Storage Heater Problem...

[SSE]

Anybody ever heard off either the top half or bottom half only of a storage heater heating up? Someone just phoned me with this problem and I've never come across it?

 

[somersetsparks]

Well would be difficult with newer heaters as they just use normal elements which are upright. The only thing I can think of is the old Credas and others use the long stringy elements that you have to feed around the bricks, possibly if one of them went which only went around the lower bricks?

Infact, some of the definately do just go around the lower bricks, I'm sure of it!

Be careful, some of the old ones contain asbestos!

 

[IQ Electrical]

Yes, a job we were called out to just before Christmas and the storage heaters had only been half-filled with blocks!

I can't explain the 'top only' heating as it's virtually impossible to brick up the top without the bottom unless some heaters had a top and bottom horizontal element?

 

[somersetsparks]

Yes, a job we were called out to just before Christmas and the storage heaters had only been half-filled with blocks!

I can't explain the 'top only' heating as it's virtually impossible to brick up the top without the bottom unless some heaters had a top and bottom horizontal element?

Haha Youn couldn't make it up could you!
Probably because they replaced old heater with larger new one and used old bricks.
Or back gave up halfway!

 

[IQ Electrical]

Haha Youn couldn't make it up could you!
Probably because they replaced old heater with larger new one and used old bricks.
Or back gave up halfway!

The heater in the hall was reported as just 'not working'

On investigation, we found no bricks had been installed at all!

The electric towel rails had never been filled and both elements had burnt out.

The flat was 2 years old but had never been occupied before then.

After our visit, we got calls from neighbouring flats with similar problems and ended up doing a full inspection and report on 63 properties for the developer!

On the back of that, we ended up carrying out remedials worth around £3900 on 2-year old flats!

We received a letter about 6 months ago asking if we would be willing to act as expert witness in a court case-we agreed but have heard nothing since-I expect someone settled out of court!

 

[Knobhead]

60’s storage heaters quite often had 2 or sometimes 3 elements. I used to get pi**ed off humping bricks about to change or repair elements.