Storage heater not heating up — Caerphilly callout and diagnosis
Storage heater not heating up — planned around access rather than around us, which suits tenanted property. Applies to storage heater not heating up anywhere in Caerphilly, Cardiff or Newport.
Do this before we arrive
- Very often — check whether every heater is cold or just one — that single fact halves the diagnosis.
- Look at the consumer unit for a separate off-peak section or a second board, and check nothing is switched off there. We flag it rather than assume you know.
- Practically speaking — note the time the heaters used to come on; if the tariff or meter changed recently, tell us.
While you wait: never cover a storage heater or dry clothes on it. The thermal cut-out that protects it is a last line of defence, not a thermostat.
There is a short version and a long version of storage heater not heating up. The short version: test it, then decide.
Where the answer is to leave it alone for now, that is exactly what we will tell you. In practice that means checking a failed time switch before anything is replaced.
Caerphilly properties near Cardiff are covered on the same schedule, so a joint visit is often possible if a neighbour needs the same thing. It is written into the report either way, so nothing is hidden.
We treat Caerphilly as its own round rather than an outlying job, which is why work in Cardiff tends to be scheduled alongside it. Anyone testing properly will reach the same conclusion.
Owners in Caerphilly often ask whether this is a repair or the start of something bigger. Testing answers that; opinion does not. It rarely changes the price, but it does change the plan.
A property in Caerphilly that has never been inspected is not necessarily unsafe — it is simply unknown, and that is the part worth fixing. We would rather rule out a failed time switch early than discover it late.
The intention of this page is to save you a wasted visit, not to create one. Nothing about this needs to be stressful — it is a known process with a known output.
References to local streets and areas are to Caerphilly itself, not the wider region.
Where the problem usually sits
- On the Caerphilly side of the A469, A468 and A470 this is a familiar one: a tripped thermal cut-out after the heater was covered.
- A meter or tariff change — the version of this we meet most often on new-build estates around Bedwas and Trecenydd around Caerphilly.
- On CF83 addresses the trail usually leads back to a failed time switch or contactor no longer switching.
- One or more open-circuit heating elements inside the unit. If it is not this, testing narrows it down quickly.
How the job runs
- We test the off-peak supply at the board. If it is fine, we say so and move on.
- Where elements have failed we advise honestly on repair — no shortcuts, because the paperwork has to stand up.
- We test the off-peak supply at the board. It is the part that protects you if it is ever questioned.
As with every job in CF83: off-peak supply testing and element checks quoted per visit; element or heater replacement priced after diagnosis.
Why this comes up in Caerphilly
Caerphilly County Borough Council handles building control notification for Caerphilly, and notifiable remedial work is registered as part of the job.
Local conditions here are worth planning around: the steep climb up to Senghenydd means winter access has to be planned around weather windows.
We are in Caerphilly most weeks, and in Cardiff, Newport, Ystrad Mynach nearly as often.
Questions we get asked
What if I disagree with a finding?
You are welcome to get a second opinion. The readings are on the certificate so anyone can repeat them.
Does this affect my insurance?
Insurers generally want evidence that the installation has been inspected and any defect addressed. The certification is that evidence.
Can two jobs be combined into one visit?
Usually. If you need something else doing at the same CF83 address, say so when booking and it is priced together.
What should I have ready before you arrive?
Access to the board and to the affected area, plus any previous certificates. That is enough to start at the Caerphilly property.
How quickly can you get to Caerphilly?
We come in via the A469, A468 and A470, and Caerphilly is on our regular round, so we normally offer a slot within a few days.
Start with a survey
Send a short description and any previous certificate. We will say what testing is needed before we quote anything. Tell us the CF83 postcode and what the storage heater not heating up relates to.