Loud pop - then my electricity went off. Something happened to my radiator (in my bedroom) - please help

[spencer]

Hi

I bought a new Bionair oil filled radiator very recently. It cost around £50 and has been great. I leave it on most of the time

A few nights ago there was a very loud pop. It freaked me out a bit as I was little high. The electricity in the flat went (but not the ceiling lights).

The electricity to was restored the next day with the simple flick of a switch (in a locked cupboard).

I had no idea what had made the noise. The radiator wouldn't turn on so I figured that a heating element or something blew?!

It just occurred to me: hey, maybe it was the fuse that blew? So, I took the fuse out of the plug & it looks fine. (I expect it would be all black if the fuse blew? )

So, before I take the radiator back to the store for an exchange/repair/refund, i'd like to ask: could it just be a blown fuse? (it's a 10A fuse)

(I can post a photo of the fuse if that helps?)

I'm limited for time. Should I try and find fuses somewhere (where can I buy new fuses on the high street?) Or is it likely that the whole radiator is defective - shall I take it to the store? (It's a bit of a chore as it's a bit bulky/awkward to carry)

Would love any advice any of you have!

Thanks

[OG]

No - your fuse will look the same when blown. You would need to get a fuse tester (or similar) to check it.

I've only seen 3,5 and 13 A fuses. does it specifically say it has to use a

10A fuse?

You could certainly try with a new 13A fuse (unless it says only to use a

10A one), but bear in mind that it may blow your circuit again. You'll be able to get fuses at supermarkets, electrical/hardware shops and most corner shops.

[Andrew Gabriel]

No, it looks exactly the same afterwards.

No, it couldn't be just a blown fuse. The fuse may or may not be blown, but something else went wrong.

If a new radiator blew its fuse, it's defective. Forget about the fuse, just take it back and say it went with a loud bang and doesn't work anymore.

[George (dicegeorge)]

xxxxxx

Is the socket now working?

All that electricity (kilowatts of power for weeks) could have melted/damaged a wire between the fusebox and the socket which is a fire risk and an electrocution risk.

get a one of these and try it on all your sockets: PRO ELEC - T203 - MAINS TESTER PLUG

wont prove that all your wiring is OK, but it may prove that there are faults in your wiring.

[g]

[fictitiousemail]

At the risk of encouraging a troll ..here goes ... A photo of a fuse will be no help .They look the same when good or bad .I suspect you don't have a fuse tester ( why am I saying that I wonder ?) so you could remove a fuse from another plug and replace the suspect fuse with that one and try it .If that doesn't work put the old fuse back and return the heater to the supplier and tell them it doesn't work and either get a refund or replacement .

By the way .Start saving for your next elecy bill .

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:17:06 +0000, OG wrote (in article ):

It's etched/written on the plug itself (as well as displaying 10A on the fuse label itself)

Can't see any reference to it in the instructions.

On the plug it says

10A ---- 250 V

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:17:06 +0000, OG wrote (in article ):

Really? It it could blow again, even with a new fuse? that would be a pain as the trip switch thing is in a locked room/area.

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:34:56 +0000, George \(dicegeorge\) wrote (in article ):

880

Yes, the socket works. It's a a multiplug / extension type thing (you know : one socket ---> 4 sockets)

Erm.. I didn't think to check the fuse of the multiplug thing? (it still sends elecy to the other appliances that are plugged in to it)

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:40:14 +0000, [e-mail] wrote (in article ):

Afraid not. Don't even know what one is.

so

That's what I was pondering. It's just a bit of a hassle ,but it might be best to take it back to the retailer.

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:06:01 +0000, spencer wrote (in article ):

update - the fuse in the multiplug/extender thing is 13A. (Is that a problem?) Should I plug it directly into a socket rather than via an extender?)

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:34:56 +0000, George \(dicegeorge\) wrote (in article ):

880

phew, it's £2. I thought it might be really expensive.

Erm, I wonder if I can pick one up on the high street. I shall check. Thanks for the tip

[meow2222]

If its not working its faulty. Its not always as simple as that, but this time it is. If it blew its fuse, its faulty, so theres no point replacing the fuse in this case.

However I'd be hesitant to replace the heater with another too, as although convenient these plugin heaters are a very pricey way to heat a place. However it would take money and knwoledge to do it another way.

NT

[George (dicegeorge)]

aha - have you big power loads on the other 3 ways, or on other things on the same ring circuit?

kettles etc?

You could try a smaller 3 or 5 amp fuse and the heater turned down very low... see what happens - but be ready to get into the locked room to reset the trip switch...

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:41:10 +0000, George \(dicegeorge\) wrote (in article ):

The other sockets are use for:

- electric toothbrush charger

- shaver charger

- hair clippers charger

and rarely (certainly not at the time I heard the pop noise):

- a Miele vacuum cleaner

[George (dicegeorge)]

oh and you can test a 240volt fuse by taking it out of the plug then dismantling a torch and seeing if the bulb works with the fuse inbetween the battery and light with a wire going back if you see what i mean,

3 volts will do it, you dont need 240v

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:25:50 +0000, [e-mail] wrote (in article ):

I rent. So I can't really do anything else. I heard a pop (not sure if it is the fuse itself). I had left it on continuously for days (but there's nothing in the instructions saying I shouldn't do this...)

The appliance cost £50, which is okay. Certainly better than the fan heater I was using (which is noisy; produced dry hot unpleasant air; can burn things directly in its path!)

[Andrew Gabriel]

It's not a good idea to use multiplug/extender or extention cables with high current appliances like heaters. The multiplugs are usually relatively poor quality compared with real sockets, and more likely to overheat.

[OG]

Of course. The heater is probably faulty and that's what caused the fuse to blow. It is just possible that the fuse blew for some other reason (i.e. the fuse was at fault), but the most likely outcome is that the fuse will blow again.

Personally, I'd take it back to the shop for replacement/checking

[spencer]

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:07:28 +0000, Andrew Gabriel wrote (in article ):

Thanks - i've noted your advice.

So, as a next step, should I replace the heater (take it back to the retailer) or replace the fuse? (seems like a lot of people have suggested that I ought to take the heater back). (Sorry to ask again - i know very little about this sort of thing)

[spencer]

Thanks - i am definitely taking it back