There are numerous scenarios where it is important to be able to vary the heating level throughout the day, for the comfort of the occupants and for reasons of economy. Offices, care homes and community centres present just a few of them.
Creda’s SFHA Sensair automatic heaters, which combine electric storage heating, direct acting heating and fanned heat, provide an excellent solution on the strength of their flexibility and performance. These heaters can be operated on virtually any tariff, although they must be connected to both an off-peak and 24 hour electrical supply, to take full advantage of extended or split tariffs. By incorporating two and a half times the insulation levels of conventional storage heaters, the SFHA models retain more useful heat for later in the day than their conventional competitors. This is achieved by using state-of-the-art insulation materials such as opacified silicaceous aerogel and mineral fibre. The heat output is then regulated by a simple, thermostatically controlled fan providing economical heat when and where it is needed. There are two models in Creda’s SFHA Sensair range. The SFH18AW has a storage rating of 2.5kW and a direct acting rating of 1.5kW. Its seven hour charge acceptance is 17.6kWh. This is delivered through three insulated stainless steel sheathed elements and 12 core bricks in a unit weighing121kg. After 17 hours of static discharge with the fan off, 40 per cent of the useful heat still remains. The more powerful SFH24AW has a storage rating of 3.4kW but the same 1.5kW direct acting rating. Over the course of a seven hour charge period it accepts 23.5kWh. The higher charge is applied through four elements; and 16 core bricks are required in a unit weighing 158kg. As with the smaller model, 40 per cent of the useful heat still remains after 17 hours of static discharge with the fan off. Since the objective is to ensure that heat is available on demand throughout the day, a built-in thermostat constantly monitors room temperature and automatically cycles the fan system and heat output accordingly. Heat output is via a quiet two speed fan, to ensure even heating across the room. The fan can be switched off without altering the thermostat setting. However there is a boost setting for times when the occupants need a room heated up quickly. Fan operation can be controlled via an external timer such as the Creda RFRTK7 remote thermostat and programmer kit. This provides programmable time and temperature control using wireless signalling between the remote wall mounted thermostat and the receiver unit at the appliance. A lockable controls cover on each unit can be used to ensure that settings are not changed inappropriately. A clever design feature - negative pressure air movement through the storage core avoids hotspots and heat leakage, and as a further safety feature, the Sensair automatic heaters also incorporate two level thermal safety overheat protection. 230/240V AC single phase supply is standard. Martin Shepherd, sales director at Creda Heating said: “The high specification of our SFHA automatic heaters and the control system we have adopted ensure both economical performance and higher SAP and NHER ratings than manual input storage heaters. This is a very important consideration for specifiers, along with the new era colour aesthetics and soft form styling we use, which further adds to the versatility of these heaters.”