Dimplex Night-Storage Heater: change thermostat?
 

Hi,

Would love to know if anybody's "been here, done that" with an old Dimplex Night-Storage Heater, circa 1986.

Mine's dead. (Most unfortunate at the start of autumn.) There's very slight warmth in the external casing in the area directly above where the thermostat is concealed. I've opened the heater by taking off the front panel and had a look at the thermostat. It seems a very simple affair and I suspect it's function is to stop the current running into the heater when one of the narrow metal plates in the thermostat gets so hot it bends away from a neighbouring plate and therefore breaks the current. How soon or late in the Economy 7 power period (1am - 7am?) the circuit is broken depends, I think, on your turning the knob, which, I think, moves the live metal plate away from or closer to the neighbouring plate.

I've tinkered with the plates, bending the metal etc., but it's made no difference.

Is it possible to replace these thermostats?

Is it likely that the fault is elsewhere inside the heater? Does the element in a night-storage heater easily break? (I'm not sure if they are strong bars or delicate thin wires.)

Any help or comments would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
iolo wrote:

Hi,

Would love to know if anybody's "been here, done that" with an old
Dimplex Night-Storage Heater, circa 1986.

Mine's dead. (Most unfortunate at the start of autumn.) There's very
slight warmth in the external casing in the area directly above where
the thermostat is concealed. I've opened the heater by taking off the
front panel and had a look at the thermostat. It seems a very simple
affair and I suspect it's function is to stop the current running into
the heater when one of the narrow metal plates in the thermostat gets
so hot it bends away from a neighbouring plate and therefore breaks
the current. How soon or late in the Economy 7 power period (1am -
7am?) the circuit is broken depends, I think, on your turning the
knob, which, I think, moves the live metal plate away from or closer
to the neighbouring plate.

I've tinkered with the plates, bending the metal etc., but it's made
no difference.

Is it possible to replace these thermostats?

Is it likely that the fault is elsewhere inside the heater? Does the
element in a night-storage heater easily break? (I'm not sure if they
are strong bars or delicate thin wires.)

Any help or comments would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

It sounds as if the only thing that is certain is that the heater doesn't
work. This could be due to any of a number of reasons - of which a
thermostat fault is but one - and probably not the most likely. Other
possibilities:
* Off-peak time clock not working
* Fuse blown
* Wiring fault
* Element failed

If you have an electrical test meter, you can work logically through these
possibilities and find out what is what.

With the heater disconnected from the mains, check the continuity of the:
* fuse
* thermostat
* heating element

If they are all ok, make sure that the heater is actually being supplied
with mains when it should be, by measuring the voltage across its input
connections.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
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On Mon, 19 Sep 2005 14:52:13 +0100, Set Square wrote:

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
iolo wrote:

Would love to know if anybody's "been here, done that" with an old
Dimplex Night-Storage Heater, circa 1986.
Is it possible to replace these thermostats?

It sounds as if the only thing that is certain is that the heater doesn't
work. This could be due to any of a number of reasons

Just to add that it's possible to replace just about anything in these
heaters. I've replaced thermostats a couple of times - look for a service
agent at http://www.dimplex.co.uk/consumer/aftercare.htm in order to
acquire the part. From memory of the innards everything is fairly sturdy,
although everyone advises to take care with the porcelain connector blocks.

Good luck
Mike