Caitlin W asked:
I have used three different space heaters in the past few months that, every time I turn them on, cause the circuit to shut off almost immediately. I live in an older house built in the 1940′s, does this have something to do with it? I try to keep as few things running as possible, but even with only my computer, two TVs, my living room and bedroom lights, and the heater on, the power goes out every time. What is the problem, and what can I do to fix it?
I live with three other people, so we try to use as little electricity as possible, but it still doesn’t work.
I have used three different space heaters in the past few months that, every time I turn them on, cause the circuit to shut off almost immediately. I live in an older house built in the 1940′s, does this have something to do with it? I try to keep as few things running as possible, but even with only my computer, two TVs, my living room and bedroom lights, and the heater on, the power goes out every time. What is the problem, and what can I do to fix it?
I live with three other people, so we try to use as little electricity as possible, but it still doesn’t work.
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the average space heater is 1,500 watts at 120 volts your using 13 amps… You need to check your curcuit breaker and make sure to put a 15 amp fuse into the slot of the outlet your using. otherwise find a part of the room that is already on a 15 amp fuse
there are 4 to 6 outlets per fuse or breaker if you add up the amps on each outlet the total must be less than the fuse or breaker limit. unplug everything on the affected fuse or breaker but the heater and the heat will stay on.
If your house was built in the forties chances are you electrical wiring cant take the load. Are your outlets polarized (one slot larger than the other)? If not you should probably think about getting a licensed electrician to check it out.
Electric space heaters draw a lot of current. The higher the setting (the more heat it produces) the more wattage required. Most wall plugs, in older homes, are on 15 amp breakers. The heater, alone, is pushing a 15 amp breaker. Try an outlet in another room, one that is not on the same breaker circuit. Use an extension cord to reach. Be sure the extension cord will carry enough amperage so it won’t heat. If you’re lucky, you can find an outlet on a different circuit, one with no other devices on it. A recommendation: mark your breakers You already know the breaker that feeds the outlets you’ve been trying to use as you must be resetting it each time it blows. And don’t, don’t have anyone replace the breaker with a larger one, you’d be asking for trouble, especially in older homes. The breakers are there to protect the wiring, if the wiring won’t carry more than 15 amps, the breaker blows before a fire starts.
With 15 amp breakers, you can’t have anything else plugged in on that circuit while the heater is plugged in. You may be able to squeeze in something like an extra lamp or two, but the space heater uses up almost the entire capacity of the circuit. That’s why you’re popping the breakers – you’ve got too much other junk plugged in.
There are too many things using that line. It can be somewhere else in the house. I guarantee you that if you plug it in ….in another room THAT’S NOT USING THAT SAME ELECTRIC LINE, THAT IT WILL WORK.
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or, maybe if you unplugged something that’s RUNNING and using-up electric, that it will work. You see, there’s nothing wrong with the heater. You’re trying to get it going—”on a busy highway”. The heater is trying, but it needs to “get some of those cars out of his way”.
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. You realize, don’t you, that a portable little heater…when it’s running, takes up the same amount of juice (electric power) as if you turn on FOUR 300-watt electric lightbulb and leave them on all night long! -A light bulb that you use in a table lamp is something like 60 watts.
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And if you guys are trying to save $$, don’t run those money-guzzling (those electric-guzzling) heaters. You’ll be MUCH, much better off financially, to get the main house furnace / heater to keep the place warm.
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. No 300 lightbulbs all night long at MY PLACE !!!! I’m giving our electric bill enough already !!
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you either have a bad fuse or breaker or they are too light. or you have too much on onr circuit.
If your house was built in the ’40′s there will be 10 or more
outlets to each 15 A. circuit.
A space heater as small as 1500W. uses just about the whole
capacity of that circuit and anything elase on it, (including
lights),
is likely to trip the breaker.
Your best ‘cheap fix’ is to try to figure out what outlets are on
what circuit, and plug that heater into one that you’re not using
for anything else at the time.
Some breakers do wear out with time and will trip at less then
rated load when they do.
Those breakers are standardized by type , so you might be able
to replace the one that trips with a new one of the same
size & type, (they’re cheap, about $10), and see if that helps.