'Er Indoors Left Towel On Storage Heater - Now Doesn't Work!

[Whitespirit66]

Oh dear, yet another storage heater problem.
The wife left a towel covering a storage heater whilst it was on. The smell of very hot cotton alerted me to her error.
Now the heater won't work. Its a Unidare night storage heater with 2 elements, about two years old. Has it over heated, if so, how do I get it going again?
Any help would be appreciated, as the heater is in the room that the mother in law will be staying in over Christmas. I'll never hear the end of it!
Think I'll start saving for a combi boiler!

 

[nozspark]

Some storage heaters have a thermal link at the top near the input/output controls (inside), it sounds that your heater has one which is now operated. If this is the case you will should be able to pick a thermal link up from a wholesalers - just make sure that you isolate the supply to the heater before you remove the casing.

 

[JohnD]

you have probably melted the overheat link

It is like a sort of fuse made of soft metal like solder

It is probably under the top panel. It should be accessible after isolating the supply and removing a few screws.

Post a photo of it and someone may recognise what type is is.

If it is badly melted you may have to take the link out of one of the other rads to get it matched.

point out to your wife the label saying "do not cover" or "do not put anything on top of this heater" or "place no towels here" or whatever it says, and send her out to the electrical supplier to buy the new link.

edited: bah, too slow.

 

[djrichie_t]

it can also be a safety cut-out, which can be reset by pressing the (normally small red) button on it, it goes 'click' - this is normally situated inside the heater and often goes before the thermal fuse goes.

 

[Lectrician]

It looks like a circular spinning top, the size of an old penny. Press the centre knob fairly firmly.

Or it is the fuseable thermal link which will require replacement.

Both usual situated at the top of the heater on the right.

 

[Stoday]

It's the thermal link that's fused.

Fully charged, the storage rad has an almost red hot core inside. If you stop it from discharging as it should, the case temperature will rise to the core temperature. Good job the towel was cotton and not man made fibre which might have melted.