Why is My Portable Heater Blowing Cold Air?

Is your portable heater blowing cold air? This can be frustrating as it is supposed to heat wherever you want and not cool it.

You’re in luck! In this article, you’ll find some probable causes why your portable heater is blowing cold air instead of heating.

Without further ado, let’s head right into it!

Table of Contents

How to Fix Portable Heaters Blowing Cold Air Instead of Hot Air.

Here are some potential problems why your portable heater is blowing cold hair and steps on how to troubleshoot.

Check and Ensure the Heater is Turned on and Working Properly

The first thing to do when your portable heater is blowing cold air instead of hot air is to check the device if it works properly.

Unplug the heater from its power source and check if wires are protruding out from the heater’s compartment. If a wire is sneaking out from the body of the heater, then there are chances that something is damaged.

Carefully check where the wire is connected and try to fix it. This can be as simple as using tape to join the wires together with the other pair and taking it back into the heater’s compartment.

If the wires connecting the heating element to the vents and fan have been disconnected, the portable heater will not be working properly, which leads to it cooling instead of heating.

If you check your heater and everything looks good, but your heater is still cooling then try the next troubleshooting tip

Clogged air openings and vents

A common reason for portable heaters cooling is due to dust and first clogging the air opening or vents. Dirty air filters and vents block the free flow of air from the heater.

If the air channel or vent is blocked, your portable heater is blowing hot air, but the clogged air filter or vent prevents the hot air from coming out, hence cold air is being blown out into the space instead of hot air.

When dust first blocks the air vent or filters, it can cause your heater to overheat and turn on the overheating protection, which will eventually make your heater blow cold air.

How to fix blocked electric heater air filters:

Step 1: Unplug the heater from its power source

Step 2: open up the heater. Ensure to check the user manual of your heater to ensure you’re doing the right thing.

Step 3: Clean out the dust and dirt from the air filters

Step 4: Carefully close up your space heater and check if this fixes the problem.

Did this solve the problem? If not, continue the next troubleshooting tip.

Faulty Heating Element

One of the probable reasons your portable heater is blowing cold air instead of hot air is that the heating element is broken or bad.

Every space heater has a heating element inside it. Some are very visible, while others are hidden inside the heater. This differs according to the make and the type of heater you’re using, be it ceramic, infrared, Oil-filled, or fan-based portable heaters.

The heating element in an electric portable heater heats spaces, it works by converting electrical energy into heat. So, it takes in electricity and produces heat.

If the heating element is faulty, then your heater won’t be heating spaces but cooling them, which is the reverse of its supposed function.

Troubleshooting Faulty Heating Element

Step 1: Switch off the heater and unplug it from the power source

Step 2: Carefully open up the heater

Step 3: Get a multimeter and set it to RX1

Step 4: Touch the probes of the multimeter to the heating element. When the multimeter shows high resistance, then the heating element works well, but if the multimeter shows infinity, then the heating element is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Step 5: Tighten some loose wires and bots and see if the heating element works properly or you can try manually resetting your portable heater and see if this fixes the problem.

Broken Thermostat

If you’re still having issues fixing your portable heater, then the problem might be because of a malfunctioning thermostat

The thermostat regulates temperature. When the heater becomes too hot, it will automatically reduce the temperature to avoid overheating and likewise increase the temperature when it becomes too low.

When you place the heater close to objects that are hot like electric or home appliances, the thermostat will automatically reduce the temperature, thinking the room or garage has reached a certain temperature.

So, ensure to place your portable heater far away from objects like television, electric cookers, and microwaves to avoid the thermostat malfunctioning.

Understanding how the thermostat works is key to fixing it when it’s responsible for your portable heater cooling. Below are steps on troubleshooting a malfunctioning thermostat.

Troubleshooting a malfunctioning thermostat:

Here are some tips on how to troubleshoot a malfunctioning thermostat:

Step 1: Check if the thermostat is switched on and not broken. If confirmed to be working, continue the next step.

Step 2: Check temperature settings and ensure it is set above your home temperature

Step 3: Ensure the temperature of your home is not higher than that of the thermostat

Step 4: Check the batteries. Some thermostat uses a battery and if it does, check to see if they’re dead and replace them.

Step 5: Reset the thermostat. These should fix incorrect temperature configurations and get it up and running in no time.

The steps above should help fix a broken thermostat. If you’ve tried all the steps and none work, have a professional technician look as the thermostat may be damaged and needs to be replaced.

Conclusion

There you have it, steps to help troubleshoot your portable heater blowing cold air instead of blowing hot air. Ensure to try all the steps above to see which fixes the problem with your portable heater.

If you try all the steps above and none seems to work for you, then get a professional technician to have a look at the heater. You may replace your portable heater as a last resort.