Electric panel heaters

[greenrook]

I want to remove some ancient storage heaters and replace them with new panel heaters. Can I ask an electrician to use the existing wiring to supply juice to them, and rejig the connection from the consumer unit as necessary? Thanks for any help and advice - G

[The Builder]

I can't see any reason why not Greenie :o)

[mrs_nordling]

Hi Greenrook.
It really depends on how old your existing storage heaters are as to whether a sparky can utilise the wiring (your wiring/earthing may not comply with the current regulations). Also, storage heaters are time switch controlled which your electricity supplier sets the times(normally off-peak hours) and seals. If you wanted the panel heaters to be available whenever you want, you would have to get in touch with them and arrange to have the time-switch removed, then your electrician would have to connect, via connector blocks, your off-peak consumer unit to normal supply. I know it sounds complicated, but it isn't. Whatever you do make sure your sparky is NICEIC registered. This way you can't go wrong. Best of luck Mrs. N

[greenrook]

I thank you both, Mr. Builder and Mrs. N. The property in question is a tenanted house and the storage heating was put in by the electricity board about 15 years ago.The sparks I've contacted seems to have all the necessary qualifications and I'm sure is an honest man, as are all building tradesmen, but I just wanted a bit of prior knowledge in case he tried to sell me an unnecessary rewire. Thanks again - G.

[LCDMAN]

mrs-nordling wrote; "Whatever you do make sure your sparky is NICEIC registered."

WHY? THEY DO NOT HAVE A MONOPOLY ON REGISTERING ELECTRICIANS!

If the work is Part P notifiable then you need a sparky registered with a Part P scheme provider (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA/ESA, BSI, CORGI) or notify your LABC directly and pay the fee. Provided they are COMPETENT and QUALIFIED, they need not be registered with ANYBODY.

I'm with NAPIT and it really p's me off when people think that NICEIC are the "CORGI" (now Gas-Safe register) equivalent for electricians. They are just a with-profit Company like any other,who run a tradesmans register - not a government body or anything. IEE write the "rules" for us (enshrined in BS7671:2008), not NICEIC! NICEIC just have good publicists!

[BRIGHT SPARK]

As mrs N says make sure you go with an NICEIC contractor!!!

[LCDMAN]

So you'll be NICIEC then brightspark? Not biased at all, obviously.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

I hear what youre saying lcdman..my business became registered 20 years ago when you could be proud of your niceic registration having done SIX years training.Today however things are very different..do a 5 day course,complete a multiple guess exam...PAY YOUR £450 and youre as good on paper as the rest.Youre very acurate with youre original rant..however most of the big specifiers still ask for niceic registration...mores the pity..good luck

[AlBags]

The wiring is likely to comply.
And the rest ... you are all going crazy. This work is akin to wiring up several plugs (as you are likely to just be connecting to fused outlets) and drilling a few plugs in for the slimline boxes.
Be sensible.

[mrs_nordling]

Whoa!!! This is all getting out of hand. I was trying to be of some assistance, that's all. Grenrook posed a question and, to the best of my knowledge, I gave an answer. After all this is The Answerbank, not the Rantbank. Greenrook, you've seen the advice given by the responders, it's up to you to make your decision.

[garethjones10]

Yes it certainly depends on the storage heater equipment you have used and it's setup, most modern day storage heaters are quite straight forward.. depends upon the requirement of new wiring and what it takes for your old setup.. do go through instruction manual provided alongwith unit or download from manufacturer or supplier's site.. for panel heaters help you can check http://www.cnmonline....el-Heaters-c-108.html they have details about each unit and some of them provided pdf to download as instructions manual... Media URL: http://www.cnmonline.co.uk/Panel-Heaters-c-108.html
Description: Panel heaters