Why Does My Space Heater Keep Shutting Off

Space heaters are used for keeping the temperature warm and they are very useful. They will help you feel warm on a cold breezy day. They are small in size and they can easily be moved.

They are specific devices that can be used for warming up areas within a home or some space for a short period. Technology has seen enormous growth and over the decade we have seen much research and efforts into the development of more and more methods for space heating. This has given birth to the evolution of an electrical and gas type of space heaters. These heaters either use electricity or certain kinds of fuel that include kerosene or wood pellets for working and this can easily heat enclosed areas.

The power usage tends to vary and this depends upon the size and the type of the space heater. You are going to require a different type of power source as per the size and the type of space heater you are using. The most important fact about a space heater is that they are extremely portable and can easily be moved from one place to another along with this they are also very powerful and work efficiently. A space heater is capable of providing an adequate amount of warmth in a typical palace.

The most used space hectares are generally convective and radiant ones. These types of heaters are very popular among the general public and they are often used. Convective heaters are the ones that generate hot air in a small enclosed area as this allows more cooling air to the floor and in this way it helps in providing convective circulation of air within a room or enclosed space.

On the other hand, radiant heaters offer warmth to objects and individuals instead of the ambient environment. A heater may often be built from the combination of convective and radiant aspects, thus providing warmth for space as well as for individuals or things that inhabit a place.

As these both are machines and they work on a certain mechanism they are prone to suffer some types of recurring problems and out of these problems, one of the most common is Why does my space heaters keep shutting off frequently?

We already learned what space heaters are and how they work, we also saw the two most used space heaters. Every device is prone to have some difficulties in working or issues and space heaters also have them. Today we are going to see one of the most common issues that a space heater faces. Why does it keep shutting off? We will also see the reasons and if you are facing a similar problem then read this article carefully.

Some of the reasons why your space heaters keep shutting off

Space heaters are extremely useful and powerful devices that help to keep a place warm. They work for different power sources.

There might be situations where problems may arise with these devices and they might turn off again and again while working. This is the most common type of problem that takes place in a space heater and today we will look at certain types of possibilities why this happens.

Power supply

Many people ignore this reason and that’s why I have mentioned it in the first place. This can be a major reason why your space heaters shut off while working.

People overlook this reason but it is a very important thing that can cause failure for the proper working of the machine. You need to check whether the plugs are properly inside the power source. A faulty or improper power supply can be the main cause behind a heater which is not working properly and most of the time people think that it would be an internal problem and that’s why these power supply errors are overlooked.

Space heaters on average require 1500 watts of power to operate and to efficiently generate heat. If there’s any kind of shortage or disruption in the power then the heater will turn of automatically. There are chances that the socket itself can be damaged and that might also be causing errors. You must check the socket if there are any charring or brown stains on it. If there is any kind of discoloration then you should immediately consult an electrician by unplugging the heater from that socket.

There are chances that human carelessness can also be a big reason so that’s why anyone needs to check whether you have properly plugged in your space heater. You should also check the power cords if they are working correctly or not or if there are any kind of burns. A faulty power cord can be a very dangerous thing as it not only stops the working of the heater but can also present a shock hazard to humans when they accidentally come in contact with the cord. A power source and checking of a proper power supply are very important.

Check if you have a blown fuse

A blown fuse is a very big reason due to which your space heater might not be working properly. Many of the modern space heaters come with an inbuilt thermal fuse. These fuses are nestled carefully within the confines of their tough plastic coatings.

A thermal fuse is a device that is very small in size and it helps the heater from overheating. It is a very useful device that provides safety. It can also blow out in case of overload and it can protect the rest of all the components inside the heater. A standard thermal fuse most probably has the rated voltage of 120 to 250 volts and they are presently rated as 10 to 15 amps.

Whenever there is any kind of malfunctioning happening inside a space heater the thermal fuse is the first component that helps in providing any kind of barrier to any kind of large accidents and also helps to prevent product failure. There are chances that the fuse might be blown and this might be causing problems in working.

If you find a blown fuse inside your heater the first thing that you need to do is disassemble your space heater and for this, you are going to need the proper kind of tools. Once you have properly disassembled your heater you need to find out the thermal fuse and check what the problem is. Check if the fuse is blown, burnt, melted, or damaged. Now you need to replace the blown fuse with a new fuse.

Is your Circuit Breaker Tripped?

Circuit breakers are used in many household appliances that help in providing safety. There are chances where your Circuit breaker inside the space heater might be tripped.

A primary Circuit breaker is a central control point that provides power for your home. In smaller breakers, there is each switch that corresponds to a dedicated electrical grid. These are found in various areas inside a house such as a kitchen, bedroom, or living room.

When the Circuit breaker trips it will certainly cut off the power supply to the electrical loop. A circuit gets tripped due to a surge of electricity through the primary grid inside your house. A tripped breaker will help your heater as a silent protector that will prevent excessive electricity to food in the grid and damage a device. In case the Circuit breaker trips inside a device you won’t be able to start the device and the same happens with the space heaters.

In case the tripper keeps on tripping or it is damaged in any way then you need to take the help of an electrician to replace it.

The Thermocouple

If there aren’t any kind of problems with your Circuit breaker or thermal fuse then in such situations you need to check out the Thermocouple.

The thermocouple is a small device that is present inside the space heater itself. A Thermocouple has a function that is similar to the Circuit breaker. It is responsible for shutting off the device. In case when it trips or there is any kind of abnormal surges of electricity coming to the space heaters, it tends to turn off the device so that there aren’t any kind of damages. It will keep the device on and every time you’ll try to switch it on it will keep shutting it off until the problem is corrected.

In the case of space heaters overheating the Thermocouple is triggered in most cases and it turns off the heater. In such cases, it is recommended to give a sufficient amount of time to the space heater to cool down. A Thermocouple provides great safety and prevents any kind of damage to your devices.

Is Thermostat working?

A thermostat is a device that is also located inside the space heater just like the Thermocouple.

If your thermostat is not working then there are chances that your space heater might stop working. The thermostat is a small device that is used to control or regulate the temperature inside your space heaters.

If the thermostat is unable to determine the temperature inside your closed room or house then it will not allow the space heater to work properly. There are chances where the thermostat might be broken, damaged, or burnt in such cases the space heater will not work and you need to replace the thermostat immediately.

Most of the inside components of the space heaters are durable and sturdy but some wirings cannot withstand overheating and therefore the thermostat makes it possible to determine the right temperature. overheating with the thermostat will stop the heater from working and will prevent any kind of damage to the space heater.

The safety auto shut off feature

Previously when space heaters were built there were not many safety concerns and therefore they do not have many features about safety.

As the space heaters came into trend there were many questions about safety as it is a device that heats up and provides warmth. In the modern space heaters, there are safety auto shut off features and it is a small device that has a sensor.

Whenever the safety auto shut off feature determines that there are any kind of hazards for damages for possibilities of damages happening inside the space heaters or if there is any kind of overheating then the auto shut off features like a sensor that will alert you for that will shut off the machine directly.

There are chances that the auto shut-off feature triggers even when there are slightest possibilities of some happenings and therefore it turns off the heater. There are chances that the auto shut off feature itself might be malfunctioning. It might be for no reason setting the machine and therefore in such cases, you have to consult an electrician.

Is your air filter dirty

An air filter is present inside the space heater that allows the escape of dirty elements that pass through the heater.

In case the vents are struck with dust and debris this will cause major problems in the working and also provide an unpleasant smell because the air might not be able to surpass the heater and in such cases, overheating may be caused. This auditing might trigger the internal sensors which might turn off the heater.

you need to take care of the cleaning process of the heater frequently if you do not clean the heater there are chances that you might end up like this. A heater that cannot cool down sufficiently due to clogged dust is prone to get damaged.

Is the heating element working?

In most space heaters, you are going to find a heating element. This is the part that helps the heater to generate heat. This provides warmth in the nearby areas.

In the case of oil-based space heaters, there are more chances of creating a significant amount of heat with the help of the heating element when compared to ceramic and mica thermic electric heaters. The heating element can be a great advantage for you and they are well protected.

In case there are any problems with the heating elements that it is damaged, broken, cracked, or discolored in any way it will not work properly or you can say it will start malfunctioning. A broken heating element will stop to provide a sufficient amount of heat for the area. This will certainly increase the heat inside the heater only causing damages. A faulty heating system will only shut off the heater if you try to switch it on again and again.

The best way to check if your heating element is working adequately is by switching on the heater and check at the items themselves. A heated-up heating element will certainly tend to glow in bright orange color and a programmable timer case doesn’t blow like this. There is a chance you need to replace the heating element.

Let’s have a look at some of the Best Space Heaters

There are many brands present in the market that offer a variety of Space heaters with many different features that are very useful which makes it very difficult to choose the best from them.

To make things easier for you I have listed some of the best Space Heaters available in the market.

MVH vortex heater

This is a very useful product and one of the most silent working heaters you’ll find. This heater is offered by Vornado.

It is a very compact heater and can do the work efficiently and provide warmth inside your room with ease. The machine has got three heat settings that are 750 W, 1125 W, and 1500 W which you can control according to your needs. This will help you get the right temperature according to your convenience. People love the fact that it is small in size still it can easily keep warm in a large-sized room.

It provides 5 years of warranty. The dimensions of this product comprise 10.6 × 10.4 × 9.2. The weight of this machine is around 3.76 lbs. It is a very good choice to make and also comes with a long warranty.

Pros

• It has safety features
• Compact in size
• Well designed
• Durable
• Can keep a large room warm

Cons

• Users complain about reliability issues

Click on this link to check the price

https://www.amazon.com/Vornado-Whole-Vortex-Heater-Black/dp/B00MB4BQ0G

Electric Ceramic Heater by Lasko

This is an electrical heater made of ceramic. This is a very useful product and also comes with an affordable price tag. If you are low on budget then you can go with this option.

You’ll be able to find this at under $30 and it is so powerful that it will easily keep a large room warm. It has low heat, high heat, and fan settings. These three settings make this machine very powerful and convenient to use. This is a very lightweight machine that makes this very portable and you can easily carry it from your bedroom to the living room and from the living room to the kitchen without any extra efforts.

The thing that you have to note about this product is that it doesn’t have an auto shut-off feature and therefore you need to take extra care while using it and you need to monitor the process or keep an eye on the machine while it’s working. The dimensions of this product comprise 10.2 × 7.5 × 6.6 inches.

Pros

• It is very compact
• It has a lightweight
• Comes with an affordable price tag
• It is very powerful

Cons

• Lacks safety features

Click here to check the current price

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LW9RMD9/

Slim Style Digital HSX3315FTS

This is a modern age space heater that has everything that you are looking for. This is a very stylish heater that will stay with you and serve you for a very long time.

This is a heater that is offered by DeLonghi. You can tuck it into smaller pieces at just 3 inches wide. It can be easily tucked into smaller places and it can easily keep places warm up to 300 square feet. One thing you need to note that the air blows out from the sides. This will demand a little extra space around the heaters and you cannot keep it in the corners of the room.

This is a very quiet space heater that works so silently that you won’t even know. The dimensions of this product are 3 × 32.2 × 21.8 inches. The weight of this product is around 13.8 lbs. You can think of buying this product and this is one of the best models available in the market.

Pros

• It can be easily mounted on the wall
• It is a very narrow product
• It has got a programmable timer
• It has auto turn off features in case it tips

Cons

• It is expensive

You can check the price here

https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-HSX3315FTS-Digital-Convection-Heater/dp/B0777K9SJ5

Pros and cons of space heaters

There are certain advantages and disadvantages associated with every product and it is very important to know them. A proper study of the pros and cons of a product that you are thinking of using or buying is very necessary.

Pros of space heaters

Cost-saving

Space heaters are one of the most inexpensive types of heaters available in the market so you can surely rely on them when it comes to expenses.

They are good in comparison to other heaters as they cost comparatively lesser and the cost of running them is also very less. They do not require much maintenance too.

Good features

Many safety features come with space heaters. Nowadays many heaters prevent any mishap from occurring.

They automatically power the machine off in case they sense any kind of issues of overheating or dirt inside the machine and won’t let the machine turn on until the problem is dealt with.

Easy to use

Space heaters are very simple to use and you do not need to learn a lot about them; you can easily install them and start using them on your own.

Modern space heaters are very attractive and user-friendly and even if you want quick heating then they are capable of that. They heat the room quickly and efficiently.

Safe

Space heaters are very safe to use and they do not pollute the environment much they are very efficient and safe.

Quick heating

Space heaters have fans so there is a possibility that quick heating can easily be obtained using a space heater.

In places where you have harsh weather conditions during winter then you can rely on space heaters for providing quick heating inside the room so you can enjoy your movie.

No installation

You can buy and use the space heaters on the same day as you do not need to bear the cost and time for installation. For them this will save you a lot of time and money.

Cons of space heaters

Fire and burns risk

There is a constant risk of burns and fire while using a space heater as the National Fire Protection Association has warned that 40% of the heating related fire happens due to space heaters.

Space heaters are very much responsible for most of the deaths related to fire during the time of winter.

Constant monitoring required

Modern space heaters have many features for safety and compared to traditional heaters they are very safe.

However, to date, it is not yet possible to leave them unattended as there are problems that might happen and many of the problems occur because people fall asleep or do not monitor them.

Allergies

There are fans inside a space heater so there is a chance of transferring dust and fumes through the transfer of air from inside the heater. This can be a big problem and also cause allergies.

Insulation required

If you are using a space heater for a room that is not well insulated then the heating process will not be done properly as the air will keep flowing outside the room and the cool breeze might come inside.

For small room only

You cannot use a space heater for large rooms as it doesn’t have the capacity to provide warmth for large rooms and it can be insufficient for such long areas.

Conclusion

These were some of the possible reasons for the malfunctioning of your Space Heater. If you have read this article properly you might be equipped with great knowledge about space heaters and why they aren’t working.

The above-mentioned reasons are 90% of the problems occurring and if you still aren’t able to find out the problem even after encountering the above-mentioned reason then you might have a faulty unit or you might need to consult an expert for this.

Today we saw some of the possibilities due to which your space heater might stop working repeatedly. If you are facing such problems you can find the solutions on your own but if you do not have any experience of repairs it is recommended to try out an electrician.

I hope you find this article useful and relevant.

Reference

https://qlabe.com/heaters/why-heater-keeps-shutting-off

https://www.dynamichvac.net/blog/why-your-heater-keeps-shutting-down-too-soon/