House Electrical Question

Bought an older house a while back and one of the bathroom ceiling heaters wouldn't work. The house is about 50 years old and ungrounded, but was built by a builder at the time for himself, so it is very well constructed and the wiring for the time is top-notch.

In checking the ceiling heater, it is on its own circuit, but the spring loaded, soldered thermal break on the heater itself had turned loose (right side of pic) - I resoldered it and it worked fine for a solid hour, so I can't find anything that specifically caused it.

I got to thinking later though - could that original solder connection have been very precise for the load?? And my resoldering it could have made it unsafe due to a thicker solder now??

Is it more appropriate to replace that with a fuse or breaker? Or do they still make those spring loaded soldered breaks?? Or should I just replace the whole thing due to an old-fashioned design?? Obviously, the whole heater is on a circuit breaker already, so I'm not sure why this was built into the heater, too??

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Thanks for any advice,
HH

I am not familiar with the heater but being a 50 year old heater I think I would replace it with a more efficient heater. That's just my opinion.

I think that looks like a resistance bar not a thermal overload. As long as it is protected by a circuit breaker I would just check it to see if it gets too hot and not worry about it.

As far as replacing it. The new heater you will get maybe rated more efficient but it sure will not be of much quality. 1) It will be foreign made. 2) It will have much lighter components. 3) More than likely will burn out in a much shorter time.

So I would keep the old one and just keep an eye on it for now.

I assume it is a restive type heater. Newer is no more efficient if that is the case. Heat is created by a semi-short regardless of the age.

Yes - resistive heat... And after looking at newer ones - I agreed with JDS about better "old school made in America" type quality compared to the newer lightweight ones.

It just is made very well and the other two in the house heat the other bathrooms fine and it looks fine, so I thought I'd keep it as long as I hadn't affected the safety of it...

What is the purpose of a resistance bar??

Thanks for the advice!
Howard

Wish I could see more of the circuitry. I'm thinking that is an over temp protection device, a safety in case the fan quits circulating air sufficient to keep the unit from overheating and creating a fire hazard.

So when that failed, I take the heat quit and the fan continued to run?

If so, it most likely an over temp device. I would replace the heater and not try to repair or bypass it. Just for peace of mind.

I have seen these before, and I believe it to be a fuse. The "solder" is actually the same thing as the element in a modern fuse. Works on heat. If the ambient heat or the resistance in the circuit rises too high the connection you soldered lets go and opens up. It's a one time use device. I don't necessarily agree that a circuit breaker in the line will give the same protection. I would replace the whole unit and display it as an antique.

I am usually for repair rather than replace, and I agree 85% with JD Seller until I look at the little fan motor. Then I think of how many of those I have seen go bad a way under twenty years. So I think I would say that I had gotten my use out of it, and hope to get twenty years out of a replacement.