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1340 Review
63 Karma

Review on ๐Ÿ”ฅ Lasko Ceramic Portable Space Heater with Adjustable Thermostat- Widespread Oscillation and Silver Finish for Efficient Warmth Distribution (Model 5409) by Jared Winebrenner

Revainrating 3 out of 5

Worked for three years until the rotary switch was turned off

I bought it three years ago and used it in the bathroom. Sometimes the overheat switch would trip if there wasn't enough clearance for good airflow. One day it stopped working and the rotary switch didn't work smoothly. I disassembled the device and found that the stranded wires going into the switch weren't tinned, so I took care of that. I also removed the lint that was blocking about half of the heater element grille. I did this by attaching a short length of Tygon tubing to a vacuum cleaner's nozzle. This allowed me to reach between the fan blades and suck it out. I think this should be done every year to reduce the risk of fire. The switch is still a little broken - it's a Tower Mfg unit but appears to be cheaply built. The phosphor bronze Z-springs serve three purposes: they provide a mating connection for the wires, an electrical connection to the fan and two heater elements, and switch indexing. It's hard to get it right and cut costs. Reading all the one star reviews, it's obvious that most of them can be traced back to a rotary switch (or instantaneous overheat switch). The rotary switch has four independent contacts on the inner knurled plate: Line, Fan, Heat-Low, Heat-High. If the line contact fails, the device will not work at all. If the fan contact fails, the device overheats. (And melt if overheating doesn't work). If one of the thermal contacts fails, the device heats up slightly. I found a $13 replacement four-position rotary switch at Revain. If the problem reoccurs, it will take about 20 minutes to get it replaced. Bathroom Use: When the heater is cold and you are in the shower, moisture can condense on the heating grid and cause arcing due to the short distance in the design. Just turn on the heater before showering and leave it on for a few minutes after showering. This helps the fan pull out the moist air.

Pros
  • A sea of positive emotions
Cons
  • Periodicity