Simple Guide for Home Electric Heaters
They aren’t complex machines, so electric heaters are usually easy for electricians to install, troubleshoot and repair. The following discusses how electrical heaters function and what can go wrong. If you are having problems with yours, call a licensed electrician for assistance as a faulty electric heater can be a fire hazard. In any situation, be sure to always keep flammable materials away from it.
How Electric Heaters Work
Mounted at the base of a wall and controlled by a thermostat, a baseboard heater typically has one or more horizontal heating elements. Electrical elements heat the air drawn in via the bottom of the heater. The heated air then rises and circulates through the room.
Known as a forced-air heating device, an electrical wall heater is wall installed and circulates air warmed by an electric heating element. Controlled by a thermostat, wall heaters are often used for supplemental heat in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other areas.
A ceramic heater utilizes a large ceramic element that permits the heater to function at lower temperatures, which makes it safer than other types of convective heaters that use conventional elements.
Portable space heaters are designed to warm a small area and come in two types. The convective model heats air with one or more heating elements, and a fan blows it into the room. The electrical elements in a radiant heater warms a liquid that radiates heat into a room.
A typical electric heater will feature elements, control switches, a thermostat, and a motorized fan. Portable heaters usually have a tip-over switch, a safety feature which shuts off the heater if it falls on its side and a thermal cutoff, which deactivates an overheating unit.
Typical Electric Heater Problems
Even though it’s made up of just a few components, a faulty part can make a heater stop working. Heating elements eventually burn out through normal usage. Issues caused by thermostats, switches, and heating elements are most common. Higher-watt heaters can also blow a fuse or trip a circuit breaker, cutting off electricity to the circuit.
Electrical Services You Can Trust
Founded in 1991, Meyer Electrical Services provides home and commercial electrical services in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C., where we are licensed and insured. Based in Bethesda, our team proudly serves all of Montgomery County. Receive a free consultation for custom electrical work today by calling (301) 941-1400.