Modern Eco-Storage Heaters are Not Fit for Purpose. Discuss.

Is this a real storage heater that heats over night to release heat during the day using an off peak tariff or just an ordinary heater labelled as a “storage heater”?


If it’s the later you may have to turn it on at a particular time so it knows what the time as you cannot set the clock to specific times.

Which brand /type are the heaters, you say there are no instructions then moan because there are too many

I fully see why. Energy saving is more important than any kind of useability. You know who pushes that, without thought for 99% of the population. My partner cannot even feel slightly happy with any of the technology devices, one can see why, they are all far too complicated to use. If one cannot turn it on then you save all the energy, simple eh? The 500W kettle (to "save" energy), is the perfect example of scientific stupidity over useability!

Is the solution to leave it in "Eco mode", and hide the instructions from the customer?

I took delivery of a large dimplex one yesterday with a built in electric fan heater to use as a boost.  It was massive. 838mm tall.  A complete monstrosity. The heater coming out was just over 700mm tall.  Customer took one look at the box and i had to take it back  :(.  


Gary

There is a general problem of letting software people write software for controls, in that the result is typically just awful. For some reason working with computers for a long time seems to addle the brain, and leave people with a very odd sense  of what type and layout of control is  intuitive.

(it also affects the speech centres, folk talking about MMI (Man Machine Interface) or ergonomics, or 'human factors' (unless you make equipment for aliens there are no other factors), have probably passed the point of no return.)


If anyone has ever used the manual controls on a Votsch lab oven they will understand. Siemens mobile phones made the same mistake.

Where are they now ?

To be successful the controls on any piece of equipment need to be quite intuitive-  and that means  being able to go back when you have made an error,  increasing things being clockwise, or perhaps up, and to have some sort of overview of what has been programmed - a simple clock face with segments in different shades and a key showing that pale is set to 20 degrees, and dark is 15  or whatever is a lot simpler than a line of semicolons and << >> signs.

Anything requiring a handbook of more than one sheet of paper has probably already failed, and will not be understood or used correctly once the enthusiastic fool who fitted it has left the property.

Mike.

I ordered a heater for collection from SF, I unpacked it on the floor in front of the trade counter to have a look at it and read the instructions, then got a refund.


All the staff agreed that it would not be any use to their grannies, indeed most said they would struggle with it themselves.