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How to Replace Your Old Storage Heaters

By Jamie Simpson

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 21Feb2012
Word count: 493
Viewed: 33 time(s)

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Gather the following materials prior to removing your storage heaters: Dust mask, gloves, bin liners, screwdriver that fits the fasteners on your unit, newspaper or something similar to cover the floor.

Step One: When dealing with any electrical appliance, always begin by disconnecting the power supply. This may involve turning the power off, disconnecting the supply cord, or removing the fuse from the fuse box, depending on what kind of electric heater you have. Also, you may want to cover your floor before opening the heater, as the removal process can sometimes be messy.

Step Two: Wearing your dust mask and gloves, remove the front or top panel of your heater by undoing whatever fasteners hold it in place using your screwdriver. Inside this panel you will often find a sheet of insulating material, usually fiberglass. Remove this, being careful to avoid contact with skin, and place it in a bin bag.
NOTE: Occasionally, in older models of electric heaters this insulation is asbestos. If you are unsure whether the insulation material in your electric heater is fiberglass or asbestos, leave it in place and call a professional to deal with it. Asbestos dust is highly carcinogenic. Your electric company may also have a list of heaters that are known to contain asbestos.

Step Three: Remove the heat storage material from inside your electric heater. Usually this material is heavy bricks, but sometimes it is a granular substance that could potentially make a huge mess if it spills out. Dispose of the storage material as you see fit. Once the material is removed, the heater unit should be light enough to carry out.

Step Four: Remove the electric heater from the wall and carry outside. Sometimes they are quite heavy, so some assistance may be required. Once the heater is outside, I recommend calling your council to pick it up, as they often don't charge for the service and it saves you dirtying your car.

Step Five: Clean the area where the heater was and any mess created while removing it. Consider replacing it with a more ecologically and economically viable alternative, such as a programmable electric heater. These are much more efficient heating systems, and allow you to program temperatures by room and time. Another popular choice is an infrared radiator, which can save a significant amount of money on electricity even when not using an Economy 7 or 10 tariff. While initial installation costs are expensive, infrared heaters should return on their investment within five years. They also produce a much more comfortable environment, with no emissions and no allergy or asthma concerns. Other replacement heating choices are heat pumps, oil salvation, gas boilers, and under floor heating. Each choice has its own advantages and drawbacks, which you will have to identify and then determine which heating method is best for your home.

Economy Radiators offer efficient electric radiators which could replace storage heaters in your home

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