Guide to Heating

Installed Products - Not only is electric heating very versatile, it also offers levels of safety, reliability, cleanliness and comfort unmatched by other heating fuels. Add low installation costs plus economic running costs and electric heating offers exceptional value for money.

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Most heating products from our electrical supplies can be installed as part of a system or as single units, giving you complete freedom. Whether you're seeking a heating solution for domestic or commercial applications, new build, refurbishment or replacement. To help you find the right product for your needs, here is a quick summary:

Storage Heaters use inexpensive off peak electricity to store heat in a core of high density bricks. This heat is then given out during the day and evening. Insulation panels between the bricks and the outer core ensure there is plenty of heat all day long.   Click here for further storage heater information

Electric Panel Heaters are ultra compact wall heaters which provide rapid heat and accurate temperature control at the flick of a switch.

Panel Heater Controls - A range of accessories for panel heaters, providing improved control over running costs and better comfort and ease of use.

Fan Heaters are designed mainly for kitchens and bathrooms. Electric bathroom heaters are very compact, they provide fast warm up and good air circulation.

Towel Rails and Towel Radiators provide the solution to year round drying and airing of towels. Selected models can be used for heating smaller bathrooms, while the BR range can also be connected to a 'wet' central heating system.

Commercial Heating covers a wide range of products suitable for a variety of applications, including air curtains, flameproof heating, air barriers and quartz 'spot' heating.

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Portable Products - products which can be moved from room to room, for example convector or fan heaters.

One of the great benefits of electric heating is it's go anywhere versatility. To help you find the right product for your needs, here is a quick summary:

Fan Heaters are extremely light and compact, providing fast heat up for cold spots.

Convector Heaters are ideal for domestic or commercial use and can be freestanding or wall mounted.

General Purpose Heating covers our MPH range which is suitable for a multitude of installations including lofts and greenhouses.

Dimplex Oil Filled Radiators are the original plug-in heater and with a totally enclosed heating element, provide a very safe and reliable room heater.

Low Wattage Panel Heaters are ideal for domestic use.

Can I put radiator covers over my heaters? No, we strongly advise against covering any of our heaters, as this will restrict the airflow through, and output of, the heater.

Can I install your heating products myself? Installed products e.g. panel heaters, storage heaters etc. should always be fitted by a competent person, preferably a qualified electrician and must be installed in accordance with the current IEE wiring regulations. Most portable products are supplied with a mains cable and plug and require no specialist installation.

What are the main benefits of purchasing a storage heater? Storage heaters are one of the most popular forms of electric heating, and because they use low cost 'off peak' electricity running costs are low. Storage heaters are also cheap and easy to install, requiring no pipework or flues. Storage heaters have no moving parts or internal combustion, are virtually maintenance free and do not require an annual safety check.

What types of storage heaters are in your range? We have the widest range of storage heaters on the market. Ranges include heaters with manual or automatic charge control, combination models that include a convector heater, and fan assisted models for even greater efficiency and control.

Can I move my storage heater? This should only be attempted by a competent person or electrician. For safety reasons all electrical supplies to the heater must be switched off and all bricks removed before moving the heater.

Can I use a storage heater in a bathroom? Our mini storage heaters are all suitable for bathroom use.

Can I dry my clothes on my heater? You should never cover the surfaces of the heater or obstruct the air outlet grilles as this will cause temperatures of the product to rise and the safety cut-outs to operate. However a towel rail for our mini storage heater range (Dimplex XL6) is available as an accessory which provides a safe method of using a storage heater to dry clothes and towels. Please contact us for further details.

Can I paint my storage heaters? We do not advise the painting of any of our heaters. It is very difficult to obtain paint with sufficient quality able to withstand the high temperatures involved.

How can I heat my conservatory where there is minimal wall space? The EVS range of low profile panel heaters are ideal for low-level installations. It is important to size the heaters correctly.

Where in my house would panel heaters provide the best heating solution? Panel heaters provide instant, controllable heat and are suitable for any area. They are particularly suited to occasional use areas such as hallways or bedrooms and because they are splashproof they are also suitable for bathrooms.

Do your heaters have a frost protection setting? Yes, all of our panel heaters and some other products incorporate a frost protection setting.

Are your towel rails approved for bathroom use? Yes, all of our towel rails are IP-4 rated for use in wet areas.

Will your towel rails heat the whole bathroom? This depends on the size of your bathroom. All our towel rails will provide a certain amount of extra heat for the room, but the 'BR' range of towel radiators could heat the bathroom by itself.

Further Storage heater Information From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Storage heaters are usually used in conjunction with a two-tariff electricity meter which records separately the electricity used during the off-peak period so that it can be billed at a lower rate. In order to derive any benefit from a storage heater, the house must be on a special electricity tarrif. In the United Kindom, the Economy 7 tarrif is appropriate.

Storage heaters usually have two controls - a charge control, which controls the amount of heat stored, and the draught control, which controls the rate at which heat is released. These controls may be set by the user, or in some models are automatic and allow you to set the target room temperature using a thermostat.

Many units also contain a conventional electric heater which can be used to give a boost in heat output during the day. If this feature is relied upon too much, a lot of peak time electricity will be used and the storage heater will prove expensive to run.

Storage heaters have several drawbacks:

Storage heaters have declined in popularity due to these drawbacks and the low cost of gas-fired central heating. However, many new properties in the UK are built with storage heaters keeping an eye on the future an renewable energy issues..

Heat (abbreviated Q, also called heat change) is the transfer of thermal energy between two bodies which are at different temperatures. The SI unit for heat is the joule

Using storage heaters

Storage heaters can be very cost effective if used properly. However, understanding the heater's mode of operation and using the heater effectively throughout the year takes more thought and planning than a central heating system.

Power switches

 

Off peak and peak power supplies to storage heater

Newer installations will provide two separate power circuits, one of peak and one for off peak electricity, and two power switches on the wall next to each storage heater. These should be switched off during the summer when the operator does not want to store any heat overnight. During other months they should be switched on at all times, you can control the amount of heat that is stored using the controls on the storage heater unit.

Basic controls

 

Input and Output switches on a basic storage heater

Basic storage heaters have an input switch and output switch (also called heat boost on some models).

The position of the input switch should be changed to reflect how cold the night and following day is predicted to be. In the middle of winter, it is appropriate to turn the input switch to its maximum setting. The input switch is normally thermostatic, controlling the maximum temperature that the bricks are allowed to heat to overnight. There is no need to touch the input switch on a daily basis if you are expecting the same sort of weather for weeks at a time. There is no need to touch the input switch during the day, storage heaters only use electricity overnight when it is cheaper.

The output switch does require attention throughout the day. Before going to bed, the operator should switch the output to its minimum setting. This keeps as much heat in the bricks as possible. Enough will leak out into the room to make it warm in the morning. Only in exceptionally cold circumstances will the operator require output overnight. The operator may wish to slowly increase the output switch during the day to try and maintain the temperature in the house. Increasing the output will allow the heat to convect out of the heater. If the house is empty during the day because the operator is at work, the output should be left at a minimum all day and then switched up when returning from work in order to let more heat escape into the house.

Thermostatic controls

 

Thermostatic controls on a more advanced storage heater

A thermostatic storage heater will regulate the temperature in a room throughout the day. However, the operator may wish to switch the thermostatic switch to the minimum setting overnight to stop the room being kept at an unnecessarily high temperature overnight. If the room is empty during the day, it is better to keep the thermostat at the mimimum setting and then increase the setting when the room is occupied in the evening.

Why Use Electric Heating

Electric heating has a number of major benefits to both you and your customer over other fuels and this section is designed to help you understand these in more detail. The core benefits section is split into two sub-sections:

In addition to the specific benefits listed, the long term future for electric heating is looking bright following the Government’s recent Energy Review (see: Energy – the issues > UK Energy Policies and Strategy > Energy Review) which has signalled an increased reliance on renewables and the need for a new generation of low carbon electricity generation sources. This is a winning combination for electric heating as it will become cleaner and greener than it’s ever been before, plus it is inherently renewables-ready. Electric heating is also very sustainable, bringing environmental, social and economic benefits to the community and these issues are all dealt with in more detail in the individual sections listed in the pdf download:

Why Use Electric Heating.pdf