The Comparison Framework: Not All Dimplex Heaters Are Created Equal

As the admin buyer for a 150-person company, I've placed orders for everything from light bulbs to 20-ton chillers. When it comes to heating, I get asked two questions most often: 'Should we get the storage heaters?' and 'What about those little tubular ones?'

Here's the thing: these two products solve fundamentally different problems, and trying to use one for the other's job is a costly mistake. I've made that mistake. Let me break down the three dimensions that matter most—upfront cost, operational cost, and suitability—so you don't have to learn the hard way.

Dimension 1: Upfront Cost vs. Hidden Cost

On paper, Dimplex tubular heaters look like a bargain. A 120W tubular heater, the kind you use for frost protection in a boiler room or a garage, is roughly $40-60. A Dimplex storage heater? You're looking at $400-800 for a decent unit, plus installation.

But this is where the 'price per unit' comparison fails you. The storage heater includes a core that can store heat for hours. The tubular heater is a simple resistive element—it's on or it's off. (Note to self: verify pricing as of January 2025; I last checked in Q4 2024.)

I learned this lesson in 2023 when I tried to 'save money' by ordering tubular heaters for a small office extension. I thought, 'It's just a backup heat source, right?' Wrong. The room never reached a comfortable temperature. We ended up pulling them out and putting in a storage heater six months later, which meant paying for both.

Dimension 2: Operational Cost—The One That Sneaks Up on You

If you ask me, operational cost is the dimension where most people get tripped up. It's tempting to think a 120W tubular heater running 24/7 costs almost nothing. Let's do the math, based on UK electricity rates as of January 2025 (roughly £0.30/kWh for business rates).

  • A 120W heater running 24 hours a day for 30 days uses 86.4 kWh. That's about £26.
  • A 1.7kW storage heater running for 7 hours on the cheaper night rate uses about 357 kWh per month. That's roughly £53 if the night rate is £0.15/kWh.

So the storage heater costs about twice as much to run. But here's the nuance: the storage heater actually heats a room. The tubular heater keeps pipes from freezing. They aren't doing the same job. Comparing them on operational cost alone is the simplification fallacy—it's tempting to think you can just compare unit prices, but identical specs from different products can result in wildly different outcomes.

Dimension 3: Where Each One Actually Shines—and Fails

Let me give you the unfiltered breakdown from my experience managing 60-80 orders annually across 8 vendors.

Storage Heaters: The Workhorse for Habitable Spaces

Dimplex storage heaters are brilliant for offices, reception areas, and other spaces where people spend significant time. They hold heat for hours, and the better models have programmable fans that release heat when you need it. I put one in our breakroom in 2022, and even on a cold January morning, it was comfortable by 9 AM.

Where they fail: They're heavy (like, really heavy—over 50kg for a large unit). Installation requires a structural wall. And they need a dedicated circuit. I once had to pay £400 for a spark to run a new line because the existing wiring couldn't handle the load.

Tubular Heaters: The Underrated Specialist

Dimplex tubular heaters, especially the 120W models, are perfect for: 1) frost protection in boiler rooms, 2) keeping equipment rooms above dew point, and 3) heating small, enclosed spaces like meter cupboards. They're also silent, which is great for storage areas where noise is an issue.

Where they fail: They cannot heat a room. I mean, technically they can if you don't mind waiting 12 hours and sitting directly on top of them. But for any space bigger than a closet, they're not a solution. (The 'always get three quotes' advice ignores the transaction cost of vendor evaluation and the value of established relationships—I get why people want to use tubular heaters as a cheap fix, but budgets are real.)

The Choice: What to Put Where

Here's how I make the call after 5 years of managing these relationships:

  • Use storage heaters for: Offices, meeting rooms, reception, any occupied space with good insulation.
  • Use tubular heaters for: Plant rooms, boiler houses, server closets, crawl spaces, anywhere you need frost protection or humidity control.

Granted, the storage heater requires more upfront work. But it saves time later. There's no shortcut for proper load calculations. The 12-point checklist I created after my third mistake has saved us an estimated $8,000 in potential rework. 5 minutes of verification beats 5 days of correction.

A Quick Word on Other Items from My Order Lists

Since the search query also kicks up blowers, ice makers, and radiator flushing, let me give you the admin buyer's perspective on those:

Blowers

Dimplex doesn't manufacture blowers (they do fans, which are different). For workshop ventilation, industrial fans are your answer. Don't confuse 'blower' with a heater fan.

Ice Maker Machine

Also not a Dimplex product category. Ice makers are typically under hospitality or commercial refrigeration brands. If you're searching these terms together, you're likely looking at a broader facilities order. Make sure you're not mixing product categories in your procurement.

How to Flush a Radiator

Radiator flushing is maintenance, not a product. If your Dimplex storage heater or panel heater isn't performing, check the thermostat and timer first. For a traditional hot water radiator (which Dimplex does not manufacture), flushing involves draining, adding a chemical cleaner, and flushing with a hose. A common misconception is that you need to do this annually; in a closed-loop system, every 3-5 years is more realistic.

Conclusion: Two Tools, Very Different Jobs

To be fair, you could use a tubular heater for a small office if you enjoy wearing a jacket indoors. But you'd be using the wrong tool for the job. Dimplex storage heaters are designed to heat spaces where people live and work. Dimplex tubular heaters are designed for protection and specific niche applications. The confusion comes when people see 'heater' in the name and assume they're interchangeable.

My final advice: map the heating requirement to the product, not the other way around. And always, always verify the voltage and circuit requirements before ordering. I've learned that one the expensive way too.