Advice on timer required for Storage Heaters Please

[freedomrun]

TN-S supply. Customer has 3 Storage Heaters, each connected to it's own 16A MCB within the CU, along with all other circuits and has only just realised that the Storage heaters are energised all the time and not just on the low night tariff - although the install has a new Electronic Meter and has never had two seperate meter heads installed. Customer wants the storage heaters to be placed on a Timer as the Bill is obviously very high. Any advice on the best way to go about this and what sort of timer to install. Could i leave the MCB's in the CU and connect the timer in the Line of each storage heater circuit. The DOB has confirmed that the customer has cheap rate tariff at night. Many Thanks in advance.

 

[Octopus]

Timeguard do an electronic programmable FCU/ You'd need 1 for each storage heater.

 

[freedomrun]

Any idea of product number - would not have thought a 13AMP FCU would be suitable for a storage heater as it would be too much load, otherwise i would have thought of fitting an Immersion heater timer. The customer would really prefer one timer for all three storage heaters, but could talk him into one timer for each. I have also looked into 16AMP MCB with built in built in timer (3 of them), but these are too expensive and the customer would'nt go for it.

 

[Octopus]

Try FST17, not sure of the loading but recall they are OK for imersion heaters.

Me thinks your client needs a reality check!

 

[Amp David]

All the storage heaters I've removed or worked on have all been on a 13amp FCU.

I think i'd be getting them to look toward some of the newer alternatives to storage heaters, not just fitting a timer to them all.

 

[freedomrun]

The Storage heaters in question are all on individual Radials with 20 AMP DP switch at each. I'm thinking of using a 16AMP Mechanical timeswitch for each circuit and placing these next to the CU between the MCB and the wiring for the Radial CCT. Any other suggestions, this has got to be the most economic way of going about this.

 

[Octopus]

What are the ratings of the storage heaters?

 

[poppypiesdad]

Someones mucked up there because the meter should control the energising of the circuits , we have two consumer units day , and night but the night one is only live during the timed period set by the supplier by a radio clock , seems like somethings been mixed up , is there not a seperate connection at the suppliers switch to connect into

Is the c/u for the night storeheaters in the off peak terminal



Really need a dual meter that would do the switching for you like the old economy 7 with a time clock / radio clock

And with the price of gas , electric heating can work out cheaper

Jamie

 

[Amp David]

Still dont reckon storage heaters are cheaper than gas heating though

 

[Knobhead]

A single timer and a contactor feeding a separate CU would be the way to go.
Otherwise a 3 pole contactor using one pole per heater.

 

[TheFishmonger]

They need to be put ideally in their own D.B. They will also need to be fed from a meter capable of providing econony 7 electricity.

 

[TheFishmonger]

Most of the new meters that the suppliers fit switch the whole supply over to the cheap electric.

 

[poppypiesdad]

What is Economy 7? uSwitch explains Economy 7 electricity tariffs

 

[freedomrun]

Yes, this is how the install at this property is, the whole supply goes over to cheap rate in the night - therefore no seperate meter head and the need for a timer on the Storage heater mcb's in the CU. I agree the storage heater MCB's should be in a sperate CU to the other circuits in the install, but this is what i have to work with. Customer will only pay for 1 timer for all three or 3 seperate timers for each heater. I'm thinking a 16A mechanical timer on each Storage heater circuit after the mcb is the way to go.

 

[UKMeterman]

Hi,
This a bad idea, the new meters are radio controlled and the E7 time period may change without notice... A new CU for the heaters is the correct way.

 

[freedomrun]

I agree, new CU is the correct way - customer aware of the possible problems with time period changes, they will not pay for the additional off-peak CU.

 

[UNG]

I would recommend that your customer sees an optician as he seems a bit short sighted

 

[Knobhead]

Nice one UNG
:smart: