Electric space heater repair question

[Norman]

It's stupid to be stupid.

[Doug Miller]

DaveT wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Maybe you should read more carefully. I didn't say it was not worthwhile to *ask* about repairing it -- I said it's not worthwhile to spend much time repairing something that can be replaced so cheaply.

So is responding to things that nobody ever said.

[clare]

It was likely a high resistance crimp which caused the connection to overheat, burning off the wire. Otherwise it was mechanical damage to the wire at the crimp - with the same result (high resistance) exacerbated by the wire being thinner (less thermal mass) at the point of damage. In the past I've repaired situations like that with a small split-bolt type connector (burndy) but the repair usually needs to be repeated again a year or so later.

The big problem is the $25 heaters are really $5 Chinese heaters that someone made $$10 on after paying $10 to ship it over from China. We bought 4 or 5 of the "oil filled" electric radiators a few montha ago from Canadian tire and one by one the switches are melting down on them. Otherwize they don't appear to be too bad quality, but you can't buy the replacement switch. (I imagine I could import them 20 at a time from China - but why bother?) They failed under warranty so were returned for a refund applied to slightly better quality $39 Sunbeam radiant heaters - We will see haw well they last. (I have one that is at least 10 years old - also made in China - that still works)

[clare]

I'm like Dave though - why add more junk to landfill if I can fix it for an outlay of less than 5 bucks and half an hour of "tinker time"? Sure, I've wasted a lot of that "tinker time" and numerous outlays of $5 on repairs that failed - but also many times the repaired item goes on to outlast what I would have replaced it with (if I manage to repair the deficiency by making it what it should have been in the first place.

First rule of buying Chinese - consider it to be a "semi-assembled" kit.

[DaveT]

Now that is totally stupid. Got it, stupid?

>

[DaveT]

If a usable connector was easily available, it wouldn't take an hour to squeeze it on. People repair things all the time that don't cost much, if the parts are available and it's easy to do.

*That's* what I was asking about.

[DaveT]

I got some rechargeable AA's from China a few yrs ago and they didn't turn out too be much good.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, I got some AA Lithium batteries from China, they were worse than Duracell Alkaline ones and leaked too. I threw them out some unused.

[DaveT]

The chinese AA rechargeables I got would last roughly 1/2 the time that regular US name brands would run, before needing recharge.

Let's hope they're using the same standards in the navy and air force they're building.

[DaveT]

Good luck with the new ones. This heater lasted 4.5 yrs, so I can't complain - I just get a kick out of repairing things when I can - it gives me the illusion that I'm beating the "sell crap that fails so the consumer has to buy a new one" system.

>

[philoÂÂ]

I bet that I easily repair 80% of the "junk" my neighbors toss out. Chairs, fans, lamps you name it.

A few times I've seen a neighbor throw something out and I repair it and mysteriously return it to their yard.

[philoÂÂ]

The batteries I bought are fine...though certainly China does make a lot of junk.

[philoÂÂ]

At least no one here was dumb enough to suggest you solder it!

[Stormin Mormon]

I stupidly bought some stupid AA Nimh cells off Stupid Ebay. They would not hold a charge, and didn't last any where near the claimed value.

Some day I'll check the packages of the Rayovac and Energizer NiMH cells, they are probably stupidly made in China. I've heard Hong Kong is far better quality.

Japan made was supposed to be good, before the tsunami damaged their island.

[Stormin Mormon]

"What is that! I threw it out. Back in the trash with you."

- . Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

.

[DaveT]

Emperor Vespasian: a day without doing someone a favor, is a day wasted. (That's at least close.)

[Peter]

I did exactly that type of crimp repair about 10 years ago on a space heater that was already about 10 years old. Haven't had the slightest problem with it since.

To those who commented on why someone would waste their time trying to repair such an inexpensive item, I offer the following comments:

1. For some people, (or is it now about ?) to replace a broken item is real money.
2. Some people enjoy fixing things, or at least trying to fix them. It is a form of entertainment and is done in time that otherwise would be used for other forms of entertainment that might cost much more.
3. Some of us are retired and have almost unlimited time with no opportunity cost for puttering about, doing what we want after decades of having to please parents, teachers, bosses, etc. etc.

[philoÂÂ]

Point 3

[clare]

I HAVE repaied a drier element by silver brazing after twisting it together Didn't last more than a couple months - adter which I repaired it with the "burndy" type split bolt connector - which lasted several more years till the rest of the drier wore out. It wasn't made by Burndy - I think it was made for hight-tensile electric fence wire or something - having trouble finding the exact unit on-line - but easy to make with a stainless steel bolt and nut and 2 washers.

[clare]

You buy the same crap at the dollar store. You buy it IN Canada, but FROM China. Same crap - different pile.