Removing storage heaters!!

[The Question Asker]

Hi,
Just got a quick question, A friend has a wall mounted storage heater,
which she wants removed... and replaced with a socket... My question:
Is it safe to connect a single socket onto the power point for the old
storage heater, using the same circuit as the storage heater one, also apart
from the weight of them can anyone foresee a problem with its removal, also
if anyone wants it its in Essex/Colchester..

Cheers

[fred]

Post by The Question Asker
Hi,
Just got a quick question, A friend has a wall mounted storage heater,
Is it safe to connect a single socket onto the power point for the old
storage heater, using the same circuit as the storage heater one, also apart
from the weight of them can anyone foresee a problem with its removal, also
if anyone wants it its in Essex/Colchester..

The storage heater is likely to be on a fuse/mcb protected spur with a
rating of 16Amps or so and so has the right capacity for a single socket,
but the power will only be connected during the timed off peak hours ie
midnight till 7am or whatever, so it may be of little use.

As to removal, remove the front, remove internal covers and unload the
thermal storage bricks, it makes life a lot easier.

HTH

[Christian McArdle]

Post by The Question Asker
Is it safe to connect a single socket onto the power point for the old
storage heater,

Whilst electrically fine, there are 2 issues.

1. You must relabel the circuit.

2. It will probably only work during Economy 7 periods. This can be fixed by
moving the MCB and cable to the full time consumer unit from the Economy 7
one (or from after the Economy 7 contactor). If you don't expect the run
particularly heavy loads through it (i.e. another heater or a washing
machine) then you can just connect it to a suitable ring main/socket radial
at the consumer unit and save yourself wasting a way in the consumer unit.

Christian.

[Dave Liquorice]

Post by The Question Asker
Is it safe to connect a single socket onto the power point for the
old storage heater, using the same circuit as the storage heater
one,

Should be but bear in mind that the storage heater feed is probably on
E7 and only live for 7 hours over night. If you want the socket to be
live all the time you will have to rewire the other end of the cable
into another, suitably rated, MCB in the main CU.