every single fan heater I have owned I have bypassed the completely pointless and troublesome thermoswitch and fuse! They have a manual thermostat and if the heater gets too hot this turns it off lol!
I'm sorry to brake it to you, but it is probably not Nichrome wire. To test this measure the resistance at room temperature and again after passing a current through it and heating it. I bet you the resistance goes down when warm => not nichrome.
Mine goes warm and cold and when it tips over it goes cold it works better when u put the switch the speed one on half speed but I can't see the safety switch at the bottom or anywhere mine looks similar as urs but is branded by lloytron any help
if i start my heater when its on high, it will shut down, but if i start it at the low setting and let it run for a few minutes then turn it on high it will work fine. what should i check to fix this problem .
That is actually a really interesting question. When I have heard of something like this before it was because the problem was that it tripped a circuit breaker but that is not what you are experiencing. Since it is immediate it would not be overheating security devices. I'm wondering if it is still an issue with sensing too strong of an initial power surge when starting on high. TBH I'm not sure what else to check on that issue. Thanks for taking the time to watch my video and post a comment/question.
That is a really good question. I have seen some that were made with electronic heating elements but I am not sure if you can get enough heat from these parts to get a good melt going... but I think that also depends on what you want to melt. Sorry for the delay in reply... I really do appreciate that you took the time to watch and post a comment!
First, I actually do not recall if this fan had a ground plug on it... if it did, then that should suffice. Beyond that I think it depends on the planned use. Do you plan to modify the fan or housing of the fan? Where will it be used for vent fan? I always err on the side of caution when it comes to wiring things in my home so one first step I might take would be to plug into a GFCI. But there are likely additional considerations to take.
Nice video but I wish that you would give more details into the actual switches and their modes of operation. I assume the temp switch on the right is simply controlled by a temp sensor on the machine and just cuts the element on/off. The power switch looks like it has several functions (ie: fan low/high, heat 600/1000/1500watts) and that is the one I'm interested in. Specifically how the current draw is controlled to the element.
Sorry for the delay in reply... had some extra challenges this year that kept me from my DID stuff. The temp sensors work differently depending on the type of heater. In many there is a thermistor which increases its resistance with a rise in temperature until the resistance gets to the point that cuts off the flow of power. A temp control knob merely changes the amount of resistance needed to get to the cutoff point. I think the answer to the control of flow of power is a longer answer than would work here... If you already got the answer I will stop at that. If not, then I can try to get my hands on another heater and dissect with greater detail.
@@DialedInDIY I'm curious, have a similar working fan. The temp fuse is broken in mine but possible to circumvent. What degree fuse should it normally be in one of these if I were thinking of replacing it?
@@Foggyfighter every single fan heater I have owned I have bypassed the completely pointless and troublesome thermoswitch and fuse! They have a manual thermostat and if the heater gets too hot this turns it off lol!
Thanks for watching and posting your question. Just want to clarify which red and white wires you meant... The heater in this video had some odd color arrangements ( 2 brown on motor, 2 red to heater coil, etc.)
Nice video. My heater does not have a switch, just a rotating dial on the thermal stat to turn it on and set temperature. The unit receives power as indicated by an orange light, but the fan does not spin and the heating elements produce no heat. Any advice? Thanks.
Thank you. First and foremost, that would be an AWESOME job title (Professional Insultant). My initial thought re the heater: since it is getting power to the unit but nothing turns on you may luck out and find that there is simply a loose / disconnected wire inside leading from the switch. If you open up the unit look for wire problems and signs of excess heat (ex. black or darkened parts or something that appears to have been burned). That would be the first steps that I would take.
@@DialedInDIY Thanks for your reply. I opened unit up and find no lose wire nor any burnt components. Everything inside is pristine except a little dust on the fan.
@@professionalinsultant3206 by any chance is there a tip over switch on the bottom? I've seen the end break off which stops all power. What's the make and model of the heater?
Hai, there. I know this wasn't exactly what this video was for, but you seem like the guy to ask. I'm having trouble finding information or advice on something; I own a Sunbeam personal heater, a little smaller than this one. (Model SFH090, for reference) Tough little beast before it broke. Would use it all year long, the heat and the fan. Now the switch won't stay down, and it literally cannot turn off or to the fan. Only heat. It's a sliding switch, so my theory is that it needs a peg or something to that it stays on each setting, or I can maybe replace it with some less-breakable system. And in that case, there's probably something on you channel I can hack into this fan... I'm not sure. I figured before I ruin this poor thing myself, that I should at least ask or find a guide or something. Any input or points would help. Thanks, either way.
First of all, thank you very much for watching and taking time to post your question. When you say the switch won't stay down is that literal... like it pops up or something?
Wanted to dry my pants the other day and covered the fan heater with it and it immediately stopped and hasn't been working ever since, can it be fixed?
There is a good chance it was the thermal cutoff. In some of these heaters there is a fuse-like device that only works once. If that is blown out you could replace it. Does the fan get power if the heat is turned off?
Disassembly only works if there is no tamperproof screw, lol. The motor mounts need to be made out of a Lexan-equivalent plastic. Otherwise the motor drops into the case when switched on after the summer lay-up - sparky!
@@PeteMidg With careful levering by a screwdriver you can break the tamper-proof screw through the mounting hole. Only feasible if there's one tamper-proof screw, of course...
My apologies... I feel 99% sure I replied to your message but it is not showing up in my history (so sorry if it did not come through). If you did not get a reply from me, then please let me know and I will try to recreate what I said last time. Thanks again for watching!!
Darn! Ok, I will see if I can summarize what I said before (LOL). I have not made a video with PTC heating element but there are aspects of those types of heaters that are great. The self-limiting feature of this type of heating design means that the extra safety components (ex. thermal fuses, etc.) are not needed. It is not possible to overheat. I'm not sure what the price difference is for that type of heating though. Hope all is well!
When plugged in ours has one knob that turns on the fan at 1 speed, then you can turn that knob to low heat & high heat (fan on in both settings)....BUT...nothing happens when I turn that knob. I can slowly turn the smooth function thermostat dial and hear an internal click which I assume means the thermostat still works and triggers once I turn that up a certain amount. So, it's either the tip over switch or that thermal fuse you reference?
Based on what you say I do think you are right... sounds like all power has been cut off and both of those can cause that. Could also be a regular fuse if there is one in yours. Lesser likelihood is that the switch itself is broken or disconnected; clicking sound would seem to indicate that it is still capable of connecting but isn't getting power through.
Hello the safety/tip over switch at the bottom of my standing fan is loose and shaky and therefore no power is transmitting to the bottom of my standing heater, if you don’t mind can you tell me how to fix it and also what screw bits you used cause I’ve been trying different screw bits for the screws and they don’t seem to come out so if I can know the specific screw bit mouth you used too I’ll be appreciate that a bunch👍🏻
Sounds like the safety switch either got detached or maybe broke. Once open you will be able to tell much easier... it could also just be off alignment with the button inside which could be an easy fix. But that gets us to your second part, the screws. Mine were Philips head and a pretty standard head size but the trick was the depth. I needed a screwdriver with a longer shank; my first attempts I was using a shorter screwdriver that could not reach the screws. Let me know if that was not the answer you were looking for. Thank you for watching my video!!
@@DialedInDIY thank you man i was able to open it and while the safety switch is loose when i try straightening it the heater still didnt run, internally it doesn't look like theys been any burn or damage
plz tell me 1 thing can we use heater fan as a simple table fan i mean we just switch on the first button of fan mode without heating mode will it consume more electricity thana ceiling fan like this...... plz reply
I have used heaters as a simple fan. In one case I had to disconnect the heater controls. As far as electrical consumption I would have to assume it would be far less but it is device dependent (i.e. the specific ceiling fan and the specific heater). Thanks for the question and for watching the video.
Wondering if there’s anything you can say that can help me .... i had a heater and it fell... was about a foot fall, probably less. when i plugged it back in , it had a burn smell. The next day we used the heater, no smell, nothing. the heater worked fine ! unfortunately the heater stopped working. The light turned on but the heater does not work at all!! is this heater a lost cause ? 😢
It might not be a lost cause. I would open it up and look for a physical problem first... ex. is anything broken or loose. Something could simply be blocking movement or a wire may be loose. Is there a reset switch that can be used on the device? That would be my first steps.
Hi Habib, that is a new one for me (only low setting not working). My guess is that it is failed connection on the switch for the low setting. It might just be a loose wire or a dirty contact point.
Using a continuity tester is good enough. There is no need to test the heater outside of the case with full voltage. It may be possible to replace the thermal fuse, but it will have to be crimped back in place. The bi-metallic thermal breaker can be bi-passed as long as a thermal fuse is in place. The thermal breaker is to extend the life of the using by opening the circuit before the thermal fuse breaks. Keeps in mind, the properties of the heater probably have changed to make it operate in an overheated state, so it's probably just best to chuck it in the trash. Those are low end, cheap heaters. Just buy a new one.
I'm guessing it starts up and shuts itself off too soon... if so that sounds like a faulty thermostat or similar safety device. Is it an older unit? Thanks to taking time to watch and post a comment.
Interestingly enough, that is the opposite of the typical problem with these heaters. If the fan does not work to pull cooler air through then the thermal fuse/switch is eventually going to shut everything down. The most likely options I can think of are loose or disconnected wires between power and fan motor OR a physical obstruction blocking the fan blades. Are you able to check to see if either of those is the problem?
Hiya, while browsing I stumbled upon your video because my heater similar to this also stopped working. Like you said its only blowing cold air. But the switch button you mentioned below the heater is it gonna work if I just turn it on? Anyway i never DIY electronic items my whole life. sounds complicated >
Welcome to DID. Do you mean the safety / tip over switch on the bottom? If yes, that is a switch that cuts the power if the device tips over or is picked up. Sounds like the fan works but the heating part does not... correct? Are you trying to fix the heating function or just wanting to use it as a fan?
@@xxbr0kenangel Let's see if there are some easy things that can be ruled out first. With the cover off see if there are any loose wires, signs of overheating or burnout (brown to black spots that look like they should not be there) or any loose parts. How does it look inside?
Good question... I am assuming you mean just the fan by itself. I am not sure... I will have to check to see if I have it in one piece still to see if I can track that down. If I can find it I will get back with that info.
While replacing a bi-metal thermal in my water distiller I suspect I may have crossed the negative to positive (learning by doing can be a hard teacher).. it started then something sparked and the led went out but top unit (fan) kept running. Is there a way to undo the damage to the heater part? (Just a coil and bi-metal and another fuse which connects to LED and power button).
I have had a long history of "learning the hard way" and I have learned quickly (sometimes) the things that I did not want to do again (Doh!). I would start with the "sparked" result and check for damaged wires, connections or other signs of heat damage. My guess is that something else shorted out that could be replaced or patched. The fan still running is a good sign because it sounds like a safety mechanism cut off the power to heat but did not fry the whole unit. Do you have a name & model number for the distiller? I can see if that info helps with other thoughts on repair options. BTW, thanks for watching and for posting your comment.
@@DialedInDIY I'll have to get to that box (moving right now) but when it's unpacked I'll be back by with that info.. and will check for "spark/heat damage" as well.
My tip over switch is missing the lever on the bottom that is pressed in by the button on the bottom of the heater... Is it easy to buy a replacement? Or should I just bypass the tip over switch completely?
Good question. I am not sure about getting the replacement but I would not opt for bypassing the switch. I might try modifying the tip over switch by adding a different lever of some kind or just switching it for another type of pressure switch that you could install in the bottom of the case. Thanks for watching and for taking time to post your question.
GREAT VIDEO!! hey I have a HOLMES force fan heater. kinda the same setup. it worked but it has a TERRIBLE one button switch that you had to push REALLY REALLY REALLY HARD. (and i'm actually NOT exaggerating at all) i know this probably sounds dumb, but i was wondering if i could replace it with a light dimmer switch or maybe 2? also can you do a video on salvaging a fan forced heater with a bad switch or switches instead of heating elements? please & thank you #SUBBED
Hi IUSECAMERAS, I am so sorry for the delay in response. I did not see a notification for your comment and just now came across it. Do you still have the fan heater and the same problem? FYI, not a dumb question in my opinion... it is always much safer to ask any question than to risk trying something without info of what will happen first. In the case of a light dimmer switch; most of these devices have a switch that changes the connections at each click/turn of the knob whereas the dimmer switch will change how much power is being delivered through the switch (they won't do the same thing). You could definitely change the button or switch for another that works better.
My thermal switch stopped working and my space heater got so hot and smoking in a matter of 5 seconds of the fan not moving and I swear any longer plugged in it would have exploded in fire.. I didn’t do anything prior to this space heater and it had been used a couple days prior just fine.. freaked me the frick out.. it got EXTREMELY hot in seriously 5 seconds on low setting.. what happened?
First, good thing you were close by. It sounds like an odd sequence of events in the heater. The thermal fuse should cut power to the heating element permanently and should happen when it gets too hot. The thermal switch or thermal cut out should also cut the power but resets or can be reset when the temp cools back down. Is your thought that the thermal switch failed to cut power (I'm guessing this is what you mean)? Since power could still get to the coil but the fan did not operate then I would think the fan might have a mechanical obstruction. Something preventing the rotation. Does that sound like what might have been taking place?
@@DialedInDIY Not sure if something was obstructing the fan? tbh I'm not very mechanic like, taking apart things have always led to "how to put it back together now?"^^U It just got extremely hot in record speeds and the top part that wasn't suppose to get hot, got almost unbearable to touch after. I threw it away (safely) since I didn't want to take any risks since I live in dry So Cali.. :s
@@Dubstequtie very smart move... always better safe than sorry; when in doubt trust your gut feeling. Especially these days when a simple visit to the ER is no longer quite so simple. :-) Hope all is well!
I have the same heater with the same issue. Couldn’t you have just replaced the thermostat? If so, where would you find one? I think I’ve looked everywhere. Thanks!
Great thought. If the thermal fuse is toast then replacing the thermostat won't fix the loss of power issue. It will fix the potential problem of no heat regulation. If I need a replacement part that I cannot salvage I usually type the part number into a browser search and check what comes up... usually it is eBay or similar site.
can i easily change (make smaller) 'dead zone' of adjustable thermostat ? it's really annoying when you want to rise room temperature but by a 3-4*C, but thermostat turns off device after temperature rising at least 6-7*C :/
@@MichaelFlatman I didn't ask what hysteresis is, but how big is it ? :) And can you make it smaller , by bending a small metal plate in thermostat maybe ?
@@razorree no, it's the strength of the magnet that determines hysteris. A digital plugin thermostat will be much more accurate as its further away from heating elements
@@MichaelFlatman Thanks for the great response! I love the idea of the space heater upgrade, using a digital thermostat. I actually think that would make an old space heater a bit more safe to operate too.
Wonder if you can answer a quick electrical question? To run somthing like an electric shower you need low resistance so more current can flow through. Here in uk its about 40 amps. However ive read by putting resisters, heat and energy gets created. With electric shower how can you put low resisters so more current can get through but at the same time high resisters so more heat can be created to heat up the water. Its very confusing so please help! Im obviously not understanding something
Happy new year! Sorry for potential ignorance but I'm not sure what an electric shower is. Is that an electric water heater for a shower (i.e. instead of a gas water heater)? I'm assuming so but not 100% sure so thought I'd check first. Heat from resistance is actually how the space heater in this video works; in this case the coils provide the resistance. That will be the common method for electric heating elements... am I on the right track for your question? Let me know and I will gladly try to clarify. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment!
@@DialedInDIY Happy new year to you! Thanks for replying. With an electric shower, basically you have a cold water pipe entering a unit which get heated up by a heating element and then exist the unit by a shower hose. All by electric and not gas. Typical they range between 8.5 kw to 10.5 kw in the uk and they work off 240 volts. Hope I clarified a bit more. Just a bit confused with understanding Current and resistance. To get more current you want less resistance right? But with electric showers you want a lot of heat and energy produced?.... Great channel btw
Thanks for the clarification. You have all of the right pieces AND yes the relationship between these pieces can be confusing. For electric heating you need current and resistance. I found a good article that can explain this better than I could (don't worry about the formulas, just the concepts) electrical-engineering-portal.com/resistive-heating-explained-in-details. Another good search is for basic explanations of both Ohm's Law and Joule's equation. I hope that helps.
Ive read this somewhere which makes a lot of sense. Does a heating element need a high or a low resistance? You might think a heating element would need to have a really high resistance-after all, it's the resistance that allows the material to generate heat. But that's not actually the case. What generates heat is the current flowing through the element, not the amount of resistance it feels. Getting the maximum current flowing through a heating element is much more important than forcing that current through a large resistance. This might seem confusing and counter-intuitive, but it's quite easy to see why it is (and must be) true, both intuitively and mathematically.
Hello Hello. Just to confirm, the heat switch does not change anything when you change the setting. Is that correct? Have you looked inside for any signs of failure? You can check for loose wires, burned/darkened spots or other loose parts.
Same to me it giving cool air and any signs of loose wires. I check thermal fuse with multimetar it works but still i dont have a idea what is the problem
I usually first check that the fan only mode is not on (which it never is...lol), then check the manual to see if there instructions for resetting the heater. After this the reasons the heating element is not getting power is usually a more involved fix. It could be a blown resistor or circuit but there could also be a break in the heating coil.
Is it a vibrating or scraping kind of sound? Sometimes it is just a matter or tightening the fan blades/assembly or making sure they are not contacting something. A loose wobble often causes extra noise in heaters, hair dryers, etc.
Just had to reply again... because I came across your comment and it made me chuckle again (thanks for the smile). Also... when you say "GreatG" what is the second G for (I have two guesses). Happy new year!
*smile* I have the same issue. I solved it by changing the video speed to .75. You can do that with the gear shaped icon- the Settings icon. It is on the video frame, bottom, right side.
Hi, I pulled the fan blades straight off of the motor. I have found that works for most heaters that I have opened up. The motor separates from the heating assembly by removing the two screws on the back, once the whole thing is removed from the cover. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and taking time to comment!
@@DialedInDIY Hi, happy that you replied. I took the fan heater from scarp shop, and I need the fan from it, my fan heater is similar to yours, I have disassembled the fan from it, but when I connect it to direct 220v AC power supply its not working. Please tell me how to make the fan run.
@@giridharan74 Just to confirm; you took a fan unit from a scrapped heater to replace the one you had but the fan won't work. Correct? If that is the case, then the first thing I'd check is the fuses & cutoff switches I mentioned in the video. If any of them has failed it could cut the power to the fan (and possibly everything else too). Does anything look fried, discolored or disconnected?
I have some thoughts but a quick question first... when the fan turns off does the heating element shut down too? I guess the easier way to ask is do all the functions stop? Allot of times the units cut out because either the thermostat failed or the thermal cut off is tripping too easily. A fan by itself may be dirty, need oil/lube, have blocked ventilation, or possibly a short / loose wire.
This video is of very little value. You should have showed us all the components that can go wrong, how to find them, how to test them and how to replace them if needed. On my heater the heat works fine but the fan won't turn, which may just need a cheap replacement part (fuse? switch?), but this was no help at all. Your main interest seems to be in salvaging parts, but people coming to this are looking to repair, not strip the appliance for salvage. You have wasted people's precious time.
