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- Q: How does a Dimplex storage heater heat a room?
When the thermostat calls for heat, the Dimplex storage heater warms the room in two ways:
- A thermostatically-controlled fan circulates heater air throughout the room.
- The heater surface warms up to provide radiant heat to occupants.
- Q: Will storage heating keep us warm on the coldest winter nights?
Yes, if sized correctly. The choice of heater is based on two variables:
- The heat loss of your room area on the coldest day of the year.
- The duration of your electric utility’s off-peak period.
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- Q: How long will the storage heater hold its heat?
If sized correctly, it is designed to meet your daily heating requirements and stores enough heat each night to meet the next day’s requirements.
- Q: What is the life expectancy of a storage heater?
Dimplex has been manufacturing storage heating since 1965 and the product is well proven. Each storage heater has a five-year limited warranty, but you should expect a long lifetime, like a well-built Dimplex electric baseboard heater.
- Q: What type of maintenance is required?
We recommend that the area near the unit is cleaned periodically to reduce dust, dirt and pet hair entering the heater.
All materials should be kept off the heater and at least 4” (100mm) away from the top and sides, and 12” (300mm) from the front of the heater to allow the heat to properly circulate.
- Q: Are special precautions necessary when painting or varnishing?
Storage heaters circulate and heat your room’s air. Paint or varnish fumes entering the storage heater may be super-heated and potentially vaporize and amplify the paint fumes odours.
We recommend turning off your storage heater or turning down the thermostat when you are painting, varnishing, or doing anything else which causes a higher than normal level of airborne fumes or aerosols.
- Q: How much energy can a Dimplex storage heater hold?
A large Dimplex storage heater can hold about 50 kWh of energy. To give you some idea of the scale, a 2011 Toyota Prius’ battery capacity is 5.2 kWh.
- Q: How does manual charge control work?
In automatic charge control mode, the DCP2010 control panel manages how much energy to add into the storage heater each night to ensure that your warm the next day based on the outside temperature. Under automatic charge control, the charge control knob should be left in position 3 (III) and can be replaced with the provided cover.
In manual charge control mode, the user needs to decides how much energy to store during the next Off-Peak period. No charge for summer is the zero setting (▼), while a full charge for those coldest days (January and February) would be a three (III). The typical winter setting is 2 (II), spring and fall is typically set at 1.
Storage Heater - Installation
- Q: Can anyone install storage heating?
Installing storage heaters is not very complicated, but as in any operation that involves 240 Volt electricity, caution must be taken. All 240 Volt electrical work should be done by a licensed electrical contractor and properly inspected.
- Q: Can I recess the storage heater into a wall?
A Dimplex storage heater may be recessed into a wall providing proper clearances are provided around the unit. The necessary clearances are at least 4” (100mm) away from the top and sides, and 12” (300mm) from the front of the heater to allow the heat to properly circulate.
- Q: Is a storage heater suitable for my garage or workshop?
We recommend caution before installing a storage heater in a garage or workshop as these areas are more prone to more dust and airborne particles, and may have varnish, paint or other odours present.
Storage Heater - DCP2010 Control Panel
- Q: If I use the “override 1 hour” or “override to next rate period” when will the unit return to normal operation?
Overrides are offered to provide more flexible operation. For example, the user may choose to use and power their controlled appliance during the more expensive On-Peak rate. The override will be active until the next rate change.
- Q: If I lose electrical power, what happens to all the settings within the controller?
All settings are maintained by the controller indefinitely. The time clock retains its set time for up to 6 hours.
- Q: On the weekends, how does the storage heater system work?
The storage heater will keep storing heat (at the low off-peak rate) based on the effective external temperature and the preset set points.
- Q: Is there a simple method to end the control of a load wired to an Appliance/Load relay?
No, the circuit's wires must be removed and "tied off" or wire tied within the panel to bypass the relay and have the load independent of the On/Off peak.
- Q: Is there a way to adjust the amount of heat stored in the heaters?
The charge level of the heating system can be changed via the adjuster.
“+” → increase set value by the specified amount
“-“ → decrease set value by the specified amount
An easy rule-of-thumb:
• If you need additional heat in the evening adjust E5.
• For colder months in the spring and fall, you can adjust the minimum amount of heat (%) that the system will store by changing E15.
Additional temperature adjustments can be made by following the charts below:
a) Systems without an Additional Daytime Charging Period (Your electric utility offers an off-peak rate only and does not offer a mid-peak period).
Description External temperature Adjuster corrections E2 E15 Insufficient charging Colder than 0 °C - - Between 0 °C and 10 °C + 2° C + 5% Warmer than 0 °C + 3° C + 5% Excess charging Colder than 0 °C - - Between 0 °C and 10 °C - 2° C - 5% Warmer than 0 °C - 2° C - 5%
b) Systems with Daytime Additional Charging Duration like Nova Scotia Power (Your electric utility offers an off-peak and does offer mid-peak period).
Description External temperature Adjuster corrections E2 E15 E10 Insufficient charging Between 0 °C and 10 °C + 2° C + 5% - Warmer than 0 °C - 2° C - 5% - Excess charging Between 0 °C and 10 °C - 2° C - 2° C - Warmer than 0 °C - - 2° C - Insufficient or no daytime charging Colder than E1 + 10% Daytime charging is too high Colder than E1 - 10%
- Q: Do I need to purchase the Dimplex DCP2010 Automatic Charge Control Panel for the storage heaters to work?
Controlling the amount of energy stored to meet the next day’s heating requirements can be done automatically or manually.
Automatic charge control is better:
- for sites with more than one heater and low user involvement.
- when low user involvement is desired.
- at reducing the sizing of the storage heater in areas that offer mid-peak periods, due to its intelligence for minimizing the use of more-expensive mid-peak power for the coldest days.
Manual charge control is:
- less expensive.
- recommended for single heater installations.
- upgradeable to use the automatic charge control system at a later time.
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