Storage Heater Timer

[barlee]

I have moved into a 1980s flat with 5 storage heaters. The flat has Economy 7 elec supply but doesn't have two distinct circuits (day & night) within the flat.

The 5 storage heaters are each connected via DP fused switches and I was considering installing a timer in series with this switch so that each switches on at night and off during the day. Therefore, the heater will charge up with heat during night and release during day and will not be using daytime electricity to heat up my flat.

I then noticed that all 5 heaters are connected via 3 dedicated 16A mcbs in the consumer unit and all of these run through a 100A mcb. This 100A storage heater mcb is just used exclusively for the heaters and the remaining lighting, cooker, ring main etc circuits have a second 100A mcb dedicated to them. 

My thought is to hire an electrician to install a single DIN mounted timer switch in series with the 100A heater mcb so that all the storage heater circuits are switched off together during the day. 

I can see that there are plenty of 16A DIN mounted timers avail. If I was to use these I would need 3 of them in my consumer unit and there's no space for this. I'd much prefer to have one >48A timer switch which would switch all the heaters on or off together. I have 2 slots free in my MEM 2000 consumer unit at the moment.

Is this feasable?

 

[batty]

Welcome to the forum. I would be very surprised if the economy 7 is already not set up right. Are you sure the storage heaters are not through there own tails in the consumer unit?

 

[NozSpark]

I would guess from your description that your metering is in a central location along with any E7 time switch and that the supply to your storage heater MCBs is already being switched

 

[ProDave]

Have a GOOD look at your electricity meter.

How many wires going into the bottom?

Just 4, and it's a single rate meter.

Any more than 4, and you have a dual rate meter. Sometimes (with more modern meters) the time switch is now built into the dual rate meters. But with older installs you might find a separate radio teleswitch, or even an old clockwork timer.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Unless for some odd reason someone has previously removed the storage heating meter/timer its as the others have said,  You are mistaken and everything is there.

Are you aware how storage heaters work, that they charge up at night and let the heat out slowly all day ?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

As has already been said...   its 99.99% probably correct already!

and by your "description" of 100A MCB's ??

I then noticed that all 5 heaters are connected via 3 dedicated 16A mcbs in the consumer unit and all of these run through a 100A mcb. This 100A storage heater mcb is just used exclusively for the heaters and the remaining lighting, cooker, ring main etc circuits have a second 100A mcb dedicated to them.

It looks like you are not very clear about what individual electrical items are..

and thus unclear about how it actually works.. 

Your post implies that you think that the storage heaters are actually live 24/7..?

Have you proved with a test meter what circuits are live at what times of the day??

If you have doubts ask an electrician to call in a verify what is actually there and how it is configured before you entertain changing anything... 

15 or 20mins taking a few covers of and testing which terminals are live should soon verify whats what! 

Guinness

 

[barlee]

Thx for all ur replies. Yes, there is a radio switch which switches over elec to bill me using a different dial on the meter however it seems that this is not on a second cct within my flat. There are DP fused switches on all the storage heaters with neon lights and these stay on all day and night. 

The storage heaters have a separate section in the consumer unit with a single breaker which just the storage heaters are fed through but somewhere along the line both day and night time ccts are connected together so my heaters are switched on all day and night!

Sure, I'll be charged less when they run during the night but they're storage heaters so I don't want them to run during the day at all.

I know it's not been wired correctly, but that's the way it is.

 

[batty]

Do they have one or two spurs at each heater?

 

[barlee]

One has two spurs and the rest of the heaters have only one.

The heater with two spurs, both spurs have power 24x7.

 

[batty]

It does sound like something is wrong then, teleswitches don't go wrong I think. Maybe a member local to you could take a quick look to see what's going on with it. Whereabouts are you in London ?

 

[roscobot]

??