nice house but electric storage heaters and macerator - advice?

[orchidee]

For sale and I'm interested but have no experience of these items.

Current owner chose not to have gas (it's in the street so could be brought in) and so hot water and heating is all electric. I've a young baby and am used to instant hot water and heating via a combi boiler.

I'm also unsure of the macerator. With toilet training a youngster in the near future I am keen on having a downstairs toilet but realistically, rules about how much toilet paper or whatever can be flushed... Well that'll be a problem.

I'd like to hear opinions and experience.

Only ever heard bad things about macerators! It would be enough to put me off a house.

You should not have a macerate as your only toilet as they are not very reliable. Even worse with LOs who don't understand the connection between putting things in the toilet and blockages.

I currently have an all electric house with storage heaters. I hate them!

Thanks. The macerator is in a downstairs toilet. There's also a bathroom upstairs.

Biscuits- what's your experience with storage heaters? Expensive, inefficient...? Do you need to be organised about hot water etc?

My hot water is a piss take. Some days its boiling and other times its Luke warm. I have to turn switch off and back on many times before it sorts its self out.

I don't use the heaters a lot as they cam only come on at night though ill be cold in the day. The only one with 24hr heat so it comes straight on is in my sons room.

I was told not to leave them on longer then 15 minutes as that's all it took them to store enough heat.

Macerator toilets are a REAL pain. I rented a property with 3 in it years ago and every time we had a party, someone blocked one. In the end, one of my flatmates watched the technician clean one, bought a pump himself and was then equipped to sort out problems. But they were grim.

Only heard bad things about macerators, but we have storage heating. I really don't like that you can't come in on a cold day and just "put the heating on" but by using the night rate energy we have saved a fortune. Our 3 bed house is costing us about £70 a month in total, we spent a lot more on gas and electric combined in our flat previously.

We're getting a quote for some modern ones that apparently have some form of control but our current ones you have to set each night before bed.

storage heaters are not too bad if you are at home all day while they are giving out their heat, but worse if you are out all day and get home as they are dying back. I would look into getting gas and see if you can afford it.

Upping the insulation will make a huge difference, look at the websites of BG and the big electricity companies, they may still have their free or subsidised offers, even if you are not their customer.

I presume you have a hot water cylinder with one or two immersion heaters. Put two jackets on it. They were subsidised to £3 each during the winter, and Wilkinsons still has some stock at that price, and will deliver free for collection from your local store.

I don't know anybody who would choose to have storage heaters. But it's good that there is gas to the street and you will have the option. It's the fact that they give out heat all day and then in the evening when really it's the coldest they've cooled down. I have heard the modern ones are a lot more efficient.

Thanks everyone. I think I'd look into getting gas brought into the building (urgh, upheaval!) And quotes for gcg. The macerator is a worry though..with a young child I know it'll get blocked at some point! I've no experience of these toilet blenders- just seem like a bad idea and no-one here said otherwise. Maybe I should look.into whether a downstairs toilet could be situated elsewhere to linkup with the main plumbing in a better way.

I'd rather have one bathroom, than one bathroom plus a macerator.

We've just moved from a house with storage rads, cheap enough to run but I was cold all the time.

This house is a revelation in terms of hot water and heat, I'd forgotton what it's like to be warm.

I still put thermal underwear on when I'm at home though, SEXY!.