ones are the best if anyone has spare. Good luck.

[Footle]

You need PigletJohn. PM him maybe ?

[wasonthelist]

OP - if turning on the convectors doesn't get them going (and without in any way wanting to sound patronising by stating the obvious - I am honestly just trying to be helpful) - is there a wall switch where the heater cable goes into the wall? If not, is there a fuse or circuit breaker in the Fusebox/consumer unit (main electrics switches) that needs switching on?

[MajesticSeaFlapFlap]

Those saying they are crap and move out stop.
It's unhelpful and people can't just move. In the real world large amounts of ha/council place have those and remnants are stuck with them.

Input on full always and output on 1/lowest overnight so it stores the heat up ready for the day

[Southbucksoldbuffer]

The big picture is a convector heater. The dial on the left if the temperature setting. Read it against the right hand side. The slide switch in the middle is up for on 24/7. Middle for off and down for timer. The dial on the right is the timer. Has lots of small slider switches on it. Up is off down is on against the time. Set the current time at the bottom of the dial. Hope this helps

[MajesticSeaFlapFlap]

Tenants*

[Beth2511]

We have no option to move, we got housed in housing association after previous landlord sold up and are struggling a bit at the moment.


The HA said they were all storage heaters which might be why the only close one i can find online is the second one but no luck with instructions.

Will have a fiddle with the other two again now it seems they arent storage heaters, will have more luck if im expecting a more immediate response from them than overnight storage for the morning.

£5 was just for one heater in the lounge, imagine it will be at least double wi5h the bedrooms

[Southbucksoldbuffer]

Oh and the 1 or 2 bar switch is how many heating elements come on.

[OurBlanche]

Contact your HA bod in the morning and tell them the heaters are not working, and how much the one you got to work cost you. They should send someone out to have a look.

[Pipbin]

Check that you have economy seven electricity. If you don't then the storage heater won't come on at all as they only come on at night when the electricity switches over.

Oh and Majestic I made a lighthearted comment. If you read it you will see that I lived with just storage heaters for 10 YEARS as I couldn't afford to move or have better heating put in. I don't need a lecture about the 'real world' thanks.

[MajesticSeaFlapFlap]

Is it a content piping? 14 years and counting...


Irrelevant though.