FAQ

1. What is the difference between the Suka heating system and other types of electrical heating?

Most other electrical heating systems - including night storage heating - use heated convected air to warm a room. This is generally inefficient, unhealthy (especially for allergy sufferers) and expensive. Suka heaters copy the sun and use radiant heat which is healthy, very efficient and very economical. Remember in winter when the sun is shining and the air temperature is near freezing, your skin soon warms up when exposed to the radiant heat of the sun. In the alps skiers actually sunbathe without problems even though the air temperatures are low! Radiant heat warms up the walls and the furniture of your home as well as you and so only occasional top-up heat is required. A stone warmed by the sun will hold its heat far longer than a stone warmed by warm air!

2. Why are Suka heaters so efficient?

The unique Chamotte fire-clay energy cells with the embedded heating elements inside all Suka heaters, work together with a finely tuned thermostat, to provide fast, healthy radiant heat to warm up the room to the desired comfort level. After that, only the top-up heat is generated and radiated out. So on average, you will only need about 15 minutes of electricity consumption for 60 minutes of warmth. Our free demonstration will convince you in no time just how efficient Sueka heaters are.

3. Do/can Suka heaters use Economy 7 tariff electricity?

If you require heating at night when the Economy 7 tariff is valid, then naturally Suka heaters only use Economy 7 electricity, provided of course that your electricity meter is correctly set. This is generally only a small job for your electrician.

4. Do I need to switch off the Suka heaters at night?

No. With the Suka heating system, the thermostatic control allows you to turn the heat down to a comfortable level of background heat. The heating "top-up" process used by Sueka means that very little if any electricity will be used at night. When you awake, the room is not cold and if you require more heat then by turning the control knob up a little, the room will soon be as warm and cosy as you require. By heating up from a temperature of say 15 ° C to 20 ° C requires much less energy than heating up from cold.

5. Can I use existing night storage cabling for my Suka heaters?

If you are changing over fully from night storage heating to Suka heaters, then it makes sense to use the existing cabling. Your electrician will need to provide sockets for the Sueka heaters (although Sueka heaters can also be hard wired) and also needs to make some minor corrections in the meter box.

6. What sizes do Suka heaters come in?

Suka heaters come in many different sizes and power ratings to suit all heating requirements. Check "Suka heating system - The range" for more details.

7. Why do some Suka heaters with the same power ratings (2.0Kw and 2.5Kw) come in different sizes?

The wider the heater the more surface area is available and an even better distribution of radiant heat is possible. This means that the wider heaters are even more economical in the running costs. Unfortunately some houses do not have the wall space to take the larger heaters and so a smaller one can be fitted without sacrificing on power output.

8. How do I control my Suka heaters?

Each Suka radiator is fitted with a sensitive thermostatic control made up of a control knob at the top of the side panel and a finely tuned feeler or sensor which slightly protrudes from the base of the control panel. The sensor continually measures the ambient temperature of the room as contributed to by both radiant and convection heat. The presence of the sensor at floor level is ensures that the measurement taken reflects the set temperature at the dial and therefore create a condition for which the entire room remains uniformly warm with (if any discrepancy) a standard deviation of 1 degree C between floor level and roof level. This has proven very useful to many people who have had to contend with heaters that keep rooms warm at shoulder level but leave them with cold feet.

Our remote controlled systems even goes the next step with two optional temperature sensors at the bottom side panel of the radiator and a waist-level wall-mountable/table-top remote temperature sensor which communicate with each other to ensure 100% accuracy of the required temperature in the given room. This permits YOU to be in control of the level of warmth YOU feel is most comfortable for YOU!

9. How expensive are Suka heaters?

It all depends on which heaters you require. Suka heaters cover a wide power spectrum from 0.4 Kw output to 2.5 Kw output. A small heater can cost less than £500 and a whole set for a house costs between £1,600 - £3,500. The investment cost is comparable and usually cheaper than a normal central heating system using Gas or Oil. With Sueka there are no maintenance and service contracts required, no repairs and no redecorating to worry about. So comparing "whole life costs" of:

Capital Investment + Maintenance costs + Running Costs ,Suka works out the least expensive and has the least amount of trauma with the installation. Remember, when comparing costs with other systems, make sure you always take into account all future costs. Running costs for gas and oil have increased a lot more than costs for electricity and are likely to continue to do so for years to come.

10. How long does it take to install the Suka heating system?

On average it takes about 45 - 60 minutes to completely install an Suka heater to the wall and install the cable and plug. A very fast and clean job, with the least amount of inconvenience to you. We hope soon to introduce ready cabled heaters which just need a cable with two plugs, so that anyone can install the heaters as no internal electrical work will be required. (see 13)

11. Are Suka heaters guaranteed against defects?

Of course! All Suka heaters are delivered with a 15 year manufacturer backed guarantee of quality. Provided you have not misused the Sueka heater, then we will simply replace the defective heater within the guarantee period with a new one, without cost to you. The guarantee is also of course transferable to new owners should you sell your property within the guarantee period.

12. How are Suka heaters fixed to the wall?

The Suka heaters have a simple but effective fixing system which can be used on most walls including even plasterboard! Only with cob walls or similar, do we recommend to use castors or feet. See "Sueka heating system - The range"

13. Can I install the heaters myself?

Whilst most people can master fixing the Suka heaters to the wall without any problems, under new Building Regulations, one does require a qualified electrician to install any complex electrical system. Sueka heaters come with the 3 metre long cable pre-installed but without a plug in case the user needs to hard wire them.

14. What is the delivery time for Suka heaters?

We usually aim to deliver and install your Suka heaters within 2 - 3 weeks of confirmation of your order. We are looking at ways to shorten this, by delivering from stock, without incurring extra expenses for warehousing. Should you require delivery much later, then that is no problem, as once you have paid a holding deposit, you automatically receive price protection on your order for up to 12 months! Due to the increasing demands for steel in China and India, the price of steel is continually rising (80% in the past year alone), so get your price protection as soon as possible.

15. What safety features do Suka heaters have?

All Suka heaters conform to rigid safety regulations in the manner of manufacture as well as usage as prescribed by the German authorities. All Sueka heaters have VDE (Association of German Electrical & Electronic Engineers), GS (Proven Safety) and CE (Certificate of Electrical Suitability) certification.

Each internal energy cell is linked with wiring containing sensors, which automatically switch the heater (or that section) off should the heater suddenly start to overheat, if for example some clothing has covered a section of the heater.

16. How long have Suka heaters been available?

The German manufacturer of the Suka heaters first introduced this type of heating to the German market in 1973. Since then many hundreds of thousands of these heaters have been successfully installed all over Europe.

17. How can I convince myself that the Suka system really works?

Simple, just contact us for a local consultant to visit you with a demonstration heater. This is completely FREE and without obligation. FEEL and EXPERIENCE for yourself how effective the system works and then ask the consultant to carry out the FREE survey. After that he/she can calculate YOUR heating requirements, work out the best package of heaters for you, calculate the running costs and give you the best price. Only when you have ALL of the valid information, can you make a valid decision as to whether Sueka is for you!

NO COST - NO OBLIGATION - NO PRESSURE - NO HASSLE

18. Is the best location for an Suka heater under a window?

Whilst windows are usually areas where the coldest temperature comes into a room it does not make sense to locate an Suka heater there if you have curtains which then block the heat from being radiated into the room. Our trained consultants will advise the best positioning for your chosen heater for each room. Remember, cold air sinks to the floor and will eventually be sucked into the ribbed front and back of the Suka heater to get warmed up. The thermostat feeler/sensor is located at floor level and measures the air temperature there, so the heater automatically will adjust to the situation. Just the same if in winter the sun shines into the room, the thermostat shuts the Suka heater off until more heat is required. Compare this to night storage heaters, which are not able to be switched off and you can only open the windows to let the excess heat out or close the curtains to keep the sun out!

19. Are Suka heaters suitable for bathrooms?

Yes, providing the radiator is at least 60 cm from a water source and is hard wired to an electricity supply.

20. Are there Grants available from local Councils for Suka heaters?

Yes. The Warmfront gives grants for Sueka heaters. Certain Councils did approve grants for the Suka heating system. Other councils provide loans. Some councils have recognised the heaters under the Decent Home Scheme. We are currently contacting all of the local Councils in the UK and will be posting a list on this website for you to check.

21. Do you have existing customers I can contact?

Yes, Suka have many satisfied customers, who are more than happy to have you call them. Contact us to find someone near you.

22. If I take the heaters on castors, can I move them from room to room?

Whilst this is physically possible, we do not recommend it on a regular basis as the heaters have been chosen to supply a particular heating requirement for a particular room. A different room has a different requirement. Also, by taking the heating from a room, you allow that room to cool down and it will require extra energy (extra costs!) to heat back up to the basic level it had before. Sueka will shortly be introducing a very innovative range of Infra-Red foil heaters for such situations. So contact us for more details.

23. What happens if I sell my house and move elsewhere?

Whilst Suka heaters are easy to take off the wall and you can take them with you, remember that they have been chosen for that particular property. It is much better to use Sueka heating as an added value bonus when selling your property and increase the sales price you set.

24. Are Suka heaters safe for children and the elderly?

Yes, once the Suka heater has created sufficient basic heat in the room, it will only produce top up heat to keep the room warm. This means that surface temperatures are lower than most other types of radiator heating. However, in extreme cases, we can also supply special radiator guards.

25. Are Suka heaters sold in retail outlets or DIY stores?

No, we deliver directly from the factory to you. It is also IMPERATIVE, that your heating requirement be correctly calculated and that you are given the correct information as to how the system works. This can only be done by carrying out a survey of your property and taking into account YOUR particular situation. Whilst we can give you a rough idea of costs if you send us the "customers own survey form", we can only guarantee, that the heating quoted for is suitable if we are able to reconfirm your figures on site. We stress that this is without obligation or cost. You can however order Sueka heater from your nearest CEF outlet (a.ka. City Electrical Factors).

26. What happens if I recommend other customers?

This happens all the time as Suka customers are so satisfied. We put a high priority on receiving recommendations from existing customers and have an attractive "Recommendation Bonus Scheme" of up to £50 vouchers to say "thank you".

27. I have a property in France/Spain/Cyprus/Portugal - can you supply me there?

There are different ways of helping you with this. Once we receive the "customer's own survey form" for your property abroad, we can quote a price with delivery to your home in the UK, so that you can take the Heaters with you when you next travel to your property abroad. Alternatively, if you (and maybe friends and neighbours) are ordering sufficient for at least a pallet load (8 - 10 heaters), then we can quote for delivery directly to your property. You will either have to install the heaters yourself or find a local electrician...or if you help us sell sufficient in an area, then no doubt one of our installers would be happy to take a working holiday and help you install the heaters.

28. What colours do you supply?

To misquote Henry Ford: "You can have any colour you like, as long as it is ivory white!" Experience has shown that this colour is most neutral and fits most room decors. Offering different colours becomes very expensive.

29. I have an old house with poor wiring. Can I still use Suka heaters?

For safety's sake, the power rating and state of the wiring etc will need to be checked by a qualified electrician and possibly upgraded.

30. Do Suka supply other heating products?

Yes, see our "other products" page for further details of other innovative heating systems, solar thermal systems, solar photo voltaic, bathroom towel rails, heating controllers and more.

Please help us expand this FAQ section by sending us any further questions you may have regarding Sueka heating systems

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