If you are on the brink of buying a property that has an in-built storage heater, it might be a good idea to gather information on when it was built, to identify whether it contains asbestos. Storage heaters are some of the preferred choices of heating your home, especially if your heating system solely runs on electricity without any involvement of gas.

For those who live in a zone providing a good percentage off on electricity consumption during the night, a storage heater is an excellent choice. This is because as the name suggests, these appliances store heat by heating their internal elements through the night and dissipate that stored energy during the day with no utilization of extra power.

While modern-day storage heaters store heat in ceramic elements, in olden days, things were not so simple. Most older storage heaters came with a layer of asbestos that was used as insulation. Not a great fan of asbestos? Well, you shouldn’t be. Read on to know more about asbestos in storage heaters and what you can do if you have one of those old-timers lurking around in the house.

When and Why Was Asbestos Used?

Up until the early 1970s, asbestos was regarded as a wonder mineral. This naturally occurring substance was hailed for being resistant to heat, fire, electricity, and sound. Needless to say, ever since its discovery, it has been rampantly used as a preferred insulator in several appliances, with storage heaters being no exceptions. A mineral that is impenetrable to all disturbances seemed like a Godsend to designers of storage heaters. It felt like the perfect material to store heat during the night and give it off during the daytime.

The ill-effects of asbestos began to be studied in depth later on and by the mid-1970s, asbestos was banned in many appliances, most definitely in storage heaters. Any storage heater that was designed post the asbestos era compulsorily began to be replaced by other insulators such as ceramic. If you are buying a new storage heater, you may not have to worry about being close to asbestos all the time, but if you have inherited or purchased an old property, an inspection of the heater is a must.

Is Asbestos Bad in Storage Heaters?

Asbestos comprises tiny fibrils that are sent out into the atmosphere when disturbed. If you have a storage heater that has asbestos in it, over time, these fibrils are bound to come out of the device and swirl across the house. You might not be able to see them or even notice their presence otherwise, but these fibrils have the knack of swiftly getting into your respiratory tract from the air you breathe inside the house. They do not get eliminated from the body and when you continue to inhale them day in and day out, they could reach the toxic levels that are harmful to your constitution.

A significant deposit of asbestos particles has been known, over time, to irritate the nasal tract, respiratory issues, and even genetic harm. So, if you have an old storage heater in your house, it might be a good idea to have it checked for the presence of this harmful material.

How To Locate Asbestos in Your Heater?

If you have newly purchased your storage heater, in all likelihood it has no asbestos and you are safe. You need to break your head only if your heater is old and you have no idea when it was purchased. The first thing to do in such a scenario is to look for the model and the make of the storage heater. There are lists available from the government that provide information on the models of storage heaters that use asbestos as the insulating material. Try to find your heater’s model on these lists to identify whether it has asbestos. If you find your model under the non-asbestos list, you can sleep peacefully. If you find it on the other list, well, then it is time to take action.

On the other hand, if you could not locate your heater’s model on any list, it might be okay to contact the manufacturer and see if they could shed some light on the matter. Do not, under any circumstance, try to open the storage heater yourself to check for asbestos. Even if you are successful in dismantling an old appliance, if it contains asbestos, handling those particles without proper gear could be extremely dangerous.

Removing Asbestos from Storage Heaters

Asbestos removal requires a specific set of tools and processes, not to mention the strict regulations that the personnel at work have to adhere to. Hence, it is advisable to not attempt to do it yourself. If you have successfully identified your storage heater to contain asbestos, switch it off and do not use it further until you have called for help.

Consider this. Even if you are an expert in dealing with storage heaters and can dismantle them without much effort plus do not care if some bits of asbestos fibrils enter your lungs, how on earth are you going to dispose of the entire insulation? You cannot just dump it anywhere because it will not only be hazardous to your neighbors and passers-by but will also be illegal resulting in a hefty fine from the authorities.

Hence, it is always advisable to call an asbestos contractor who could help you out for a fee. You may have to shell out a good sum of money for asbestos removal from your heater, but it is nothing compared to the price of a healthy home free of the toxic mineral.

Replacement Storage Heaters

Once you have the culprit (the asbestos) out of the house through professionals, it might be time to buy a new storage heater. Just so that you do not have to spend time in the cold until you have figured out which storage heater would be best to replace your old one with a more modern model, try scheduling this entire activity in summer months.

As a most basic guide, opt for storage heaters that provide value for money. Storage heaters are all about saving your monthly bills, so efficiency is key. Selecting the right size is also important so that if you have a big house, there remain no cold corners when the heat is on. Automatic controls, Wi-Fi remote access, and intelligent sensors are some other modern features, which, depending on your budget, you could choose from.

Whether your current storage heater is loaded with asbestos or not, if it is too old, it might make sense to think of a new one with more energy-saving features. No More Toxins, Please

Asbestos in storage heaters is a silent killer and must be got rid of as quickly as possible. With the ever-changing air that people continually breathe, it makes no sense to have a known toxic element inside the very house you live in. Your heater gives you a warm, cozy home. Make it asbestos-free today and lead an overall healthier life.