How to Use Electric Storage Heaters

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1Handling Your Heater's Controls

2Conserving Energy With Your Heater

3Using Electric Storage Heaters Safely

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Electric storage heaters are a great way to keep a room warm and save on electric bills. By storing up the heat and releasing it gradually through the day, a storage heater conserves more electricity than most heaters do. Knowing how to use your heater's control settings, save energy, and handle your heater safely can help you use it to its fullest potential. Once you get the hang of using an electric heater, you'll be saving plenty of energy and money!

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Handling Your Heater's Controls

1. 
   1
   Hire an electrician to install an electric storage heater. Electric storage heaters must be installed by a qualified electrician. Unlike plug-in storage heaters, they're installed directly into your home. Contact local electricians in your area and ask whether they perform storage heater installation.

   • Talk to several different electricians before making a decision to compare installation prices.
   • Do not attempt to install or fix storage heaters by yourself.
2. 
   2
   Use the input dial to charge the storage heater. The input dial controls how much energy is stored in the heater overnight. It usually has settings ranging from 1 to 5. The higher you set your storage heater to, the more energy it will store.

   • As a general rule, choose a low setting during warmer months and a high setting during colder months.
   • Usually, the heaters can either be switched to input or output at a time. Input conserves energy while output uses energy.
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3. 
   3
   Use the output dial to control how much air the heater lets out. Like the input dial, the output dial usually has settings from 1 to 5. It controls how much hot air that passes out of the storage heater at a time.

   • The higher the setting, the warmer your room will be.
4. 
   4
   Switch to input when your heater runs out of air. If your heater runs out of hot air on the output setting, turn the input dial back on so it can store more air for the next day. If you ran out of hot air too soon, set the input dial higher than you did the day before.
5. 
   5
   Use the boost setting if the stored heat runs out. Most storage heaters have a "boost" setting that uses electricity directly from the mains to heat the air. If your room is cold and you didn't set the input dial high enough beforehand, the boost setting can keep your room warm.

   • Because the boost setting uses direct electricity, it generally costs more than using energy from the input dial.
6. 
   6
   Use the thermostatic control on fan-assisted storage heaters. Fan-assisted electric storage heaters allow you to set the heater to a specific temperature. Decide which temperature to set your storage heater to, and it will adjust how much heat it passes into the room depending on its temperature.

   • Some fan-assisted storage heaters also have adjustable fan speeds so you can control how much heat comes out at a time.
   • Of all storage heater options, fan-assisted storage heaters usually conserve more electricity.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Conserving Energy With Your Heater

1. 
   1
   Check the weather report before setting the input dial. Choosing a higher input setting uses more energy, so read your city's weather report to plan how much heat you'll need. If the weather forecast for tomorrow is cold, for example, turn up your input dial setting.

   • Adjusting the input setting to fit the weather forecast will help you conserve as much electricity as possible.
   • Keep your input dial on a low setting if the weather will be warm.
2. 
   2
   Turn the output off when you're not home. If you're leaving the house for the day, remember to turn off the output setting. Turn off the input setting as well if you're going on vacation or won't be home for several days.

   • If your storage heater is not in your bedroom, turn the output setting off at night as well.
3. 
   3
   Avoid using the boost setting as much as possible. The boost setting uses more energy and should be avoided if you're trying to save money. If you need the extra heat, use the boost setting but remember to switch it off when you're done.
4. 
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   Use different output settings for different rooms. Electric storage heaters generally warm one room. If you have multiple storage heaters, adjust the output settings as you enter or leave a room.

   • This will help conserve heat so you have enough to last you through the day.
5. 
   5
   Avoid using supplementary plug-in heaters. If your output setting doesn't provide enough heat, don't plug in another heater. To conserve energy and money, turn up the input setting for tomorrow.

   • You can use the boost setting to get you through the day, but this doesn't conserve as much energy.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Using Electric Storage Heaters Safely

1. 
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   Do not cover your electric storage heater's vents. Covering the air vents can start fires. Keep the air vents open and remove anything covering them immediately.

   • Avoid placing anything flammable on or around the storage heater.
2. 
   2
   Keep furniture and curtains away from your heaters. Fabrics are flammable and, if kept too close to your storage heater, can start fires. Avoid positioning furniture or curtains near your heater to prevent accidents.

   • If you have curtains hanging above your heater, there should be a gap of at least 15 centimetres (5.9 in) between the bottom of the curtains and top of your heater.
3. 
   3
   Keep pets and children away from the storage heater. Both can injure or even electrocute themselves if they come in contact with the heater. If you have pets or children, supervise them at all times while they're in the same room as the storage heater.

   • Set up a storage heater guard to prevent pets and children from injuring themselves on the heater. You can purchase a guard online or at some home improvement stores.
4. 
   4
   Call an electrician if your heater seems broken. If your heater doesn't emit heat or makes strange noises or smells, turn it off and call an electrician. They may need to either fix or replace your storage heater.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  What's the difference between storage heaters and regular heaters?

  

  Victor Belavus
  Air Conditioning Specialist

  Victor Belavus is an Air Conditioning Specialist and the Owner of 212 HVAC, an air condition repair and installation company based in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to HVAC and air conditioning units, Victor also specializes in furnace repair and air duct cleaning. He has over 10 years of experience working with HVAC systems.

  

  Victor Belavus

  Air Conditioning Specialist

  Expert Answer

  A regular space heater produces heat instantly when turned on, consuming electricity at the time of use. In contrast, an electric storage heater takes advantage of off-peak electricity rates by storing heat during low-demand periods and releasing it gradually throughout the day. The cost-effectiveness of electric storage heaters depends on factors such as local electricity rates, individual usage patterns, and insulation. The choice between a regular heater and a storage heater hinges on personal preferences and the specific cost dynamics of the electricity market in a given area.

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