Fan Heater - Internal Parts

Internal Parts

The picture immediately to the right shows most of the component parts of a typical plug-in electric fan heater.

• The heating element is the coiled wire frame located behind the fan blades.
• The thermostat is at the top left.
• The heat (wattage) selector switch is at the top right.
• The switch at the bottom is a normally open switch that serves as a "tipover switch" safety device; as long as the heater is upright, the switch is engaged and the circuit is closed.
• The grip for the power cord is at the bottom right.

The next picture shows the two overheat cutouts. The bimetal cutout (left) operates if the device overheats because the intake is blocked or the fan fails, and resets once the heater cools after the obstruction is removed. The thermal fuse (right) is a failsafe backup device that will disconnect the heating element permanently in case of extreme overheating causing risk of fire, usually because the bimetal switch fails to operate (e.g. due to its contacts welding together).