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Storage Heating

  
 
Seth
13:23 / 02.01.06
I moved in to this flat in March last year, and as I'm pretty well insulated with the hair and pie that God gave me I just turned off the storage heating to save on the wallet.

Now that we're headed into the colder months I've decided to face that old foe (technology) and work out how to magically fill my flat with a warm glow. I can do the whole rubbing two sticks together thing, but my landlord might have a problem with it.

So, on top of my main heater are two dials, one marked input, the other output. On the front face there's another dial with three wavy vertical lines under it, a switch and a light that seems to have some mystical relationship to the switch but doesn't come on regardless of how the switch is pressed. I kinda expected to see a timer so that the heater would know when to switch onto the cheap rate, but I can't see one.

So, I'm guessing that input refers to how much the bricks get heated overnight, and output refers to the rate of heat escape throughout the day. Right? Erm... so the higher the input, the more electricity is used. And if the input is high and the output is low, then I should get a mild flow of heat that should last throughout the day.

I'm figuring all the controls on the front face (the dial with the wavy lines, the switch with baffling light) refer to some kind of daytime control, where you can heat up the flat during the day if needs be. All good. I think this is the source of the mystery heat that emanated from beastie fifteen minutes ago when I had a little play. There must be a skeleton crew of machine elves who man the thing during the day before the majority of them wake up at midnight.

The make and model appears to be Dimplex CXL, where the L is some kind of misleading upside down 7. Now, here are my questions, and as you might guess I'm flying blind without a manual. Are my assumptions about the controls correct? If not, what am I doing wrong? Does anyone have the same kind of heater? What are the things I should look out for? Would this all be easier if I undertook shamanic journeys to the machine elves to strike a bargain with them?
 
 
Ariadne
14:34 / 02.01.06
It sounds like your assumptions are correct - there's usually a heater that you can turn on for extra heat during the day (it blows out hot air and will smell of burnt dust the first time you use it after a while), but it obviously uses more power.

As for the overnight heat, yes, you've got the hang of it - there should be a switch on the wall somewhere nearby (or low down on one side of the heater itself?) that will start the whole thing going. And it probably won't start until later tonight when it can get the cheaper power.
 
 
Seth
17:11 / 02.01.06
Yes, there was a switch on the wall. I reckon that come switch over time there'll be some lovely warmness, and I'm on lateshift time so I should be up until at least the wee smalls to make it all work.

This must be so exciting for Barbelith. I promise to keep you all posted.
 
 
Mourne Kransky
10:00 / 03.01.06
We are all hoping your buns are warm and toasty now.
 
 
Kit-Cat Club
10:20 / 03.01.06
We have Dimplex storage heaters but I think they must be a more primitive type - we just have the on/off switch at the wall, the normal control, and the boost control (which is singularly ineffective). The system seems to work so that it is extremely toasty first thing in the morning (too hot for me, in fact, even with the dial at 2 out of a possible 5) and useless any time after 5 p.m., even with the boost on. Setting the controls at a lower level doesn't appear to parcel the heat out for a longer period of time. However, the flat is generally extremely inefficient when it comes to energy (no double glazing or insulation, etc.) so this might not be wholly the fault of the heating system. Hooray for mod cons.
 
 
Seth
11:42 / 03.01.06
Success! I am now aglow with toasty warmness! The machine elves pulled through.

Now I just have to get used to how the heaters work so I can get the balance right.
 
 
Brigade du jour
11:50 / 03.01.06
Aww Seth I'm jealous and nostalgic now! I used to have a storage heater, they rule.

Got a halogen lamp job now. It's ok but it eats electricity with a serving spoon and has a biiig appetite.
 
  
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