Replacing Storage Heaters? Need to install a more economical and controllable electric heating system? Look old fashioned and take up large wall space?
Have you moved into a property with bulky storage heaters that have been there since the 1980s, very expensive to run, look old fashioned, and take up large wall space, with nowhere for your L shape sofa, or wall TV? Or perhaps you have no Gas supply in a rural location and need to install a more economical and controllable electric heating system? Or with time at home, are you planning some DIY jobs? If you’re thinking of replacing your storage heaters with modern, compliant electric radiators this guide contains everything you need to know about replacing your storage heaters.
1: Disconnecting Old Storage Heaters
The first thing to do, is to have an electrician disconnect them from the power supply fuse spurs. You cannot just unplug them, as they have been wired directly into the meter twice, storage heater is wired into both off- and on-peak electricity, to be charged at the cheaper economy 7 night rate for storage, and also at the very higher KW cost day rate for usage and operation, Fundamental to storage heaters is the Economy 7 tariff that goes with them. An Economy 7 tariff gives a cheaper electricity rate at night and a more expensive one in the day, plus an expensive daily standing charge, Economy 7 draw electricity 7 hours in the night-time, then release their heat in the morning, usually only until lunchtime.
| ELECTRICITY TARIFF | AVERAGE PEAK RATE | AVERAGE OFF-PEAK RATE | STANDING CHARGE | |
| Cheapest Economy 7 | 14.5p/kWh | 8p/kWh | 25p/day | |
| Cheapest normal tariff | 10.9/kWh | 10.9p/kWh | 0/day |
A qualified electrician will need to disconnect and remove the storage heaters from the off-peak circuits, then use the existing storage heater fuse spur points, or install the new Intelli Heat radiators with a standard plugger fuse spur – wiring in any earth cables and circuit breakers according to current 18th Edition IET wiring regulations. If Necessary (only when altering existing electric circuits) He/she should also provide you with a test Electric Certificate Report. The good news is that you can keep the entire storage heaters wiring radial electric circuit.
2- Asbestos, Disposal & Recycling of Storage Heaters
A lot of the older storage heaters type models will most certainly contain asbestos, as it was widely used because of its fire retardant properties; any heaters that contain the letters ‘SR’ at the end of the serial number pose the greatest risk of releasing asbestos fibres into the atmosphere. Asbestos is highly dangerous and can cause permanent lung damage, householders should first check whether their old storage heater contains asbestos and if so this needs to be professionally removed, and contact your local council. Check if your old Electric heater contains asbestos here: https://www.armco.org.uk/asbestos-survey-news/storage-heaters-that-contain-asbestos/
Disposal & Recycling Storage Heater Bricks can be a tricky one. Some Electricians will take them away for you, but this is costly in labour and weight, as it will take time to dismantle every heater, remove the bricks and carry them out to a vehicle. The time taken will be chargeable, so you may prefer to do this bit yourself once the heaters have been disconnected. They will be much too heavy to lift, so will need to remove the top or the front face and then remove the cold bricks one by one.
3- Can the Storage Heater bricks be recycled?
Yes, you can’t build a new extension with them, as they have channels and grooves cut into them for the electric rods, and are not structurally sound for building, but you can create an interesting garden feature with them. Perhaps a bird table, barbecue, or raised bed edging? You can also advertise them on social media or your local Gum Tree or Facebook websites for people to collect, saving you the cost of hiring a skip, and possible suspension damage to your car by taking them to the nearest tip. In rural areas, the local farmers or builders may appreciate some free bricks to be used as hardcore. A facebook advert on your village page will usually do the trick.
4- How long will it take to remove storage heaters?
To dismantle and remove one large storage heater will take 1 person around 45 minutes. For a large house of approximately 6 storage heaters, this will certainly take at least one day if you walk quickly and will take 2 days if you need to add going up and downstairs with every armful of bricks. If you have an apartment of the third floor, you may need to call in some fit exercise loving friends to help.
Relying on the Electrician to remove the old heaters could substantially increase the overall installation cost by £300 to £400, depending on the number of staircases involved, so can make a big saving if you are fit and strong enough to do this yourself. Be sure to choose a dry day for this task, or you will have wet shoes treading on all the carpets all day. Householders should first check whether their old storage heater contains asbestos and if so this needs to be professionally removed, don’t just dump it as it will put others at risk of exposure.
5- Hidden Costs of disposal of Storage Heaters
Remember, that if you chose to drive a carload of bricks to your local Council run tip, you may need to pay a fee to dump them, plus the costs of fuel to and from the tip however many times needed with a boot full of bricks. This could make it cheaper overall to hire a skip which is delivered to your property, and then collected at the end of the job. Skips are available in different sizes, so be sure to order one big enough for your needs a small one (around £90 / week) will do. This one-off cost means the job is quicker, and you can also clear out other accumulated rubbish from the shed, garden, or garage at the same time.
6- Do you save Electricity after removing storage heaters?
If your old storage heaters are wired into Economy 7 cheaper night-time electricity rates, this means that your day rate is higher than the standard rate, so as soon as your old system has been removed, contact your electricity company immediately and switch to a standard tariff. The benefit of a cheaper nightly rate is only useful if you have storage heaters, by switching to a standard rate will allow you to economise on your daily energy usage.
If you forget to do this, you will remain on an inflated tariff for all your daytime use. The biggest benefit of this is when using your new electric wall mounted radiators, they will use less electricity for a shorter period, giving you carbon friendly, energy efficient and controllable electric heating, which will save up to 30% on your previous energy bills.
With so much competition between energy suppliers, it’s now a good time to pit one supplier against another to induce them into offering you their very best tariff . Don’t be afraid of having a SMART meter fitted, as this will enable you to check the energy used each day if you wish, so you won’t get a surprise nasty bill, while showing you just how much can be saved by UNPLUGGING all the chargers around the house.
Your old electric storage system would have been using Economy 7 – that gave you cheaper electricity from around midnight till 7 am in the morning. Nowadays, it’s possible to get a smart meter installed for free that will record smart readings every 30 mins. Some of the more advanced electricity utility companies will even offer you variable tariff rates every 30 mins – so you can programme your new electric heating system to take advantage of these rates and pay less for your electricity. On a windy night when the off-shore wind turbines are turning fast – you may even get paid to use spare electricity. Octopus Energy is leading these new flexible tariff developments, more information can be found clicking here.”
7- Why Installing Efficient Wall Mounted Electric Radiators
Now the ancient brick heaters have gone, it’s time to choose your new efficient stylish electric designer radiators. First you need to know the correct size needed to heat your room and then decide on where you want to install it. No need to take up valuable floor to waist wall space, you can install them above the sofa, or have a horizontal radiator on a smaller wall space.
They don’t need to be boring white either. There is a vast collection of colours and shapes with textured surfaces and even art images to choose from. The Electrician should be able to calculate the wattage you need, based on the room size, ceiling height, number of doors and windows and the construction of your walls and type of insulation.
We do provide an online questionnaire to calculate all this for you Here. With clear instructions to follow, our systems are so simple to install that you can do it yourself or use your local electrician. It’s just like plugging in a new kettle, except for the 4 screws needed to hang it on the wall. And with our patented automatic lock brackets, your radiator will be on the wall in no time. However, should you prefer to have them fitted by an expert, we can also put you in touch with our local installers in your area who are knowledgeable and professionally trained by intelliheat. Our installers usually fit an average house in around a day.
8- How to Fit Wall Mounted Electric Radiators
- Mark the wall where the brackets need to be
- Drill four holes for the two brackets
- Screw the mounting brackets to the wall
- Hang the radiator on the brackets
- Fix the radiator in place with a locking screw
- Plug into a normal electric socket and switch on.
Very luxurious! Why not watch our mini You Tube video to see just how easy it is to have stylish electric radiators that will keep you warm, and reduce your energy costs year after year…
So, when you are ready to remove those old-fashioned brick heaters, give us a call and our friendly Technical Advice team are on the end of a phone to help you choose the very best option for you, with practical help and free advice about installation. With a comprehensive range of models, colours, sizes, textures, and styles to suit your lifestyle and decoration you are spoilt for low carbon radiators choice.
Replacing Storage Heaters with controllable electric heating? Save Up To 30% on your electricity bill this winter by switching to INTELLI HEAT radiators, come with a 10 Year Guarantee and a 5 Star Customer reviews feedbacks.
IntelliHeat has a UK network of approved, fully qualified Heating installers. Request an installation quotation below and our team will provide you with details of an installer in your region.
