How To Prevent A Space Heater From Blowing A Fuse
Space heaters are one of the most used appliances in winter and if you are someone who lives in a region where the weather conditions are harsh during winter then it is a must-have appliance for you.
They are compact and lightweight that can easily provide warmth and cover a whole room. You can easily carry them and move them to other rooms wherever you need them. They mostly use electricity or other gases or fuels to work. Even if they are small in size and shape they are still quite effective and they perform well. They are not only capable of warming indoor and outdoor spaces but also they come in a variety of shape size and design.
They can be a beautiful addition to your house. Nowadays many space heaters come with a lot of safety features but anyway, an electric device will never be 100 % safe as they tend to have issues. Space heaters can have problems if you do not handle them properly. As most of the space heaters work on electricity they come with some special electrical-based features and many components and these include fuses too.
If your space heater faces the common problem of blowing and it keeps blowing and the breaker keeps tripping then it is very important to know why such problems happen. This will help you to prevent a potential hazard from happening.
The first thing that we are going to discuss today is what fuses are and what they do in space heaters. Along with this, we will see why a fuse blows and we will also look at ways to prevent the blowing of fuses.
What does a fuse do in a Space Heater?
A fuse is a small device or component that is present in many electrical appliances. It has the general function of providing a safety layer to the device. It is a barrier that protects the device in case there is any kind of overloading of electricity towards the device.
The main function that a space heater does is to provide heat and while it does that a space heater tends to get heated too. They overheat quickly and this mainly happens when they are used for a long time or the installation of the device isn’t properly done. A space heater that gets overheated pretty often can be very dangerous as it can be a great safety or fire hazard and in some cases, it might also explode resulting in fatalities.
The fuse comes into play when such overloading or overheating takes place it will usually meltdown or blow in case there are unnecessary electrical surges, this melting will certainly stop the current which is continuously flowing. This is important because a surge will lead to significant breakage or damage in ceramic electric heaters to other vulnerable internal components of your thermic heater, including heating elements or thermostats.
The fuses that are present in a space heater are usually with a rated current of 8 to 15 amperes. And it has a rated voltage of 129 to 240 volts.
Reasons why a fuse blows in a Space Heater?
Many electrical appliances use a fuse so that it can prevent any kind of damages to the electrical devices and also prevent any kind of hazards from happening.
This is the same thing that gets applied to some of the modern space heaters and many other electrical devices. These types of space heaters mainly use a fuse instead of a circuit breaker. The fuse, which is tightly nestled inside your space heater’s plastic confines is probably a screw-in form – that means either ceramic or glass cylinders are connected to complementary sockets.
The main cause behind the melting of the fuse is overloading or over a surge of electrical power that is passing through the heater. This mainly takes place when the space heater is plugged improperly or it is plugged in a powerstrip instead of a direct socket. This can also be a problem when natural events like lightning storms occur and the space heater is plugged in. These are some of how a fuse might blow and this will immediately stop your space heater from damaging.
Things you can do for preventing your Space Heater from Blowing a Fuse.
A fuse is a very useful component of a space heater ad if it keeps on blowing again and again then you need to take certain precautions. There are numerous things you can do which will help you prevent a fuse from blowing.
Stop overloading
The most common and root cause for the blowing of the fuse is the overload on the circuit. In most of the cases where there are a lot of electrical surges, the circuit cannot handle the amount of current.
For instance, if your space heater has a power output of 3000 watts then it is your job that you ensure that the circuit can handle the amount of power that is being consumed by your heater. It is very simple to understand, the load on the circuit must not exceed the amount of power the same circuit can cope with.
If you do not have any idea about how much power your outlet can cope with then you can ask for the help of a professional in such cases. A professional will help you determine this and teach you about this. The daisy chain method of wiring is also to be avoided. This method involves a looping sequence that is the same across many outlets.
It is also an overburdening not-to-be because it will force the circuit to fly through a fusion in your space heater or worse by making your invaluable and modest residence into a blazing number on the television. The power excess is a big no-no.’
Check the wiring
An electrical appliance needs to be properly wired and installed as improper wiring may lead to big problems later. It is always recommended to check and monitor the wiring of your space heaters.
You must check if there are any internal or external damages inside your space heaters and this is to be done whenever possible once a month. You must be looking for signs of damages like fraying or even any kind of breaks in the rubber casing. Rubber casing might also be one of the problems. The wiring of your heater should be checked regularly if you want to avoid damages and large mishaps from happening.
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If you see any kind of odd things you should immediately consult an electrician and turn off the heater first and do not plug in again until the issue is resolved. Faulty wiring can be a huge issue and it can damage the electrical devices that are connected. In the case of heating systems, most of the time a fuse melts to protect the other components in the system. Many times overcurrent can elicit damage to the subunits of the heater even after melting of a fuse.
It is always recommended to stay alert all the time in case there is any kind of abnormal activity taking place with the wiring. Damaged cords can also be a great issue.
Check amperage limit
The amperage limit is to be checked. A 120 V space heater in general uses around 8 to 13 amps. This is due to the variability and differences in size design, shape, and model of space heaters.
It is very important to know the maximum amperage limit of your device. If you do not have any idea how to do that you can ask for help or you can also use a simple formula:
You need to take note of the wattage (W) and voltage (V) of your space heater and they are found on the label or guide of the heater on the backside. If there’s no information present there then you can take the owner’s manual of the space heater and search there for the voltage and wattage. Once you are equipped with this you can easily calculate the amperage of the unit lets learn it by taking an example.
A 1500 W heater that works with 120 V will have a rated amperage of 12.5 amps. This simply means if the current exceeds 12.5 amps the fuse will melt or get blown and you need to make sure that the current doesn’t exceed that if you do not want a blown or melted fuse.
Avoid using an extension board or strip
For space heaters, it is always recommended that using a direct outlet is better and always favored over an extension strip. This will ensure the proper and safe working of space heaters.
We all know that space heaters use an average of 1500 Watts to work. Larger systems or units will use more. Using an extension strip will prompt or disturb the usage of many different electrical devices. There are many devices connected to the grid and this burdens the grid. Each device tends to add its load.
When more and more devices are connected to one strip this adds load on the strip and uneven electrical power is provided to the heater. Sometimes it causes over current and this might result in blowing a fuse.
It’s strongly recommended that the device should contribute around 80% of the total circuit load at a given time. This simply denotes the fact that if a circuit has a loop of 20 A then it should never have an excess current usage value of 16A. As mentioned above a normal 1500 W space heater will usually need an amperage of 12.5 A. Therefore it is not feasible to connect or plugin two space heaters with 1500 W each on a single strip or board with 20 A and then exp[ect the fuses to work.
Unplug or disconnect electrical devices and appliances when not in use
It is very important to remove all the electrical devices and appliances from the socket when they are not being used. This is because even when the devices are unused they still have a certain amount of electricity circulating in them.
When they remain plugged in the electrical current is certainly circulating and the same thing happens with electrical space heaters. Space heaters tend to use or circulate a certain amount of electricity even when they aren’t in use but plugged into a socket. There is a small fraction of current that keeps on passing and circulating.
Now if you plug in many devices to a socket for instance your space heater, coffee maker, and your refrigerator all at once and they are turned off and not in use. All these appliances will generally contribute to some amount of load that gets looped by the electrical grid that is present in your home. Even if the amount of energy that is streaming in these appliances is very low compared to when they are actually turned on but still there is a current that is present all the time.
When this happens with your space heater then this continuous flow of electricity will result in heating the heater even when it is not being used. This thing will melt the fuse or blow it and that’s why it is the best practice to always unplug the appliances when they are not being used.
Keep an eye on the fuse
It is a very crucial thing to service your space heater regularly and keep them in a proper condition. You should regularly keep on checking if everything is working properly or not.
Service and repair of your heater are necessary to ensure the reliability and integrity of all radiator components are maintained. The fuse inside your space heater also contains. Once every 3 months, the space heater for regular cleaning and repair can be disassembled manually. Whenever you disassemble your heater by removing all the screws and fasteners for checking the components it is also important to take a look at the fuse as well.
Check whether your fuse is discolored or melted in any case. If the fuse has turned black or broken then it should be quickly patched. A new fuse with the same stipulations should be added. Also, you need to keep in mind that the new fuse offers the same amperage ratings as the old one. A wrong fuse or ill-usage of the fuse might result in wasting too much electricity.
When a lot of electricity is flowing inside the heater it will harm the other components as well.
If you are confused about the fuse your older burnt fuse should be replaced, just carry the burned fuse into the store and ask the shop assistant for assistance to help you locate the new fuse that is the same fit for your broken fuse. In case you do not know how to replace a fuse then you can also ask the help of a professional to do it for you.
Let your heater rest
Many people let the heater work for a long time and that is not a good idea. Operating your space heaters for a continued period will only affect their effectiveness and ability to work.
It is known that electrical appliances heat up quickly and when they are used for a long time they get overheated therefore it is very necessary to provide some break to your heater. Space heaters are also the same. They also require some break when they are used continuously for longer periods.
When you use your space heater for a very long time there are chances where the temperature inside the heater might get very hot and also exceed the temperature which is prescribed by the manufacturer. This temperature is given on the manual which is attached with the space heater when you purchase it. When there is too much heat this will only damage some of the internal components of your heater.
The thermostat is the first part that will blow in such cases. After this, the fuse is the next thing to get damaged. Space heaters are used for keeping your place warm but when they get heated too much it will result in big damages too, therefore, do not be careless and keep your space heater on and working for a long time. It is recommended that a space heater shouldn’t work for more than 8 hours at a stretch.
Always be present while your space heater is working and if you notice any kind of fumes or smoke then you should quickly shut it off to avoid damages. Always unplug it from the socket itself. An overheated electrical appliance will only result in huge hazards and such risks should always be prevented. If you want the fuse of your pace heater to last for a long time then you should let your space heater rest and do not use it excessively.
These were some of the things you can do to prevent your space heaters from blowing a fuse.
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Safety features to consider while buying a space heater
Many space heaters are offered in the market with numerous brands and this is what makes it difficult to find the best one. When we talk about space heaters the most important factor is safety and therefore considering safety is very important.
We are going to look at some of the most important safety features to check while buying a space heater.
Automatic shut off
Most of the modern space heaters are provided with this feature and it is also a very crucial one. An automatic shut-off feature comes into play when they sense any kind of overheating in the system.
It has a smart sensor that helps in doing that. It automatically shuts off the heater when overheating takes place to avoid any further damages to the heater and any kind of large mishaps.
Ground fault circuit interrupter plug
This feature helps in preventing electrical shocks. If you do not have this plug then the heater is not to be used near water. It is to be considered while buying a heater.
Safety certifications
You should check for certifications from organizations as this generally assures that the heaters are safe to use. Certifications from CSA international and ETL certified should be searched.
Sturdy and durable cord
As we learned earlier that extension cords and strips should be avoided therefore you should get a heater that has a long and durable cord. This is important for the cord to reach the socket. A sturdy cord will avoid damages and shocks.
Conclusion
A space heater is a very useful appliance that also needs some kind of maintenance regularly. It is very important to take precautionary measures if you want a prolonged life for your space heater.
It is common for a space heater to blow a fuse and this generally happens due to certain reasons and carelessness while using the heater. I have mentioned some of the reasons why a space heater blows a fuse and later I have also mentioned how you can take precautionary measures that will help you prevent blowing a fuse.
Reference
https://qlabe.com/heaters/how-to-prevent-a-space-heater-from-blowing-a-fuse