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Electrical

Electric Heater - Should it be individually fused?

Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 3.24 PM

My mother lives in a council house and had her storage heaters replaced with "more efficient Kyros electric convection heaters". However, I was surprised that these were connected to the mains via what appears to be a standard light switch. Shouldn't the heaters be connected through a fused connection unit or fused plug & socket? All heaters are between 300W and 1000W units. We're also surprised that her electric bill appears to have increased somewhat, despite her hardly ever having these turned on and the house feeling like an ice cube. But that is a separate issue that we need to investigate!

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3 Answers

DEACON ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Rating: 5 out of 5
Grimsby
Probably fed via a DP switch and fused down accordingly at the consumer unit. If it bothers you get onto the council as whoever did it will have had to issue an Installation certificate to the council to show that it is installed to the regulations. As far as the electric bill goes no idea.
Answered5 November 2016
1

Proman Electrical Ltd

Rating: 5 out of 5
Swansea
Hi, Electric storage heaters are supplied with cheaper off-peak electricity at night to warm up clay bricks, these then release the heat during the day. Your new heaters are supplied with expensive "peak" electricity. The heater may be more efficient (that just means that it is more efficient in turning electricity into heat) but they will definitely be a lot more expensive to run. Conversion is relatively simple, the flat/house wiring remains as is, they would have just supplied your existing off-peak consumer unit with a new peak feed. They have probably taken out the time switch that enables the off-peak usage. Not too sure how the Council stands legally as you have been conned into thinking more efficient means less expensive, which is absolutely not the case.
Answered9 November 2016
1

Anonymous user

I would say that it is not a light switch it will probably be a 20 amp Double pole switch and fused down back at the consumer unit. Not sure about the electric bill though.
Answered6 November 2016
0