Fragility of Ceramic Heaters?
#1
02-07-21, 07:01 AM
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Fragility of Ceramic Heaters?
Right now, I have a Lasko brand ceramic floor heater (~$120) that is smelling up the room and now is not turning on. It was just tipped over by my dog when he was playing. Now, keep in mind this is thing is only about 2 feet tall, and it doesn't seem like one tip over should put this thing completely out of commission like this.
This is the second Lasko space heater I've had in the last 3 months. The last one was a cheaper model that was tipped over that then began to spew smoke out of it.
Is there something I can get to on the inside to fix this easily? Or are ceramic heaters really just this fragile, and I shouldn't bother altogether?
This is the second Lasko space heater I've had in the last 3 months. The last one was a cheaper model that was tipped over that then began to spew smoke out of it.
Is there something I can get to on the inside to fix this easily? Or are ceramic heaters really just this fragile, and I shouldn't bother altogether?
#2
02-07-21, 09:18 AM
Maybe too late for the heater you now have but if you turned the temperature dial of a new heater up and down with the heater unplugged, does it make a click each time the dial passed over the temperature setting at which the heater would cycle on or cycle off respectively?
If the heater dial does not click that way then the contacts that make or break to cycle on or off with will arc (emit a spark) more and have a shorter lifetime.
As far as smells and smoke go, you might want to find out what got inside in preceding weeks or months (dog hair?) that would burn so as to produce the smoke or smell.
If the heater dial does not click that way then the contacts that make or break to cycle on or off with will arc (emit a spark) more and have a shorter lifetime.
As far as smells and smoke go, you might want to find out what got inside in preceding weeks or months (dog hair?) that would burn so as to produce the smoke or smell.
#3
02-07-21, 09:40 AM
Welcome to the forums Brian!
I have a small ceramic heater I use in my tool rm where I also store paint and adhesives. I've had it about 25 yrs. I've not taken any special pains to care for it but it still works fine. Mine has been knocked over and even dropped a few times but other than looks it hasn't hurt it any.
Not sure how they disassemble but as noted above I'd be opening it up to find out just what is smoking.
I have a small ceramic heater I use in my tool rm where I also store paint and adhesives. I've had it about 25 yrs. I've not taken any special pains to care for it but it still works fine. Mine has been knocked over and even dropped a few times but other than looks it hasn't hurt it any.
Not sure how they disassemble but as noted above I'd be opening it up to find out just what is smoking.
#4
02-07-21, 10:35 AM
Does the heater have a tip-over shut off?
With box fans, or cheap fan-based heaters, if they're tipped over backwards, you can end up with the fan blowing up, creating an area of low-pressure / partial vacuum, which over-speeds the fan and fails to cool the heating element. Similar / worse if tipped over face down, then they're blowing hot air onto the floor, which creates back-pressure, slows the fan, bakes the motor, and again, does not provide the airflow needed to cool the heating element, which then bakes to death.
With box fans, or cheap fan-based heaters, if they're tipped over backwards, you can end up with the fan blowing up, creating an area of low-pressure / partial vacuum, which over-speeds the fan and fails to cool the heating element. Similar / worse if tipped over face down, then they're blowing hot air onto the floor, which creates back-pressure, slows the fan, bakes the motor, and again, does not provide the airflow needed to cool the heating element, which then bakes to death.
#5
02-07-21, 06:41 PM
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It seems that Hal was right, and the fan just turned itself off as a precaution, and I had not waited long enough for the system to reset itself.
