Night Storage Heating

[Ele-girl]

Does anyone know if you can put a timer system onto a night storage heater to control the out put of the system? I know that the supplier controls when the heaters take the heat in but I ws wondering if I can control when I need it to heat my home for example if I wanted it on for a few hours in the morning and then in the evening or does it have to be on all day?

[buildersmate]

Not really.
These heaters work by converting cheaper electricity available at night into actual heat. It is stored by heating bricks inside the unit, insulated to stop the heat getting out. These bricks have a high capacity to store heat.
The only way you can control the output is via vents on the unit. These prevent the air circulating - cooler air gets drawn in at the bottom - hotter air comes out at the top.
The vents are mechanical flaps, moved by twisting the output knob usually.
Once you understand that, I trust you will see that putting a timer on the unit is not really very practical.

[theonlyone]

I had a flat with storage rads ..never on at the
right time ..good luck ..

[Disco Fever]

The trouble with night storage heaters are if you have charged them up over night and then you have a nice sunny day the heaters have to discharge the heat they have amassed so you have a nice warm home from the heat of the day and the heaters add to that by making it unbearable to stay in the same room....

My suggestion is, as a sparky, go get rid and have gas central heating that way you can turn it on and off when you like....

[Ele-girl]

Thanks Disco Fever. I have had a Corgi Registered person come round to price up some GCH but unfortunately that doesn't look like its going to be an option (due to living in a flat and getting a connection installed). They have suggested the possibility of having the electric equivalent but this could prove to be costly. They have also suggested the possibility of under floor heating but yet again I am stuck as I have no idea etc on how affective this would be.