electric space heaters

[edwardh1]

why don't the companies sell spare parts?
I buy the metal Milkhouse heaters but the parts that fail seem to be the motors (fans bind up)
and the thermostats get snaky, run, off 2 seconds, then on 4 seconds, then off 3 seconds , then on?
anyone know where you can get parts?
All seem to be the same Patton, like old titan, like lakewood, like utilitech.

Talk about a waste of resouces buy them over and over but thats the Chinese business model i guess

 

[Andrew1972]

Most folks dont repair them and reality is space heaters are fire hazards.

 

[edwardh1]

I agree but use mine in garage while I am there and in outside greenhouse

 

[skyactiv]

A new milk house heater is a whopping $30

They don't sell parts because of liability and the fact new space heaters are cheap so there wouldn't be much of a market to sell spare parts.

 

[bigt61]

I use the cheap $10 heaters from Walmart. They work fine for many years. When mine finally breaks, I'll buy a new one.

 

[javacontour]

Your time is worth something. At under $30 / heater my time is worth more than the heater.

 

[cjcride]

Buy the ones without the fan. Long baseboard style.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: cjcride
Buy the ones without the fan. Long baseboard style.


That or the oil filled radiator ones. Those are good and safe and will pump out a lot of heat.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My apartment is only heated with the electric baseboard style heaters. I believe they are oil filled. They do work decently and better than the space heaters.

 

[spackard]

Fan motor can be disassembled and cleaned.

I'm guessing the same can be done for the thermostat.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
Originally Posted By: cjcride
Buy the ones without the fan. Long baseboard style.


That or the oil filled radiator ones. Those are good and safe and will pump out a lot of heat.

The oil filled radiators are very good, and safe.

OT-If my van is loaded with paint I put an oil filled electric radiator inside and plug it in when it drops below freezing. The paint doesn't freeze, and if it snows I don't have to scrape ice or push snow off of the windows.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: spackard
Fan motor can be disassembled and cleaned.

I'm guessing the same can be done for the thermostat.


The fan motor is probably cheap sleeve bearings. You can try and oil them, but it may not work for very long after that.

 

[Tdbo]

They don't sell parts because they are designed to a price point.
Everything starts going about the same time.
Besides, I would question the safety of an old heater.
At the end of the season last year, Target had ceramic heaters marked down to $5. At that price, why waste the time repairing them?
Buy 1 or 2 and keep for spares.

 

[Nick1994]

I wouldn't keep buying a product that keeps failing. Buy something else

 

[UNC017]

Well, if you buy something a little more heavy duty than what you find at Home Depot, you can expect better life AND spare parts. Truth be told, you can easily find replacement motors even for the cheap stuff online, but its probably not worth it.

The better stuff is setup for 240 volt- lower current for the power, safer, longer life for heating elements, replaceable parts. Dimplex Electromode is a good brand, I have a 1950's vintage Electromode (it was part of Emerson at that time) that's still going in my garage every winter. Some parts are still avaialable, although when I lose a heating element its going to be done for good.

Here's a retailer that sells some better quality heaters in both 120 and 240 volt models: https://www.heatersplus.com/comfort.html

A co-worker recently got one of these for his woodworking shop and really likes it much better than using 3 of the little Home Depot heaters:

http://smile.amazon.com/Fahrenheat-FUH54...ords=Fahrenheat