Storage heater advice

[martyj]

Hi all,

A storage heater in the hall of the place i’ve just bought isn’t working.

it is a Dimplex SH12 439356 Series B.

In the electrical test, the electrician said power is going into the heater correctly. When I adjust the input/output dial i can hear clicks so possibly the thermostat is working? 

I have set input to max and there is no heat coming out at all.

is there a way whether i could test ifit is a faulty thermostat, or whether it is something more serious, i.e will need replacing?

Thank you,

Martin.

PS how do you get photos small enough to attach on here?!

 

[ProDave]

Did the electrician bother to take the cover off?

Most of them have an over temperature trip. Most can be reset, some need a new thermal fuse.  The biggest cause of the over temp trip going is people ignoring the "Do Not Cover" notice and putting damp clothing over it to try and dry it.

You need a better electrician who is bothered to test it properly. It could be the over heat trip, it could be a faulty thermostat, or less likely but possible is all the heating elements have failed.

The "SH12" appears to be a cage to stop people doing the wet washing thing (or perhaps encouraging them to do it?) not the model number of the actual heater.

 

[Andy™]

they are fairly easy to test with a multimeter to see if it should be heating up

 

[martyj]

Thanks guys. Unfortunately he was there to do the testing only, so it wasnt really his job. I was just wondering if there was anything I could do myself without calling an electrician out etc

 

[ProDave]

Can you take the cover off and take a photo? 

We need one of the Admins to come along and enable attachments. It's an anti spam measure that new posters can't add attachments straight away.

 

[Murdoch]

Was the spark at your house during the night? How could he be so sure its getting off peak electricity?

Does your lecky plan include off peak? You wouldn't be the first client to have its supply mucked up by the supplier!

 

[martyj]

I have dual rate economy 7 electricity, so I guess he could tell that the heater was receiving electricity ok? Pretty sure he took the cover off too. I could take the cover off and take a photo but they are always too big for me to attach, tried so many times!

 

[Evans Electric]

Martyj  are there other units that DO heat up  overnight ?  

If yes , all is well with the Off-Peak supply .

A few reasons :-  

As said above , the over heat fuse has  operated , inside the heater.     ( Likely cause.. people drying clothes on the heater itself) 

In the heating board , a trip may be off /a fuse removed.

All the elements have failed in the heater .

The input stat is not operating . 

The local isolating switch is not switching / broken /loose connection etc 

Edit:   You need to do 10 posts  before you can upload a photo  .

 

[martyj]

Hi EE, I have a more modern Duo Dimplex in the lounge and that works fine so the supply is fine i would say.

i’m guessing that none of those things I can do myself given i have next to bo experience with electrics?!

 

[ProDave]

The Duo uses off peak and peak rate electricity so may seem to work even if the off peak charge is not working, so that is not conslusive proof.

What about overnignt water heating, is that working?

 

[martyj]

Yes, water heats overnight no problem Dave.

 

[ProDave]

Yes, water heats overnight no problem Dave.

You should be able to attach a photo now, so take the front cover off and photograph the thermostat (input dial) area

 

[Evans Electric]

Martyj   these are  relatively new heaters then ?  

 

[martyj]

Martyj   these are  relatively new heaters then ?  

I am pretty sure this is the original heater from when the place was built in 2004. Is 13 years new for a heater?!

 

[ProDave]

Storage heaters seem to last forever, so 13 years is "new"

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes , as Dave says  , they'd be regarded as  "new"  .   

The older ones , ugly  great oblong metal boxes  tend to contain asbestos so you  don't want to be taking them to bits . 

 

[martyj]

Hi all, sorry for delay in photos. Hopefully these help?

 

[ProDave]

I don't immediately recognise that type of thermostat. Can you get a  closer picture looking in at it from both sides?

Do you have any test equipment, e.g. a multimeter?

 

[martyj]

Hi Dave, I dont have any equipment I’m afraid. Not sure if it means anything but I just had a stupidly high elec bill come in, £110 for the month, no way i used that, even when elec is only power in flat.

Hope these pics are better?

 

[ProDave]

In your third and 4th pictures, the white bit to the right. You will see a "tang" pointing upwards slightly from the top of the white bit.

With the POWER OFF, insert a small flat object e,g a small screwdriver blade down under that tang inserted at the same angle as the tang.  If it goes "click" then that was the thermal overload trip and you have just reset it.

This is the least obvious of all the different themal overload trips I have encountered.

£100 per month is a perfectly normal bill, indeed quite reasonable for a winter bill in an all electric house.