Honeywell surround heater won't keep running

J

JBI

Guest
I have a Honeywell small electric space "surrounding heat" heater that I
use for zonal heating of a single room in the house. Lately, I've
noticed that I have to turn the thermostat up higher and higher to get
it to run for longer. It used to be that if the thermostat was turned
all the way up, the heater would run continuously, but now it only runs
intermittently. Online searches for this problem indicated to open the
base and vacuum the input grilles, which I did but this didn't seem to
help (they weren't that dirty anyway but I did remove as much dust as I
could). Any suggestions as to what to do next would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
 
On Wednesday, 20 December 2017 17:01:17 UTC, JBI wrote:
I have a Honeywell small electric space "surrounding heat" heater that I
use for zonal heating of a single room in the house. Lately, I've
noticed that I have to turn the thermostat up higher and higher to get
it to run for longer. It used to be that if the thermostat was turned
all the way up, the heater would run continuously, but now it only runs
intermittently. Online searches for this problem indicated to open the
base and vacuum the input grilles, which I did but this didn't seem to
help (they weren't that dirty anyway but I did remove as much dust as I
could). Any suggestions as to what to do next would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

If it's a fan heater, muck on the fanblades makes them less effective. Muck can also collect in the elements.


NT
 
JBI wrote:
I have a Honeywell small electric space "surrounding heat" heater that I
use for zonal heating of a single room in the house. Lately, I've
noticed that I have to turn the thermostat up higher and higher to get
it to run for longer. It used to be that if the thermostat was turned
all the way up, the heater would run continuously, but now it only runs
intermittently. Online searches for this problem indicated to open the
base and vacuum the input grilles, which I did but this didn't seem to
help (they weren't that dirty anyway but I did remove as much dust as I
could). Any suggestions as to what to do next would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Is there an internal adjustment to adjust for an aging thermostat?
They don't last forever, and the bimetallic element weakens from
repeated flexing.
 
On 12/20/2017 03:34 PM, Michael A Terrell wrote:
JBI wrote:
I have a Honeywell small electric space "surrounding heat" heater that I
use for zonal heating of a single room in the house.  Lately, I've
noticed that I have to turn the thermostat up higher and higher to get
it to run for longer.  It used to be that if the thermostat was turned
all the way up, the heater would run continuously, but now it only runs
intermittently.  Online searches for this problem indicated to open the
base and vacuum the input grilles, which I did but this didn't seem to
help (they weren't that dirty anyway but I did remove as much dust as I
could). Any suggestions as to what to do next would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.


   Is there an internal adjustment to adjust for an aging thermostat?
They don't last forever, and the bimetallic element weakens from
repeated flexing.
Click to expand...

That was my next guess, but I have the heater on low now and it will run
continuously if thermostat set at max, which makes me rethink that there
may be dust collected somewhere inside where I wasn't able to reach.
 
On 12/20/2017 5:59 PM, JBI wrote:
On 12/20/2017 03:34 PM, Michael A Terrell wrote:
JBI wrote:
I have a Honeywell small electric space "surrounding heat" heater that I
use for zonal heating of a single room in the house.  Lately, I've
noticed that I have to turn the thermostat up higher and higher to get
it to run for longer.  It used to be that if the thermostat was turned
all the way up, the heater would run continuously, but now it only runs
intermittently.  Online searches for this problem indicated to open the
base and vacuum the input grilles, which I did but this didn't seem to
help (they weren't that dirty anyway but I did remove as much dust as I
could). Any suggestions as to what to do next would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.


    Is there an internal adjustment to adjust for an aging thermostat?
They don't last forever, and the bimetallic element weakens from
repeated flexing.

That was my next guess, but I have the heater on low now and it will run
continuously if thermostat set at max, which makes me rethink that there
may be dust collected somewhere inside where I wasn't able to reach.
Click to expand...
I second Michael's comment. It's a common thing in old bi-metalic
thermostats.
 
Tom Biasi wrote:
On 12/20/2017 5:59 PM, JBI wrote:
On 12/20/2017 03:34 PM, Michael A Terrell wrote:
JBI wrote:
I have a Honeywell small electric space "surrounding heat" heater
that I
use for zonal heating of a single room in the house. Lately, I've
noticed that I have to turn the thermostat up higher and higher to get
it to run for longer. It used to be that if the thermostat was turned
all the way up, the heater would run continuously, but now it only runs
intermittently. Online searches for this problem indicated to open the
base and vacuum the input grilles, which I did but this didn't seem to
help (they weren't that dirty anyway but I did remove as much dust as I
could). Any suggestions as to what to do next would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.


Is there an internal adjustment to adjust for an aging
thermostat? They don't last forever, and the bimetallic element
weakens from repeated flexing.

That was my next guess, but I have the heater on low now and it will
run continuously if thermostat set at max, which makes me rethink that
there may be dust collected somewhere inside where I wasn't able to
reach.
I second Michael's comment. It's a common thing in old bi-metalic
thermostats.
Click to expand...


Along with pitted contacts that heat up and affect the accuracy.
 
On 12/20/2017 7:48 PM, Michael A Terrell wrote:
Tom Biasi wrote:
On 12/20/2017 5:59 PM, JBI wrote:
On 12/20/2017 03:34 PM, Michael A Terrell wrote:
JBI wrote:
I have a Honeywell small electric space "surrounding heat" heater
that I
use for zonal heating of a single room in the house.  Lately, I've
noticed that I have to turn the thermostat up higher and higher to get
it to run for longer.  It used to be that if the thermostat was turned
all the way up, the heater would run continuously, but now it only
runs
intermittently.  Online searches for this problem indicated to open
the
base and vacuum the input grilles, which I did but this didn't seem to
help (they weren't that dirty anyway but I did remove as much dust
as I
could). Any suggestions as to what to do next would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.


    Is there an internal adjustment to adjust for an aging
thermostat? They don't last forever, and the bimetallic element
weakens from repeated flexing.

That was my next guess, but I have the heater on low now and it will
run continuously if thermostat set at max, which makes me rethink that
there may be dust collected somewhere inside where I wasn't able to
reach.
I second Michael's comment. It's a common thing in old bi-metalic
thermostats.



   Along with pitted contacts that heat up and affect the accuracy.

Just like us Michael, things wear out.
Click to expand...
 
Tom Biasi wrote:
Just like us Michael, things wear out.
Click to expand...

And the proper spare parts are rarely available. Then it is constant
pain, and handfuls of pills just to survive. :(
 
Also common for these heaters to have over-temp cutoff switches.
 
On 21/12/2017 9:34 AM, Terry Schwartz wrote:
Also common for these heaters to have over-temp cutoff switches.

Which activates with a sticky fan bearing or fan blades crudded up or both
Click to expand...
 
Well, I picked up another heater at the local Walmart. Unfortunately,
it doesn't really have the same type of housing and is emitting a sort
of plastic smell as it runs. I'm very tempted to return it, but I
suspect any other I get will also smell. I'm hoping the smell will go
away as I use it.

As for the former, is there any way to replace its thermostat? I don't
see any part replacements online. As an alternative, I was thinking of
perhaps bypass the internal thermostat completely and just controlling
it via a plug in type, if possible. Don't even know if I could bypass,
but just a possibility. Compared to this new heater, I think the older
one is superior and it would be a real shame if I couldn't get it
working.
 
I'm taking this new heater back, I can't stand the burning plastic smell
it's producing. I brought out my old one, opened it up, and bypassed
the thermostat. Now it's running continuously no matter what setting.
I'm going to add a 15 amp timer programmable plug in thermostat as a
replacement:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E7NYY8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Thanks again for all the help & suggestions.
 
On Thursday, 21 December 2017 13:12:32 UTC, JBI wrote:
I'm taking this new heater back, I can't stand the burning plastic smell
it's producing.
Click to expand...

Glad you decided not to Darwinate


I brought out my old one, opened it up, and bypassed
the thermostat. Now it's running continuously no matter what setting.
I'm going to add a 15 amp timer programmable plug in thermostat as a
replacement:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E7NYY8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Thanks again for all the help & suggestions.
Click to expand...

Oh, looks you do want to Darwinate after all. At least make sure no-one else is home.


NT
 
On 12/21/2017 11:54 AM, tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:
On Thursday, 21 December 2017 13:12:32 UTC, JBI wrote:
I'm taking this new heater back, I can't stand the burning plastic smell
it's producing.

Glad you decided not to Darwinate


I brought out my old one, opened it up, and bypassed
the thermostat. Now it's running continuously no matter what setting.
I'm going to add a 15 amp timer programmable plug in thermostat as a
replacement:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E7NYY8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Thanks again for all the help & suggestions.

Oh, looks you do want to Darwinate after all. At least make sure no-one else is home.
Click to expand...

Meaning? By adding the external thermostat, I would think that would
take care of any potential safety issues, no?

NT
Click to expand...
 
On Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 12:58:37 PM UTC-5, JBI wrote:

Meaning? By adding the external thermostat, I would think that would
take care of any potential safety issues, no?
Click to expand...

No, absolutely not!

The unit will continue to run as long as the *EXTERNAL* thermostat wants it to do so.

But the external thermostat has no clue about what is going in INSIDE the heater. So, should it decide to have a spectacular melt-down because the internal thermostat has been bypassed, well, there it is. And the results could be anything from a puddle of burnt metal and plastic (least serious) to a death or two or three.

You might also consider what would happen when (not if) the insurance investigators found the altered heater. It would be designated as the cause of a fire. That would be a "CLAIM DENIED" situation.

You may purchase a new heater for as little as $19 for a UL-compliant device at your local big-box. Why would you even think about doing what you did?

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA
 
On 12/21/2017 01:50 PM, pfjw@aol.com wrote:
On Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 12:58:37 PM UTC-5, JBI wrote:


Meaning? By adding the external thermostat, I would think that would
take care of any potential safety issues, no?

No, absolutely not!

The unit will continue to run as long as the *EXTERNAL* thermostat wants it to do so.

But the external thermostat has no clue about what is going in INSIDE the heater. So, should it decide to have a spectacular melt-down because the internal thermostat has been bypassed, well, there it is. And the results could be anything from a puddle of burnt metal and plastic (least serious) to a death or two or three.

You might also consider what would happen when (not if) the insurance investigators found the altered heater. It would be designated as the cause of a fire. That would be a "CLAIM DENIED" situation.

You may purchase a new heater for as little as $19 for a UL-compliant device at your local big-box. Why would you even think about doing what you did?

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA
Click to expand...

Interesting, never thought it would be such an issue. I use a similar
device with my 150 W aquarium heater because almost every heater I
bought would get "stuck" on after a year and almost fry the fish. Since
adding the external thermostat with a temperature probe that goes in the
water, no more issues. I just thought the same could be done with the
Honeywell, but now you have me really rethinking. This was the
replacement I bought and returned due to the horrible plastic smell
while on:


https://www.bestbuy.com/site/honeywell-360-surround-fan-forced-heater-slate-gray/4238400.p?skuId=4238400

I'll return the external thermostat IF I can find a compatible heater of
the same wattage that does not stink while it runs. Suggestions?
 
I'll return the external thermostat IF I can find a compatible heater of
the same wattage that does not stink while it runs. Suggestions?
Click to expand...

At its most basic:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41zkNpD8vaL._SY300_.jpg

We have one of these at our summer house that has been reliable for years.
Note that all new heaters stink for the first few hours - this is burning off the manufacturing oils and such. When we get any new device, we set it outside and let it rip for a couple of hours (costs $0.28). That usually kills the smell. But for light use, we like the metal heater as it is rugged, has a good fan with two speeds as well as a thermostat.

For the house, replete with cats, dogs and often grand-kids we prefer ceramic type heaters for safety.

https://smedia.webcollage.net/rwvfp/wc/cp/12662537/module/cpwalmart/_cp/products/1387552820329/tab-a953d4b1-e764-4d66-af93-dd41553dd3fa/1780b0f2-dcd9-483d-bbd6-f93ae8842c21.jpg.w960.jpg


Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA
 
pfjw@aol.com wrote:
I'll return the external thermostat IF I can find a compatible heater of
the same wattage that does not stink while it runs. Suggestions?

At its most basic:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41zkNpD8vaL._SY300_.jpg

We have one of these at our summer house that has been reliable for years.
Note that all new heaters stink for the first few hours - this is burning off the manufacturing oils and such. When we get any new device, we set it outside and let it rip for a couple of hours (costs $0.28). That usually kills the smell. But for light use, we like the metal heater as it is rugged, has a good fan with two speeds as well as a thermostat.

For the house, replete with cats, dogs and often grand-kids we prefer ceramic type heaters for safety.

https://smedia.webcollage.net/rwvfp/wc/cp/12662537/module/cpwalmart/_cp/products/1387552820329/tab-a953d4b1-e764-4d66-af93-dd41553dd3fa/1780b0f2-dcd9-483d-bbd6-f93ae8842c21.jpg.w960.jpg
Click to expand...

That is commonly called a 'Milkhouse Heater'. They are made to last
for decades, and to be used in places that they can be knocked over. I
have a couple of them for my home. One for the bathroom, and one for my
bedroom. I rarely need heat in the rest of the house, here in Central
Florida.

Walmart has them for $16.94.

<https://www.walmart.com/ip/Patton-Electric-Utility-Milkhouse-Heater/17808701>
 
On 12/21/2017 02:49 PM, pfjw@aol.com wrote:
I'll return the external thermostat IF I can find a compatible heater of
the same wattage that does not stink while it runs. Suggestions?

At its most basic:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41zkNpD8vaL._SY300_.jpg

We have one of these at our summer house that has been reliable for years.
Note that all new heaters stink for the first few hours - this is burning off the manufacturing oils and such. When we get any new device, we set it outside and let it rip for a couple of hours (costs $0.28). That usually kills the smell. But for light use, we like the metal heater as it is rugged, has a good fan with two speeds as well as a thermostat.

For the house, replete with cats, dogs and often grand-kids we prefer ceramic type heaters for safety.

https://smedia.webcollage.net/rwvfp/wc/cp/12662537/module/cpwalmart/_cp/products/1387552820329/tab-a953d4b1-e764-4d66-af93-dd41553dd3fa/1780b0f2-dcd9-483d-bbd6-f93ae8842c21.jpg.w960.jpg


Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA
Click to expand...

Here's what I ended up getting for now:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Electric-Quartz-Heater-with-Thermostat-White-HQ-1000/53017088?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227046668859&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=103588831697&wl4=pla-256828218218&wl5=9003835&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=53017088&wl13=&veh=sem

Different animal that the others for sure and no fan except my ceiling
fan in reverse. I'm not sure whether or not I'll keep it.

I like the idea behind the ceramic heaters. Those are actually the most
appealing to me, but unfortunately the timers they have only seem to
shut them off and aren't programmable for an "on" time. With both the
old Honeywell and this new Mainstays, controls are analog so I can use a
15 amp timer to start them up in the morning about 2 hours before I get
up so the room is just starting to get toasty.

I may just have to settle for another Honeywell after all and let it run
for a few hours (days?) somewhere not occupied so the smell can
dissipate.
 
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