How to disassemble an oil heater. Do-it-yourself oil cooler repair

Checking the operating mode switch

If the power cord is in order, then proceed to check the heater operating mode switch.

The output of the switch, to which the brown wire is connected, is common and the supply voltage is applied to it. To test the switch, you need to set it to position III, in which the common output must be connected to the other two outputs. Now it is enough to measure the resistance between the common output and the other two, it should be equal to zero. If the switch is set to position II, then the middle contact will remain connected to only one of the other two. In position I, only with not yet tested contact. In the zero position, no contact should be connected to the other. If the switch is in order, then you need to look for the cause of the heater failure elsewhere.

Checking the operation of a bimetallic thermostat

A bimetallic thermostat is installed next to the mode switch. Its principle of operation is based on the properties of different metals, to increase or decrease in size with temperature changes in different ways. If you connect two plates of different metals into one, then when the temperature changes, the plate will begin to bend. And if an electrical contact is established on such a plate, then due to the bending of the plate it will be possible to control the temperature of switching on or off electrical appliances depending on the ambient temperature. Each of us encounters a useful property of bimetallic plates every day. For example, an electric kettle turns off a bimetallic plate heated by the steam of boiled water.

To check the health of the thermostat, just touch the multimeter probes to its terminals and turn the knob from lock to lock in any direction. In almost the entire range of rotation, the resistance of the temperature controller should be equal to zero. If this is not the case, then it is usually enough to clean the contacts that are clearly visible from the side with fine sandpaper.

If you need to remove the thermostat, for example, for replacement or repair, you must first remove the adjusting knob. It is held on the axis by a tight fit. To remove the handle, gently pry it on both sides with flat-bladed screwdrivers. The handle with a little effort will be removed from the axis.

There are two screws under the handle. It is enough to unscrew them and the thermostat mechanism will be released.

Checking the health of the heating elements

It's time to check the heating elements connected to the switch and thermostat using a hinged six-pin connector.

As it turned out, the mikathermic heating element is composite and consists of two. One has a resistance of 60 ohms, the second 100 ohms. To check the heating element, it is enough to measure the resistance between the red, blue and brown wires. The test showed the serviceability of the mikathermic heater.

Checking the vertical position sensor

The position sensor is a weight attached to the lever with a balancing spring hooked to the opposite end of the lever. When the heater is in a vertical position, the weight stretches the spring and pushes against the built-in microswitch. The supply voltage is supplied to the heating elements. If the heater is tilted on its side, then the force of gravity will reduce the effect on the spring, it will take the lever away from the microswitch, the circuit will break, and the current will stop flowing to the heating elements.

There are two wires coming from the position sensor, white and brown. To check, it is enough to measure the resistance between them with a multimeter. When the heater is in a vertical position, the resistance of the position sensor should be zero. When tilted - infinity. The position sensor was correct.

Checking the health of the thermal fuse

It remains to check the thermal fuses connected in series, of which there were three and all of them were installed behind the micrometric heater plate. A pair of white wires went from the thermal fuses to a six-pin connector, the same as the wires from the mikathermic heater. A dial with a multimeter showed an open in the thermal fuse circuit. It became clear that one of the thermal fuses was faulty.

Further disassembly of the heater was required. To do this, I had to remove the second side cover and the protective grid, which is removed after being released from the screws by shifting to the side. Access to check two self-healing thermal fuses has opened.

To check the thermal fuses, with one end of the multimeter probe, you need to touch the white wire that fits the six-pin connector, and with the second probe, piercing the insulation with a needle pressed against it, touch the wire connecting the thermal fuses. The test showed the serviceability of the fuses available for testing. All elements have been checked, except for the thermal fuse behind the mikathermic heating element. So he is wrong.

I had to remove the heating element, for which it was enough to unscrew the four screws in the corners and take it aside. The next view opens.

The thermal fuse was located in a fiberglass tube and was attached to the heater body with a screw using a metal clamp.

As it turned out, there was a self-restoring thermal fuse SF192E in the tube, designed for a response temperature of 133 ° C and a load current of up to 10 A at a voltage of up to 250 V. An additional check with a multimeter confirmed the malfunction of the thermal fuse.

The thermal fuse was connected to the wires by crimping with a brass strip. Using an awl, the end of the strip on the side of the thermal fuse was bent, the thermal fuse was removed and a similar one, type G4A00, was pressed in its place, designed for a response temperature of 128 ° C and a load current of up to 10 A at a voltage of up to 250 V. The operating temperature of the installed thermal fuse is 5 degrees lower than the failed one. But taking into account the maximum heating of the heater body of only 65 ° C, such a replacement will not affect the protective functions and performance of the heater.

Before assembling the heater, all connectors were connected to each other, the multimeter probes were connected to the pins of the mains plug, and all modes of operation of the heater were checked. The resistance in the mode switch position 0 was infinite, in position I it was 156 ohms, in position II -100 ohms and in position III - 56 ohms, which indicated that the heater was in full working order.

After assembly, the heater was connected to the network and confirmed its performance. The repair of the heater is over and only traces of the tool left on the plastic plugs remind of its malfunction.

Features of heater repair
with ceramic heating elements

They brought me for repair, seemingly an ordinary fan heater, such as Timberk TFH T15DDL, due to a decrease in heating efficiency.

When the heater was connected to the mains, it was found that the fan weakly drove air, which was slightly warm. The heating mode switch and temperature control functioned normally. I had to open the heater to find the problem. The first step was to remove the dust that had accumulated in the radiator of the heating elements. The fan began to blow stronger, but the air heating remained weak.

Measuring the voltage at the terminals of the heating elements showed a value of 220 V, which indicated that the electrical circuit was in good condition. The value of the measured current consumption of the fan heater in the maximum heating mode was 1.1 A instead of the prescribed 8 A, which indicated a malfunction of the heating elements.

This is the first time I have encountered such a heating element. It turned out that in this fan heater the heating element consists of 14 ceramic-metal plates sandwiched between eight aluminum radiators. This entire package is inserted into a rectangular frame made of heat-resistant plastic and is held in place by four latches. Aluminum radiators perform several tasks at once - they hold ceramic heaters, remove heat from them and supply voltage to the ceramic-metal plates.

Attention, due to the fact that the supply voltage is supplied through an aluminum radiator, touching it with the heater plug inserted into the power outlet is life-threatening!

For better heat dissipation and electrical contact, the sides of the ceramic-metal plates, pressed against the radiator, are covered with electrically thermally conductive paste.

Heating ceramic-metal plates are radioelements called posistors. The principle of operation of the posistor is that its resistance depends on the temperature of its heating. The more the posistor heats up, the higher its resistance, and according to Ohm's Law, less current will flow, and as a result, the heater will generate less heat.

Due to this property, according to the developers of ceramic-metal heating elements, when the temperature reaches 300 ° C, a balance sets in, the resistance of the posistor increases to such a value that the temperature no longer increases. This ensures the safe continuation of the operation of the fan heater, even when the fan blowing air is broken and does not rotate or is clogged with dust.

Measuring the resistance of the heater sections with a multimeter showed a resistance of about 1000 ohms, instead of the proper 112 ohms. Surprisingly, it turned out that the resistance does not correspond to all metal-ceramic plates. This could happen only in case of overheating of the ceramic-metal plates, which, based on the principle of their operation, should not happen. The conclusion is that the ceramic heaters were installed of poor quality and to restore the full performance of the fan heater, they will need to be replaced.

To repair a fan heater, you can buy a ready-made heating block, a ceramic heater of the MZFR-J-1800W-220V type, designed for repairing fan heaters. Its appearance, overall dimensions and connection diagram are shown above in the photo. The MZFR-J-1800W-220V costs about $10.

Oil-filled electric heaters are popular units in everyday life, characterized by high durability, as they are produced under industrial conditions using modern technologies. However, these electrical appliances are not designed to withstand all emergency situations in everyday life and still fail.

The device of even the most modern unit allows in some cases to repair oil heaters on their own.

Household oil-filled heating appliances: on the left - flat, on the right - ribbed.

Consider this popular household heater from the perspective of assessing the possibility of its restoration after a failure, since it is necessary to repair an oil heater with a guarantee of the safety of its further operation.

Common malfunctions of an oil heater, their signs and methods of repair

Troubleshooting an oil-filled electric heater, like repairing an infrared heater of any other type, requires certain skills and compliance with a number of rules.

Important! If any of the structural elements of the oil heater fails, the operation of the heater must be stopped until the malfunction is eliminated.

Actual image of one of the models of oil heaters with a list of outdoor equipment

First of all, you should be aware that restoring the performance of most components of this heater at home is impossible or requires professional knowledge and skills. Experimenting with failed electrical components is fraught with unpredictable consequences (electrical injury, thermal injury, fire, explosion), therefore, in most cases, repairing an oil heater with your own hands, without professional training, should only be done by replacing the part that has become unusable.

In addition, when repairing an electric heater, the following rules must be observed:

• the device must be unplugged;
• the heater must be cooled to room temperature;
• equipping the device with homemade components is prohibited;
• avoid contact of transformer oil with the body, as well as with the insulation of the wiring;
• replacement of a regular network electrical cable with a grounding conductor for a wire without grounding is prohibited.

Oil leak

Violation of the tightness of the oil cooler usually occurs when it is mechanically damaged or as a result of corrosion caused by a defect in the protective paintwork.

When a long-used, familiar oil cooler has leaked, the natural question arises, what to do, why not try to restore its tightness with your own hands?

However, repairing an infrared heater on your own in the event of a leak is possible only if the device is an old-style domestic-made unit with a flat steel radiator and a removable heating element.

Flat oil electric heaters of domestic production with steel radiators

To make repairs, the control unit is disconnected from the device case, under which the heating element is located. Then, after disconnecting the contacts, the heater is unscrewed, and the oil is drained through the mounting socket into a clean container. The remaining oil is allowed to drain, after which the radiator is filled with water to prevent ignition of the oil inside it.

The wall thickness of such radiators is 1-1.2 mm, which allows the use of electric welding. The place of leakage on the body is cleaned with a grinder with a grinding disc or manually with coarse sandpaper. Depending on the location and size of the damage, a patch is cut out of steel of the appropriate thickness, put on the hole and scalded using a Kemppi semi-automatic machine.

Kemppi machines of various models for semi-automatic electric welding in the home

The welding seam is cleaned and ground, after which, if necessary, it is boiled again. After degreasing, the repair site is painted with a heat-resistant paint, for example, Rustins High Heat Black Pain.

Important! If the heater is painted using powder technology, then in the course of repair work, it is necessary to strive for minimal damage to the coating - it is impossible to restore it in domestic conditions.

Rustins High Heat Black Pain in Small Volume Packages

After the paint has dried, the radiator is filled to 80% with oil, and the heater is assembled in the reverse order.

If the oil heater clicked when heated before the repair, you should not expect that the clicks will disappear after the tightness is restored - the interfaces of the body parts are deformed when the temperature rises and crackle at the same time.

Repair of radiators of ribbed oil heaters is not advisable, since they are made of thin sheet steel using laser welding. Restoring the tightness of such tanks is technically difficult, in domestic conditions does not guarantee success or is comparable in cost to the cost of a new heater. In addition, if the heating element is non-removable, then it is possible to drain the oil through damage, but it will no longer be possible to fill it back in.

No heating

A technically serviceable oil-filled household heater makes a low crackling noise when plugged into the network. This factor is not dangerous, since it is caused only by the expansion of the prefabricated body of the unit, which clicks when heated.

If, after turning on the unit and setting the desired power and temperature values, the heater is silent, then the radiator does not heat up, and the malfunction should be sought in the electrical part.

First of all, visually inspect the integrity of the electrical cable. If there is no visible damage, you must first dismantle the racks with wheels from the bottom of the unit housing.

Then you need to disconnect the control unit from the radiator, for which a standard plate with the inscription Do not cover is pry on top of it with a screwdriver and removed, under which there are fastening screws.

The location of the mounting screws of the control unit to the body

Having unscrewed the fasteners from above, the screws are also released in the lower part of the control unit or the fixing springs are unfastened (depending on the model), the shell is removed from the junction of the unit with the radiator, and the dismantled unit is laid with the inside out.

The sequence of dismantling the control unit from the oil heater housing

Perform a visual inspection of the integrity of the wiring and insulation, as well as the quality of the contacts at the junction of the wires, paying attention to areas with kinks and oxidation. The wire with obvious internal damage is replaced with a new one, the oxidized contacts are disassembled, cleaned with sandpaper and reassembled.

At the end of the visual inspection, they begin to “ring” the components with the help of a tester - a multimeter, which begins with testing the cores of the wire section from the plug to the nearest connection. The operation is simplified by the different colors of cores in the cable of the electrical appliance, which makes it easy to trace the direction of the wiring.

The sound signal of the tester indicates the integrity of the ringed area, the absence of a signal indicates damage.

The initial stage of checking the oil heater with a multimeter - the section from the plug to the heating element

Replacing the tubular heater

The heating element, in addition to the heating elements, is equipped on the outside with fuses for current and temperature, the presence of which must be taken into account when dialing. It is not excluded the possibility of a situation where, with a working heating element, one of these fuses burned out, or even both failed.

Heating element fuses: on the left - by temperature, on the right - by current

If testing nevertheless revealed a failure of the tubular heater, then further actions depend on the method of installing the heating element in the radiator. The threaded fastening of the heater in the absence of rolling allows its replacement. In this case, the heating element is unscrewed from the radiator, and instead of it, with the replacement of the sealing gasket, a heater with identical parameters in terms of power and shutdown temperature is installed.

Tubular electric heater of the threaded method of installation in the heating unit

With a non-removable installation option, the heater is rolled into the radiator nest. At home, it is very difficult to expand the old and install a new heating element by performing its hermetic rolling, so you should think about buying a new oil heater.

Temperature controller malfunction

This node is tested as follows:

• ring the section of the circuit from the plug to the thermostat;
• the regulator is set to the minimum temperature value and tested - the circuit must be open;
• while turning on each of the heaters separately, as well as two heating elements simultaneously, when the temperature controller is set to a value other than zero, the circuit must be closed.

Inside view of the temperature controller of a 2 kW Sinbo domestic oil heater

If the dialing of the thermostat showed its malfunction, that is, the oil heater does not respond to switching power modes or changing the temperature by turning the flywheel, the device must be replaced, since diagnosing its technical characteristics with subsequent repair based on the results of testing in industrial conditions is not advisable, and doing this in domestic conditions is extremely difficult.

In the absence of malfunctions, the regulator is cleaned of dust, and the contacts are tightened.

Failure of a bimetallic plate

The question of whether an oil heater can explode is relevant, since the oil pressure in the radiator reaches high values, and the air "cushion" in the form of 20% of its volume still has a limited potential. To prevent this from happening, there is a thermal relay in the design of the heater, which should turn off the heater in case of overheating.

Under normal conditions, this relay, which is a bimetallic plate, should close the electrical circuit. If the multimeter detects an open circuit in this thermal fuse, then it should also be replaced with a new one with identical characteristics.

The continuity of the oil-filled heater thermostat and the appearance of the thermostat

Oil heaters explode extremely rarely, precisely because they have several degrees of protection that duplicate each other, and the probability of a simultaneous failure of all safety devices is small.

No shutdown of the heater when tipping over

Opening the electrical circuit when the oil heater is tilted or overturned is provided by a device, the principle of operation of which is based on the presence of a suspended weight in its design, which, when the unit deviates from the vertical, maintains its position.

The option of equipping the oil heater with a circuit opening device when the device capsizes - a plumb line with a metal weight

Testing of this device is carried out by manually deflecting the heater from the vertical. If the device does not turn off, the element must be cleaned of dust and dispersed, or better, replaced with a new one, the installation of which is not difficult.

It should be noted that if the safety switch fails, the oil heater does not explode - when heating elements not covered with oil are overheated, the thermal protection of the tubular heater is triggered, or the thermal relay opens the electrical circuit.

Conclusion

An oil cooler is a device whose failure to diagnose on its own is quite realistic, but it is better to minimize the repair of this device on your own until the replacement of failed parts with new ones, since the operating features (hazard factor of using electric current, high oil pressure and temperature) require professional skills and increased attention to work.

To get a better idea of ​​repairing oil-filled IR heaters, this video will help:

The main essence of the article

1. An oil-filled heater is a unit demanded by consumers, the design of which does not contain complex technical solutions.
2. All malfunctions of the oil cooler can be diagnosed independently, but most of the failed parts must be replaced with new ones.
3. If the radiator is leaking, then restoring the tightness of the tank will be effective only for domestic-made flat heaters.
4. Experiments with the restoration of failed components are dangerous, in most cases it is necessary to install new parts - there are enough real examples when an oil heater exploded.
5. Proper care of infrared heaters and compliance with the operating rules is the key to many years of use of heaters without the need for repair.

18 Mar 2013, 12:46

It doesn’t leak much, just a little bit, but I’m afraid that such a heater may explode, how to avoid this, can I fix it myself? Is there any chance to repair it or is it better to buy a new one?

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

Mar 19, 2013, 09:22

Don't be afraid - it won't explode! But if it leaks, you can’t use it further! Oil is not water, it won’t bring a hole, so it’s definitely only a repair. Take it to a service center if it's not easier to buy a new one. You can try to fix it yourself, of course, but I myself have never come across it, so I can’t help with advice this time.

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

Mar 21, 2013, 05:43

If an oil leak occurs due to depressurization of the case, then this device needs repair, and then, possibly, adding more working fluid.

Such heating devices are subject to repair only in specialized service centers. It is strongly not recommended to repair them yourself. Remember, boiling oil is much hotter than water.

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

Here it is our important question of our time. And it sounds like this: The heater is faulty. Warm. Can you use a little more?
And the user intuitively feels trouble.
What to do???
Definitely... don't use it! This is practically the opinion of all forum participants. I join them.
And I still advise you not to repair. Buy another. Repairing an apartment after a fire is incommensurable with the purchase of a new heater.

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

Anatoly wrote: Here it is our important issue of our time. And it sounds like this: The heater is faulty. Warm. Can you use a little more?

Yeah, to replace the classic "To be or not to be?" in the twentieth century came "Who is to blame?" and “What to do?”, and now the questions have changed to “If you can’t, but really want to, then can you?”

Anatoly wrote: And I still advise you not to repair. Buy another. Repairing an apartment after a fire is incommensurable with the purchase of a new heater.

So why just buy another one? You can contact the service department, maybe there is a repair for 100 rubles? And the heater will serve faithfully for another 5 years.
By the way, did it start leaking after the end of the warranty period?

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

I still recommend buying another one. But this does not apply to replacing the plug, cord, or anything else that you can reach with your hand. There are other types of simple breakdowns.
But this is not a simple breakdown!
A radiator leak is a serious matter.
There is such a malfunction - the elimination of a leak. It is almost impossible to fix it on your own. After all, it is necessary not only to know the place of the leak, but also to seal the radiator and fill it with the missing oil.

Leak repair requires special equipment, so such repairs should be done in a service center.
Aha!!! Nice line!!!

But in fact, these are empty words, since there is an opinion of professionals who are engaged in the repair of oil coolers in specialized centers. Here is their summary verbatim:

"Repair of oil-based radiators is allowed only when there are malfunctions associated with the power supply, replacement of the power cord and socket plug."

Believe it or laugh, but this is the opinion of the pros.

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

“If you can’t, but really want to, then can you?”

Unfortunately, this approach to our lives is fraught with sad consequences. If the use of the current radiator threatens the tragedy of one person or family and, in general, is imperceptible for the whole country ...
That much trouble we have when it was" it is forbidden, but I wanted to conduct experiments on a nuclear reactor for the production of plutonium. "As a result, this is not an oil cooler for you, this is Chernobyl.
Well, it was impossible to fly to Smolensk, but I really wanted to. Again tragedy.
And the list goes on...

Unfortunately, " If you can’t, but really want to, then you can" is our problem.

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

Well, Chernobyl is not Chernobyl, but it would be better not to start repairing an oil cooler that is leaking. This is a dangerous undertaking in terms of consequences. An oil heater is not so expensive to risk health and property, because in the event of a fire, the consequences will be the saddest. And if repaired clumsily, then a fire is very likely!

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

Question wrote: ... but it would be better not to start repairing an oil cooler that is leaking. This is a dangerous undertaking in terms of consequences. An oil heater is not so expensive to risk health and property, because in the event of a fire, the consequences will be the saddest. And if repaired clumsily, then a fire is very likely!

And I'm talking about the same ... No need to play with fate.
For example, a cheap DE LONGHI GS 770715 oil cooler is always on sale. Its power is adjustable 0.7, 0.8, 0.7 + 0.8 = 1.5 kW, there is a thermostat. It is intended for heating rooms with a volume of 45 cubic meters and costs only 1948 rubles 70 kopecks.
We all know where good intentions lead!
I support common sense, not by me, that "... and it would be better not to start repairing an oil cooler that is leaking."

Oil heater leaking, what should I do?

YES, such complex engineering things are better for an unprepared person not to do and not to do.
But, from my own experience, I can say that today there are almost no normal equipment on sale, you have to bring everything to mind on your own. Take clothes, for example. Recently, which I won’t buy - I have to alter the details. Take a lamp - you yourself have to make holes for the ventilation of the lamp, otherwise it burns for a month. in short, everyone does it raw!

Many breakdowns of heating devices can be fixed on their own, which will be very cheap.

The structure of the radiator

It is possible to carry out, which has broken, when its structure is known. It is like this:

1. Metal sealed container in the form of a battery or accordion. In the middle of it is technical oil. It fills 90% of the tank. The rest is air. It is necessary to compensate for the expansion of the oil as a result of heating. If the entire internal space of the radiator were filled with oil, then the container would simply burst.
2. heating element. It is located in the middle of the main part of the radiator. It is always mounted at the bottom of the tank. It heats up the oil. During heating, oil circulates through the radiator. Most manufacturers mount a double heater. It has two helixes. The heating element is fixed so that all its contacts are on the outside of the tank. Can be built-in or removable.
3. thermal fuse. It is located near the heating element above the heating element. The task of the fuse is to measure the temperature of the oil and, if it becomes critical, or the oil has leaked out (then the case gets very hot), turn off the heating element. It is an auxiliary security element, so it very rarely interferes with the operation of the device. There are two types: bimetallic and wire. The first one is more reliable.
4. . It can be found at the top of the heater. It is designed to regulate the heating of the radiator. The main part of this element - a bimetallic plate - is in heated air and reacts to changes in its temperature. There are usually ventilation holes above it. The same ones are at the bottom of the casing, which is attached to the main metal container.
5. Two switches. Each of them is connected by phase, neutral and ground wires that extend from the heating element. A wire from a thermal relay is suitable for each of them. Near the switches there is a light bulb that glows when the heating element is operating.

Oil cooler disassembly

It always starts with this procedure, because electrical elements are under a protective cover, which is attached to one end of the heater. Moreover, the manufacturer attached it in such a way that it seems as if he and the body are one.

Read also: Oil radiator

The radiator is disassembled like this:

1. Remove the cover at the top of the casing. It has words on it "do not cover" or do not cover . To remove use a screwdriver.
2. Put the radiator on its side, remove the spring.
3. Slightly unbend the plastic or metal pad and remove it. This is done carefully, without sudden movements. Otherwise, the pad may break.
4. Carefully lay the cover aside. It can only be deployed and placed on the floor near the main part of the device, because the thermal relay attached to it is connected to heating element short wire.

Major breakdowns

1. Burnout, contamination of contacts.
2. Plug failure.
3. Thermal fuse failure.
4. Deformation of a bimetallic plate.
5. TENA breakdown.
6. Failure of the drop or position sensor.
7. Oil leak.

Elimination of the most simple breakdowns

These breakdowns are oxidation, loose contacts, plug failure.

After parsing the radiator, you need to check each wire. This is done with a multimeter or tester. First, check the correctness of the plug. To do this, one terminal of the tester is applied to one of its ends. The second terminal of the tester must be attached to the connection of the thermal relay and the wire extending from the plug.

Sometimes there may be an additional connection on the power cable. It is done immediately after the cable enters the case. Further, wires to the thermal relay and the heating element depart from this connection. The second terminal of the tester must be applied to each wire in such a connection. Check both plug outputs.

If the tester did not give a signal when the second terminal of the tester was alternately applied to the end of the input phase and neutral wires, then the plug is faulty. She needs replace.

After that, the tester checks all other wires. One of its terminals is always applied to the plug. The other touch all terminals. The check sequence is as follows:

• thermal relay contacts;
• thermal fuse contacts;
• contacts of the heater operation regulator;
• TEN contacts.

During the test, the thermostat must be in a position in which the heating element will work. It is set to a temperature that is higher than the available one.

If there is no tester signal when checking the output contact of the thermal relay, then the contact may be bad or the thermal relay has broken, or rather bimetal plate. First, pay attention to the contact. The wire terminal is pulled out and checked. If it is clean, there is no oxidation or soot, then it is serviceable, and the problem lies in the base of the terminal mount or thermal switch. If the terminal has the listed disadvantages, then it needs to be cleaned. In extreme cases, it is replaced with a new one.

All contacts can be checked visually. If the terminals are clean, without damage, then the problem is not in them. Some of the contacts may be loose. Then they are screwed up or the base into which the terminal is inserted is more flattened.

Read also: Oil cooler repair

Repair of thermal relay and thermal fuse

This process is bimetal plate replacement or the entire element. The bimetallic plate must be replaced when it is severely deformed, and any position of the relay wheel does not close the contact.

The bimetallic plate is changed like this:

1. Set the lowest heating temperature.
2. Remove the regulator knob.
3. Unscrew the nuts, dismantle the frame.
4. Remove the bimetallic plate, put a new one in its place.
5. Assemble the regulator.
6. Check the correct operation of the plate. For this you need turn the knob of the regulator, changing the position of the plate and setting a certain temperature level. Next, the plate is heated with a hair dryer or fan heater to the set temperature level. If it bends and the contact separates, then it is installed well. Otherwise, the substitution is invalid. It is necessary to solve the complexity by weakening the pressure of the plate on the contact, which corresponds to the lowest heating temperature.

Putting the plate in the right position is a lengthy process. Better buy a new thermostat.

Similar actions are performed with a broken thermal fuse.

Oil Leak Cleanup

Violation of the tightness of the main part of the radiator and oil leakage is the most common problem with these heaters. Oil may leak through an accidental hole or a wall that has rusted. If the second option takes place, then it is better to purchase a different radiator, since corrosion can destroy a larger area than is visible. So after a while, oil will flow near the brewed or sealed place.

Holes or small holes, cracks can be:

• solder;
• brew.

The first option should be avoided. Soldering cannot provide a reliable connection, and with constant heating / cooling, the strong contact of the solder and the metal of the tank will begin to turn into a crack. Therefore, it is better to weld a hole.

Preparing the heater for soldering or welding is the same:

1. Draining oil from the tank.
2. Cleaning the problem area from dirt and rust. This can be done with sandpaper.
3. Pouring water into a tank. This will avoid a possible fire (there was oil inside, and its remains were definitely preserved).
4. Turning the radiator in such a position that water will not flow out of the hole.

No matter how high-quality the electric heater is, sooner or later it starts to heat poorly or stops working altogether. Electric heaters are not complex devices and they very rarely break after purchase during the warranty period.

I must say right away that the simpler the design of the electric heater, the less often it will break down and it will be easier to find and fix the problem.

I don't recommend on my own. repair oil radiators, because inside it is a special coolant - transformer oil. In order to disassemble it, you will first have to drain and then refill the transformer oil, and this is a very troublesome and time-consuming task. If oil just started to leak a little from the oil cooler, then I recommend soldering the place of the leak with your own hands or brewing it neatly with semi-automatic welding. In such cases, it is useless to use various sealants or glue to fix the leak.

Always unplug the heater from the socket- before starting work on disassembling or dialing the device components with a multimeter.

In order to quickly and efficiently find and fix a malfunction, you need to know the device of the electrical appliance, as well as how to check all its components for serviceability. For convenience, further I will immediately talk about the device of the electric heater, and then about checking and repairing all components in order.

How does an electric heater work?

Practically heaters are arranged similarly. Both simpler and more complex models are available. We will consider the device of the most complex version. In simpler models, a thermal fuse and a tilt sensor may not be in the circuit.

Let's consider a more simplified version with a single-key switch and one light bulb. Often, heaters are equipped with a two-key switch and several indicator lights, the operation scheme will be similar, with the only difference being that instead of one key there will be two, and one heating element will be, as it were, two in one case. Convection versions often have an ingress protection sensor built in, but it connects and disconnects the power supply in the same way as a position sensor.

Any modern electric heater consists of from a plug with a power cable, which, through a thermostat and a switch, is connected to the heating element installed in the housing - Teng. Very often, the heating element has not 2, but 3 contacts for connection. The first power wire is connected to one, and from the other from the socket, two other wires connected from a two-gang switch, which allows you to turn on either one spiral or two at once - at full power.

There may be a thermal fuse in the circuit which automatically turns off the device for overheat protection. A tilt sensor can also be installed, which opens the circuit when the heater is tilted above the permissible angle. In expensive convection models, other sensors are also installed. For example, protection against ingress of objects inside the device.

In some models there may be a fuse for protection against overload currents or short circuits, which operates in emergency situations.

Step-by-step instructions for repairing an electric heater

1. First thing, Before proceeding with the repair with your own hands, unplug the heater from the outlet.
2. We unscrew the bolts or self-tapping screws and take out the control panel with a switch and a thermostat or thermostat.
   
3. If the device does not work at all and the bulbs do not light up, then we check the presence of 220 volts on the cores of the cable connected to the outlet by. We replace the defective cable or plug with a new one. Just be careful- the electrical outlet may have stopped working, and the heater will be fully operational.
4. Further on the device unplugged from the socket check the serviceability of all switch keys. In the on position, there should be a short circuit on the contacts, and in the off position, the resistance should be infinitely large (open circuit).
5. At the next stage of repair check the thermostat. The multimeter should show zero (short circuit) or small resistance on the contacts.
6. If the fix is ​​still not found, then you will have to completely disassemble the electric heater with your own hands in order to get to its other components.
7. Sometimes the cause of a malfunction can be quite simple.- this is a poor or missing contact at the junction of wires with terminals. Reliability is checked by visual inspection, but it is better to use a multimeter for this purpose.
8. Followed by check the integrity of the heating element or heating element, as a rule, consisting of two circuits. To connect it, one common wire and two outgoing from the two-gang switch are used. To check, set the multimeter to resistance measurement mode. For example, in my personal heater, one heating element shows a resistance of 50 ohms, and the other 100 ohms. Very often, the heater stops heating at full power due to the failure of one of the heater circuits, which cannot be repaired and is replaced with a new one similar in characteristics.
9. Very often the cause of the heater failure is the failure of the thermal fuse., which can be installed several in the case. If at least one breaks, all the heating elements will stop working. The thermal fuse is checked simply (in the picture it is indicated as TP) - there must be zero resistance or short circuit between its contacts. If the device has more than one thermal fuse, then we simply remove the faulty one and connect the wires to each other, not forgetting to use heat-resistant materials for insulation. Please note that sometimes the thermal fuses may be all good, and the reason for their operation may be overheating of the convection heater due to clogged filters or air exchange holes.
10. The next step is to check the position sensor., consisting of a weight, which, when the device is tilted, presses the microswitch and opens the circuit. In a vertical position, there should be zero resistance or short circuit between the contacts.
11. In fan heaters and some other types of electric heaters, an additional fan is installed, if it starts to make a lot of noise during operation or does not work at all, then read our