Electric Heating system for a flat.

[Benway]

Greetings

Just moved into a first floor flat and damn is it cold, things are shrivelling up at rate too scary for words. I need heat and soon.
Heating at the moment consists of Dimplex MDS20L stand-alone fake fireplace thingy in the living room, 2 or 3Kw I think. Funky retro looking heater/light high unit in the bathroom that smells of burning dust and gets too hot to get near within 5 seconds of using the pull cord (that’s if the pull cord doesn't snap again). Bedroom has a 400w very thin (and I think very cheap) panel heater, I use the word heater loosely as I'm sure it actually sucks more heat in than it gives out.

So I need to come up with a plan to have more things that give out heat, and a way to control these bad boys to do this at the correct times and too a temperature that my little toes will enjoy.

My Initial plan was to split the flat into zones. Zone 1 Bedroom/Bathroom. Zone 2 Kitchen/Living room and get a programmable thermostat situated in each zone (something like a Horstmann CentaurStat7 or similar).

Once these are in, replace the Bedroom panel heater with either a cheapo 2Kw Convection heater or a 1.5Kw Creda Newera Plus panel heater (think these look quite swish). Get an IP rated 1Kw Panel heater for zone 3 of the bathroom, or get an non plumbed rad with a heating element stuck in it. Can't decide which way to go with the bathroom.

Living room was going to keep the Dimplex, and install either the cheapo 2Kw Convection heater or a 1.5Kw Creda Newera Plus panel heater again in the kitchen.

One issue is that these programmable stats don’t like to switch more than 8 Amps (2Kw)

Any ideas or advice very much appreciated. Am I going in the total wrong direction or just looking in the wrong places?

Cheers

PS Don't like storage heaters

 

[Steve]

if you dont want to break the bank, just get plug-in 2kw oil heaters in each room, with built in stats and timers, this will give ultimate control, and they give off a lot of heat once they are warm. Dont use that heater in the bathroom again, it sounds dangerous and ancient. I take it you own the flat? if so, remove this heater ASAP.

OOI, how are the heaters currently supplied with power? are they on seperate circuits?

 

[PartPapproved]

Is this your own property? if so another option if gas is not available is an electric boiler, They work the same as a gas system(ie wet) with radiators etc , i have a couple of these in propertys that i rent out and although every corgi guy says they are crap and expensive to run , all i can say is that the tenants who have them are very pleased !!
If its not your property then have a look at the new electronic panel heaters they also are very good with excellent stats and timers with temp set back facilities etc

 

[Benway]

if you dont want to break the bank, just get plug-in 2kw oil heaters in each room, with built in stats and timers
OOI, how are the heaters currently supplied with power? are they on seperate circuits?

Have looked at oil heaters, but girlfriend ‘doesn’t like the look of them’ (you can now see what I’m up against in getting this place warm). And I'm not sure about the own stat thingy. Dimplex in the living room has its own stat, not that impressed with it, doesn’t have actual temperature markings, and seems to turn off before the room heats up as the stat is on the actual unit. (Maybe I’m just being picky)

Panel heater in bedroom connected to FCU (guess it’s on the sockets ring). Same with the bathroom heater (doesn’t really get used anyway). Dimplex in living room is just plugged into a socket. There are unused outlets for a storage heater in the living room (2 outlets, guess for normal and economy7 electricity) has its own fuse box with fuse also for immersion tank.

 

[Benway]

Is this your own property? if so another option if gas is not available is an electric boiler.
If its not your property then have a look at the new electronic panel heaters they also are very good with excellent stats and timers with temp set back facilities etc

I do own the property, will look into the electric boiler, sounds good but don’t fancy the idea of running pipes everywhere.

 

[andy]

Is this your own property? if so another option if gas is not available is an electric boiler.
If its not your property then have a look at the new electronic panel heaters they also are very good with excellent stats and timers with temp set back facilities etc

I do own the property, will look into the electric boiler, sounds good but don’t fancy the idea of running pipes everywhere.

fitted some electric boilers before. altho most of the houses they went it, the DNO had to upgrade the supply to the house to take the extra demand (altho on 1 outta 3 they got away with changing the service fuse)

 

[Big_Spark]

STORAGE HEATERS ARE EXPENIVE AND CRAP.

They absorb energy whilst your in bed and release it whilst your at work!!

They are inefficient, expensive, ineffective and horrible in general.

 

[Steve]

Have looked at oil heaters, but girlfriend ‘doesn’t like the look of them’ (you can now see what I’m up against in getting this place warm). And I'm not sure about the own stat thingy. Dimplex in the living room has its own stat, not that impressed with it, doesn’t have actual temperature markings, and seems to turn off before the room heats up as the stat is on the actual unit. (Maybe I’m just being picky)

i know, the built-in stats never have temperature marks on, since they are affected by heat direct from the heater so are never 100% accurate with temperatures. Best thing to do: turn it on, with stat on max. then when the room reaches desired temp, turn it down until it clicks off. Bingo. Stick some tape on the stat and leave it!

I think oil heaters look quite retro like old radiators, tell your girlfriend this! another advantage is they NEVER smell of burning dust!

Another option is a panel heater "energy saving" one, with timer and stat. You could use a plug-in stat which controls what is plugged into it depending on the room temperature. Then you can have the heater away from the stat. Lots of ideas.