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Original poster

Veiwed house no central heating- experience / advice please

42 replies

dietstartsmonday · 17/01/2013 14:14

Hi

Have seen a house that is ideal apart from has electric stroage heaters.

So heres the questions:

have you got storage heaters? How do they work? are they any good? are they expensive?

Centrel heating - how much is this likely to cost to install?

Thanks

OP posts:
Onlyaphase · 17/01/2013 14:20

Do you mean night storage heaters? The ones that make use of cheap energy at night and are hot in the morning and cool down all day?

We've had those in houses in the past, not for ages and ages though. If they are in an energy efficient house with double glazing and insulation you might be OK, but IME they are usually installed in old houses as a cheap way of installing heating. We used to be cold in the evenings and have a fan heater on.

Central heating costs vary - we had a new boiler and 4 radiators installed by British Gas a few years ago for under £3000, but it will depend on the boiler size and number of radiators etc. Should be easy enough to get some quotes from a plumber.

Original poster
dietstartsmonday · 17/01/2013 14:24

Yes i think thats what they are. I too wondered about being cold later in the day. No double glazing, though we would install it when we moved in anyway.

How disruptive was it having cthose radiators put in?

Thanks for your help.

OP posts:
Clargo55 · 17/01/2013 14:25

Our electric heaters are awful. Our electric bills are currently £120 a month for a small two bed house. The house is only luke warm at best.

We have been quoted £5000 for central heating, currently saving like mad to get it installed. So worth it to have instant heat and cheaper bills.

PostBellumBugsy · 17/01/2013 14:25

Grew up in a very old house, where other than fire places the only method of heating were night storage heaters & it was perishingly cold.

Installing central heating should not be prohibitive, but if it is an old house just check what listing it has. I'm sure that in Grade 2 or higher houses you have to involve you local area Building Control people to talk about flue positions etc.

impty · 17/01/2013 14:26

Storage heaters are not good at heating imo. Only seem to work in tiny rooms. My Pil's have them and their house is freezing and slightly musty smelling Sad

Also had them as a student and spent a winter with icy inside windows!

Clargo55 · 17/01/2013 14:26

£5000 was to cover boiler and 7 radiators and extra cost of having boiler in upstairs cupboard and flume through the loft. Also had to pay £600 to get connected to a gas supply.

Original poster
dietstartsmonday · 17/01/2013 14:26

Post its not that old, just not been updated really.

I think perhaps slightly lower offer then to help me afford the heating install?

OP posts:
Original poster
dietstartsmonday · 17/01/2013 14:27

Clargo55 thanks that is very helpful!

OP posts:
Onlyaphase · 17/01/2013 14:29

The radiators are fine, having the pipes run around the house and under the floors can be a bit messy, so we did it first (had an overlap in our rental house before we moved). And it didn't take that long either, far less invasive and lengthy then having a kitchen or bathroom fitted.

TBH there is no way I'd live in a house with storage heaters now, I just wouldn't consider it. Even though some of the newer ones have a boost system for an extra burst of heat, I wouldn't like to have weather like this and no proper heating system.

Clargo55 · 17/01/2013 14:29

Oh and I would check very carefully for any signs of damp in the house. We could not tell at viewings but a week after moving in there was mould on ceilings and external walls because the house is so cold.

PaperFlowers · 17/01/2013 14:30

We had them for years and found them to be diabolical - never hot when you need them and never particularly 'hot' anyway. Ours were probably the cheapest, crappest ones available though.

Like Only says maybe better in a new energy efficient house, but doubt you would have strage heaters in one of those anyway. And you can't put them on a timer. Also, I think your hot water will likely come from some kind of massively expensive water boiler (think giant electric kettle).

I would get some quotes for getting CH installed and factor that in if it were me as I couldn't live with them again.

PootlePosyPerkin · 17/01/2013 14:32

My late mum's house has storage heaters & cost her a fortune to heat. Just a point about offering lower though - the price may already reflect the need for modernisation. I only say this as someone whose mum's house was on the market for a good £50k less than it would have been with central heating, en-suite, downstairs loo etc. etc. and got very annoyed with people expecting even more of a discount for the things that had already been more than taken into account! .

Original poster
dietstartsmonday · 17/01/2013 14:34

Hadn't thought of damp, will have a look if i view again.

I think i would only buy if i could knock the cost of installation off the offer price

OP posts:
MavisGrind · 17/01/2013 14:35

Storage heaters are crap. End of! Grin I've had gas central heating installed in 2 different houses now, cost betwee 3-4k each time to do and as Clargo55 said it cost about £600 to get connected to mains gas.

There is an element of running pipes under floorboards but worth it IMO, as my plumber remarked, "it's the first time this house has been warm in 250 years!"

Original poster
dietstartsmonday · 17/01/2013 14:35

pootle point taken, buit i don't think that is the case here compared to others

OP posts:
Clargo55 · 17/01/2013 14:44

Oh we also have had to think of a few other costs, things like scaffolding for them to install flue out of roof. Obviously not needed if you were to have boiler downstairs. We really regret buying a house without central heating. We have also been told by varies companies that our chipboards will need to also be replaces when they lay the pipes, as they are a type that crumbles when removed. Again N/A if there is wooden floor boards.

Our quote does not include the cost of having any of the pipes chased into walls ours would be exposed or enclosed in plastic casing. IMO it looks a lot better chased into the walls but we just cannot afford the extra cost.

PootlePosyPerkin · 17/01/2013 14:45

If it's on the market for the same or a similar price to similar houses with GCH then definitely take the costs into account in your offer - either that or buy one with the work already done Grin.

ivykaty44 · 17/01/2013 14:48

I would seriously look at getting wood burning stoves, to suppliment such a heating system. Storage heaters are ok if you know it is going to be cold every day/night as you can put them on - but if it is warmer you end up opening windows to stop it being cold. Or if it is suddenly cold then you cant get enough heat.

So either get rid or use something that is also instant heat - thus a wood burner which if 5kw or over can heat the downstairs of a house easily

Original poster
dietstartsmonday · 17/01/2013 14:48

Buying one done would be better but this layout is ideal! It has everything else. Hmm food for thought thank you

OP posts:
PuffPants · 17/01/2013 14:56

Night storage heaters remind me of my chilly student days!

Original poster
dietstartsmonday · 17/01/2013 15:15

wood burning stove sound lovely! but i am a cold person, so central heating would be going in!

OP posts:
ThatVikRinA22 · 17/01/2013 15:20

when we moved into our house it had night storage heating - now we had them in the past in rented houses and they are pants.

the first thing i did was take them out and install gas central heating and a combi boiler.

depends where in the country you are as to costs but im up north and it cost about 3k, we had a combi boiler, 7 radiators and a kickspace heater in the kitchen (which cost more on top from what i recall)

ivykaty44 · 17/01/2013 15:20

if you are a cold person you need to have a look at how much heat those woodburners pump out and the larger wood burners pump enough heat for rads and water

MmeLindor · 17/01/2013 17:38

I started a thread just like this one about 6 months ago. I wondered if I could live with the storage heaters, cause they would be so expensive to replace.

Everyone on MN advised me against keeping the storage heaters.

Now I know why.

I am either too warm or two cold. The fridge is not needed cause the kitchen never gets warm enough for milk to curdle. I am contstantly opening and shutting windows.

We are paying about £160 a month for electricity, and it has not even been REALLY cold yet. That is a 3 bed terraced house.

expatinscotland · 17/01/2013 17:41

I've rented place with storage heaters. And now, they are right up there with single-glazing in properties. Never again. If I didn't have the money to replace them and couldn't get the price down to afford it, I'd walk away.