Storage Heater Doesn't Always Heat Up?

[OKay]

Hello,
I am having issues with my Dimplex Quantum, they have been installed for about 2 or 3 years now and I have an issue with the one in my bedroom/living space. It gets very unbearably cold without heating. It runs separately from all the other heaters in the house (so no main control for it other than on the actual heater itself.)
I have been searching a lot online but have not been able to find an answer anywhere.

The heater blasts out the warm air with no issues and the control panel seems to work just fine, but it's really hit or miss whether the actual thing (bricks?) will heat up. Sometimes I will turn it on and it will heat up straight away, other times it just won't heat up at all, not even when boosted or left overnight or all day.

I did find that if I switch the thing on and off at the wall (both switches) it will sometimes decide it wants to heat itself up (sometimes after a few attempts at that), but other times I have to wait a few hours and then switch it off and on again to get it to work.

I read somewhere the cold can mean they don't heat up, but I've tested it and found no pattern between the rooms temperature and when the heater decides it wants to work.

It would be really great if someone would be able to help. I'm really not sure if this is something I am doing wrong or can fix myself, or whether this is something I need to call someone out for.

 

[binky]

Sounds like a programme issue, but I'm not particularly familiar with that system. Hopefully someone who is will be along soon.

 

[Fleeting]

If you are fiddling with the switches then there maybe a poor connection at the switches or the switches have become defective.

 

[OKay]

Sounds like a programme issue, but I'm not particularly familiar with that system. Hopefully someone who is will be along soon.

Thanks, I will keep that in mind. Thanks for your reply.

If you are fiddling with the switches then there maybe a poor connection at the switches or the switches have become defective.

Thanks for your help.
Usually I don't mess with the switches, I try to leave it running all winter and turn them down on the panel when they get to hot. I'm not exactly sure when it started not working correctly, but it has only been the last few months of it not always working that I found out this gives it a kick to work.
It would make sense it could be something to do with the switches, when we got them installed we also had other work on the house done, they also replaced the fuse box completely and rewired the house.

From what I know, I am also aware my family member was ripped off pretty bad when they did this work and she paid more than what the normal rate is, I honestly don't know how reputable the person/company who installed them was because this family member is elderly and in the past has allowed door-to-door cowboy builders convince her she needs work done that doesn't. So I actually don't know where she found this company that did all the work.

 

[Murdoch]

Are you turning this off at the mains when you don't want to use it? If so this will confuse the controller.

These units need to be powered up 24 x 7 to work effectively

 

[OKay]

Are you turning this off at the mains when you don't want to use it? If so this will confuse the controller.

These units need to be powered up 24 x 7 to work effectively

Sometimes I do turn it off at the mains/switch when it gets too hot, but for the most part I keep it on because it is cold.
I will keep that in mind not to keep turning it on and off. Thanks.

 

[Murdoch]

Sometimes I do turn it off at the mains/switch when it gets too hot, but for the most part I keep it on because it is cold.
I will keep that in mind not to keep turning it on and off. Thanks.

if it’s getting too hot that may suggest you need to changes the settings to optimise the input / output .

IIRC you can set different times and different temperatures , on different days

 

[OKay]

if it’s getting too hot that may suggest you need to changes the settings to optimise the input / output .

IIRC you can set different times and different temperatures , on different days

Thanks, the controls on the heater itself allows me to change the times and days it comes on, but it only gives the option to change the temperature overall, not daily.

Yesterday we had someone come fit a new electric meter and they had to switch the electric off at the fuse box. Since then the heater has not heated up at all, now it only blasts out the hot air. Have been having to constantly run the boost for 4 hours, repetitively and it was horrible last night.

Am not really sure what to do at this point. We don't really have the money to call someone out.

 

[Murdoch]

Thanks, the controls on the heater itself allows me to change the times and days it comes on, but it only gives the option to change the temperature overall, not daily.

Yesterday we had someone come fit a new electric meter and they had to switch the electric off at the fuse box. Since then the heater has not heated up at all, now it only blasts out the hot air. Have been having to constantly run the boost for 4 hours, repetitively and it was horrible last night.

Am not really sure what to do at this point. We don't really have the money to call someone out.

A brief power outage shouldn't affect its operation

Have you checked that the day, date and time are correct?

 

[binky]

A brief power outage shouldn't affect its operation

Have you checked that the day, date and time are correct?

Or it's yet another meter change where they have messed up off peak supply?

 

[Mike.J]

Since then the heater has not heated up at all, now it only blasts out the hot air. Have been having to constantly run the boost for 4 hours, repetitively.

Not sure I understand that, if its "not heating up at all" how can it blast out hot air? Does running the boost heat it up?

 

[binky]

Not sure I understand that, if its "not heating up at all" how can it blast out hot air? Does running the boost heat it up?

it has a fan heater built in, so it works in off-peak as per traditional NSH, but has extra live supply so that it can be used during non-off peak hours like a normal electric heater.

 

[OKay]

A brief power outage shouldn't affect its operation

Have you checked that the day, date and time are correct?

I did just check it, the date and time is correct.

Or it's yet another meter change where they have messed up off peak supply?

I have had this issue for a long time now. It started just one day when I noticed the heater was cold, it had been running for a long time at that point, without being switched off anywhere.

 

[Fleeting]

Check the wiring at the isolator. Ensure all power is off.

 

[Murdoch]

I did just check it, the date and time is correct.


I have had this issue for a long time now. It started just one day when I noticed the heater was cold, it had been running for a long time at that point, without being switched off anywhere.

How many cables go to this storage heater from the adjacent wall?

 

[michael8554]

Sounds like the supplementary fan heater is working, but the storage heater elements aren't working.
That could be because the Off-Peak supply is missing.
Or the programmer isn't correctly set to power the elements during Off-Peak Periods.
Or all the heater elements are open circuit.

 

[binky]

or possibly the thermal trip has activated and needs resetting.

 

[Adam W]

Or it's yet another meter change where they have messed up off peak supply?

This was my thought as well.
Sometimes meter fitters will take the off peak live out of the old meter and just leave it flapping about in the breeze. If this was the case all the storage heaters would be doing the same thing, ie only the boost element heating up.