To begin with storage heating was a good reliable solution for builders and developers to install them in apartments, offices, shops, homes, right around the country. Why? Price!! It was also easier for the developer to complete the projects without having to install a full gas or oil wet system. The problem is, storage heating is so un – reliable and difficult to control. Below are some facts about typical storage heating and the running costs associated with them.
In general, electric utilities charge different rates at different times of the day. During peak hours when a lot of people are using their electricity, utilities will increase the price to reduce demand on the system. During off-peak hours, such as in the middle of the night when fewer people are using electricity, the utilities will lower the prices. Night storage heaters are designed to take advantage of this pricing structure. They use electricity to generate heat at night, when it is cheaper, and then use that same heat during the day to heat the house. The current rate from the ESB is 8.46 cent per KWh or unit of electricity. The night tariff times in the summer are from 11.00pm to 8.00am and in the winter they are from 12.00pm to 9.00am. So a 2.5KW storage heater would consume 2.5 units of electricity every hour at a cost of 21.15 cent per hour. The day time rate from the ESB is currently at 17.09 cent for a 15 hour period. (Figures correct 15/06/2011)
Night storage heaters are powered by electrical heating elements much like those used to power electric ovens and stoves. These heating elements are resistors–materials that resist the flow of electric current. When electricity flows through these elements, it is turned into heat. In a night storage heater, the elements are located adjacent to bricks. The entire heater is insulated and controlled by a thermostat with a timer. A common problem with the heaters is a faulty thermostat which results in the elements consuming power constantly or not working at all. This results in expensive repair costs to have the heater repaired.
Sometime in the middle of the night, a timer automatically turns on the thermostat. The thermostat sends electricity into the heating elements, which heat the bricks. The thermostat continues to heat the bricks until they have reached the desired temperature, then turns off. The insulation prevents most of the heat from leaking back out, but some of it does nonetheless. The heater also releases heat during the night when people are asleep or the office is un – occupied. This un warranted heat is a waste of energy at a cost to the property owner.
Most night storage heaters are designed to heat a single room. A flap opens in the side of the heater, allowing hot air to flow out into the room. The thermostat controls the flat, opening it just enough to heat the room to the desired temperature. As the day goes on, the night storage heater may run out of heat. If it does, the homeowners may use a back-up system to provide additional heating in the form of a direct convectional heater (usually 1500W) that is located at the base of the storage heater. These heaters heat the room but at a high running cost and have no means of storing the heat when they are switched off. This form of heat dries the room of the air that is circulating around it and when the heater is switched off the room immediately starts to get cold.
With Jawo heaters you can control the correct amount of heat you want at any given time off the day. Controlling your heat means you are controlling your bills. Don’t compromise on cheap heaters, take full control of your heating today with Jawo Electric Heaters today.
Call us in Galway on 0404 34738 today.