Climate & waterCommon

Space heater

Also called fan heater, ceramic heater, oil heater is different.

A heater, a fan, a tip-over switch, and a thermal fuse. Oil-filled radiators are a sealed heater you do not drill. Fan heaters are the donor. Old tip-over switches may contain mercury.

A donor is the dead machine. The parts below are what is still worth removing from it. “Leave it” is a part that is physically in there and should stay in there: too dangerous, too worn, or only useful as part of a repair you are not doing.

A heater is a chain

Wall power goes through a switch, a one-time thermal fuse, and often a resettable thermostat, then the element. If you remove the fuse because it is open, the element can stay on after something else has already failed. That is how the donor caught fire the first time.

Why it is in the trash while the parts are not

The fuse opened, the fan seized, or the tip-over switch failed. People also just throw them out in spring.

Before you open it

Do this while it is still unplugged, cool, and not leaking. Unplug and let it cool. Look at the tip-over device before you shake it. A glass capsule is mercury.

Where the dead machine usually is

Living room and entertainment stack — In the house
Garage and shed — In the house
Bulk trash day — Curb

Spring bulk trash.

How it comes apart

Front grille. Do not lose the tip-over switch; it is in the bottom.

Tools: Phillips, Meter.

Words on this page

thermal fuse: A one-time safety link that opens when it gets too hot and stays open. It is not a switch you can reset. Replacing it with wire removes the protection.

What to take

The table is the short version. The notes under it describe that part inside this machine, not only the general description.

Parts in this donor
Part	Call	How many	How often	Where to look
PTC heater	Prize	1	sometimes	Ceramic models.
Nichrome wire	Worth pulling	1	sometimes	Wire-element models.
Tubular heating element	Bonus	1	sometimes	Some larger heaters.
Axial fan	Worth pulling	1	usually	Behind the element.
Shaded-pole motor	Worth pulling	1	usually	The fan motor, when it is not a DC fan.
Thermal fuse	Worth pulling	1	always	In series.
Tilt switch	Worth pulling	1	usually	Bottom.
Bimetal thermostat	Bonus	1	usually	The thermostat knob.
Panel switch	Worth pulling	1	always	The control.

Prize

Prize — take this firstPTC heater1 · sometimes
Self-limiting. Still wants its airflow.
Ceramic models.
Keep the fan with it.
Cracked ceramic is scrap.

Worth pulling

Worth pullingNichrome wire1 · sometimes
Mains coil.
Wire-element models.
Keep the thermal fuse in the design.
Brittle.
Worth pullingAxial fan1 · usually
Often a shaded-pole, sometimes DC.
Behind the element.
If it is seized, that is why the fuse opened.
Seized is common.
Worth pullingShaded-pole motor1 · usually
Mains.
The fan motor, when it is not a DC fan.
Spin by hand.
Sleeve bearings fail.
Worth pullingThermal fuse1 · always
One-shot.
In series.
Continuity.
Often open.
Worth pullingTilt switch1 · usually
Mechanical ball, or mercury in old units.
Bottom.
Mercury: do not break the capsule. Recycle that switch.
Mechanical ones are worth keeping.
Worth pullingPanel switch1 · always
Mains.
The control.
Map it.
Good.

Bonus

Bonus, if you are already in thereTubular heating element1 · sometimes
A sheathed element.
Some larger heaters.
Insulation-check.
Good if it passes.
Bonus, if you are already in thereBimetal thermostat1 · usually
Crude regulation.
The thermostat knob.
Test.
Good.