Newlec Storage Heater Ignorance

[hopelesslyignorant]

Sorry folks, as my username attests, I am seriously ignorant in matters Electrical...I'd love some help!

I've just moved into a fairly newly built flat in Paddington. We have a total of 3 Newlec storage heaters - only one of which seems to work. I say "seems" because I may be missing some very obvious trick.

The heater that works has is acitivated by two switches - one at the wall, which, when pressed down, glows red in a very bog standard way. The other switch is on the side of the heater and similarly glows red. Ther'e are dials for Input and Output. Output I can understand, but Input??

More pressingly, the other two heaters (one in the bedroom, one in the corridor) seem very dead. Neither has a switch on its outer case, suggesting to me that they're 'served' or in some way controlled by the main heater. One of them has another switch at the wall - this does not illuminate when pressed.

I was wondering if this was a fuse issue but nothing appears to have tripped in the fusebox.

As I understand it, these heaters are somehow linked to the activities of my Economy 7 Boiler (which, incidentally doesn't seem to kick out a whole lot of hot water unless I put the Boost on!).

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Once again, sorry to appear / be very stupid.

Andy

 

[Apache]

Economy 7 is usually between midnight and 7 am.

Try the fused spurs on the other 2 storage heaters after midnight and see if they come on.

Storage heaters do as the name suggests and store heat. The higher the input the more heat they'll store (and the more electricity they'll use). Ideally you'd alter the input depending on the next days expected weather.

Output usually lets you chose 'early boost' 'late boost' or no boost. I have all mine set to no boost.

Do you have a separate consumer unit for the economy 7? Are all the MCB (circuit breakers) switched on? We also have an immersion heater that was switched off at the CU when we bought the house.

The storage heater that works in the day is likely to be a combined storage heater/convector heater that allows you to boost the temperature in the day time.

BTW WELCOME

 

[Evans Electric]

Greetings Hopeless, no offence but it is your name.

Storage heaters are full of refractory bricks ( like a furnace) which hold heat for a long time. You will only get power to them for 7 hours midnight to 0700 hrs , power is restricted by the Econ 7 meter . If it is daytime when you tried the one with the red light that may be a 24hr supply to a convector buillt into the heater. The input dial controls how hot the bricks get during the night time charge, turn them right up and leave the wall switches on during the night , power will go off at 0700 and the bricks should be well hot, try output at half way to slowly release the stored heat .

Try not to leave doors open.

Deke

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Hello "hopelesslyignorant"

lets hope you can become slightly less ignorant?

welcome.

Do you have any model numbers..

or even a photo of your heaters & dials..

from what you say you have some different type because the don't all have the same switch arrangements?

?:|

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

To summarise,

The input **** is how much heat is put into the unit overnight.

The output **** controls how quickly the heat comes out ( keep this on minimum or all the heat will be gone by the time you get home at night)

You can not control the times the electricity is switched on & off to the heaters except by the local wall switch

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

[ :_| :_| :_| all i said was the kn0b

 

[Apache]

It will let stopcock through tho? Never used to

 

[batty]

Storage heaters are pretty robust things. Generally there is a simple reason why they are not working. Went to one the other day said to customer it is not switched on. She said she has tried it on and off so have tested it and there is nothing wrong with it, so switched it on and have not heard anymore. Any way back to thread. Maybe the previous owner has turned off peak consumer unit off for summer or timeswitch is not working. But it seems strange why none of the off peak is working

Batty

 

[hopelesslyignorant]

A big THANK YOU to all of you kind and generous folks who took the time and trouble to reply!!

Sorry for the delay in responding - I've been ill and a bit housebound and I rely on net cafes ergo no connection at my gaff.

A friend who knows took a look at things and advised me that, yes, things would work properly during the early hours i.e in line with Economy 7 which reiterates what some of you said. He also advised me to switch all units on for a minimum of twenty four hours, even on a fairly low setting. This will effectively 'charge up' the 'slave' (i.e not the main) heaters.

Cheers

Andy

 

[steptoe]

A big THANK YOU to all of you kind and generous folks who took the time and trouble to reply!!Sorry for the delay in responding - I've been ill and a bit housebound and I rely on net cafes ergo no connection at my gaff.

A friend who knows took a look at things and advised me that, yes, things would work properly during the early hours i.e in line with Economy 7 which reiterates what some of you said. He also advised me to switch all units on for a minimum of twenty four hours, even on a fairly low setting. This will effectively 'charge up' the 'slave' (i.e not the main) heaters.

Cheers

Andy

you wanna get a mobile dongle thingie then,

Ive got one cos NTL seemed to be having a running joke about turning me off every few weeks at random for no apparent reason except to get me to ring them for some hassle.

 

[rater]

Sorry to bump this old thread but didn't see the point in making a new one.

Shilst on the subject, I have just moved into my first flat with a Newlec Economy 7 water heating system. Turned the power on yesterday, missus had a shower this morning. I go to have one ten minutes later and freezing cold water! I can only imagine the timings on the dial are wrong (in my ignorance!). On the control is a 24hr dial, with the word "winter at the 12 o clock position and "summer" at the 11 o clock position. I can obviously turn the dial to what I position i want, what should the numbers on the dial correlate to so I have a good supply of hot water?

Thanks in advance

 

[green-hornet]

First thing to check is the temperature setting on your heating element if set too low it will only warm the water,less cold required to cool so more warm or hot water used.

The settings on your economy seven timer may be out of time.

I personally dont know where they should point to but some people on here will let you know.

 

[Gowda]

Hi

I am a newbie and non too smart with electricals.

We have 5 Newlec storage heaters around the house, that were installed 5-6 years ago. Have had no problem with them up until today.

The two heaters that are upstairs are in the main bedroom and on the landing and they are basically either side of a big thick wall.

This morning, I noticed that it was colder upstairs and checked both heaters to find them stone cold.

All the other heaters in the house are working fine but just not the two upstairs.

I understand the principles of the input/output system and the economy 7 scheme. But, I just wonder what could have possibly happened to make the two upstairs heaters just suddenly go off?

I have checked the fuse box and all the fuses are ok, I have followed what wiring I can see around the heaters and walls and that all seems intact. I haven't put wet clothes on them.

I just wondered if I am missing something simple? Or is this a symptom of something serious? Before I get the professionals in, I just want to make sure its not something really simple and look a right gorm!

I would be grateful for any advice, the heater is a NewLec Storage Heater NLSH18AN

It just suprised me that two had gone. Would two likely short out like that?

I just wanted to check and see if anyone could offer me any advice? Thanks in advance!

 

[Andy™]

clicky.

but if they have both stopped at the same time, they may be on the same circuit, and blown fuse?

how did you check none of the fuses are blown?

 

[Gowda]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Andy™]

storage heaters are generally on individual circuits, but you can get 2 heaters on one circuit. if the fuse/mcb for this trips, both will stop working. the thermal links inside the ehater wont effect another heater.

or it could be a loose connection somewhere thats finally given up so heaters dont have power - again, both heaters would have to be on the same circuit for this to happen

 

[Gowda]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Apache]

Thanks Andy, I am going to (have a cold night!) get going on the things you have suggested in the morning.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

If the storage heaters are connected via fused spurs with red neon lights now is the time to see if they are on and power is getting to the heaters!

If the lights are on power is getting to the heater and you have narrowed the problem down.

 

[Gowda]

Sadly they are not fused spurs with red neon lights. Thanks for putting the visual up, it meant an idiot like me could understand what you meant.

All we have is a socket on the wall with an on/off switch. So I can't tell that way if the power is going in.

The heaters still stone cold, its freezing in here, really I need fingerless gloves on to type! Tbh I didn't expect any different, but still changed the dial etc just to make sure that his nibbs hadn't done something to it the night before (he was the last one to change them!).

I'm just about to pester the log man, as he has been promising me a delivery for a week now, but keeps coming up with excuses. headbang

I'm off to my father's to borrow a plug in electric heater just so we will have some warmth upstairs whilst this is getting sorted out.

 

[Gowda]

Just wanted to thank everyone who helped me.

We got the professionals in and he found that BOTH heaters were wired up to the same circuit and was overloading the fuse capacity.

The fuse had blown, I think he said that it was a catridge (I think??) fuse, which he sorted out and he wired the heaters on seperate circuits, to help solve the problem.

I'm glad I got him in, I don't like the idea that the guy who originally fitted the heaters put them on the same circuit which was overloading the fuse.

Thanks agin for to all those who helped me, it was much appreciated!