We have several as well. Originally, I bought them for myself and my staff when we were in a temporary
building while our office spaces were being renovated. It really made a difference.
The only issue we had with them is that, over time, we found that 50% of them would eventually fail to heat.
I found that when I unscrewed the side panel, (where the heat setting and on/off switches are), many of the wires
insulation had become brittle which eventually caused shorts (not to mention a possible shock hazard).
With a little work and patience, I was able to rewire all of them with new wires and connectors and they worked fine
after that. A few years later, I opened them back up to check on the condition of the wires and they were fine. The
only thing I can think of is that the original wires were cheap and not rated for the heat that was generated by the oil
radiator. I bought a length of wiring and the connectors at our local hardware (I think I used 14 gauge wire instead of the 18 gauge
but I don't recall for sure off hand).
I would recommend that if anyone has one of these type of heaters for any length of time (or if they have suddenly
stopped working), to check the wiring to ensure they haven't deteriorated.
-aki
From: DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jan Flood
Sent: Monday, December 03, 2012 8:41 AM
To: DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [DIY] el. radiator / circuitry / Re: Now about space heaters
We've had one of these electric oil-filled radiators heaters on wheels for 15 years and never had any problems. Only needed it in the house during an ice storm but currently have it in the screen room to take the edge off the cold. The cats love it and when the door is open there isn't a blast of cold air into the living room. We've used it in the barn when we've had winter foals and/or when I've slept out there waiting for a mare to deliver. It's very sturdy although if a child fell against it it could tip over - as could any space heater.
On Dec 3, 2012, at 4:26 AM, jmr1290 wrote:
As far as I can tell, the electric oil-filled radiator heaters are basically the safest space heater... I still keep flammables away from them, but the heat is spread over such a large area that the cat bundles up directly against it on cold days, and doesn't catch on fire.
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