ACCOUNT World Marketing of America, Inc. - America's most trusted heating brands since 1982 Home Technical Support Electric Heater & Fireplace Support Electric Heater & Fireplace Support Common Usage Questions: Below are some common questions that may arise when operating your heater. Please see your owner's manual for complete care and maintenance information. Can I use my electric heater as a primary heat source? Can I use my electric heating appliance in my bathroom? Is there any maintenance I need to do? Why does my heater keep shutting off? How do I set the thermostat? What’s the benefit of the High/Low feature? Can I use my electric heater as a primary heat source? Why does my heater have an odor? Why won’t my ceramic disc heater shutoff with the thermostat even though my room is warm? Why is the cord getting hot? Should I use a dedicated circuit for my electric appliance? Can I use an extension cord or power strip with my heater? Why won’t my remote control work? Why do I not see the flame anymore? Can I use my electric heater as a primary heat source? No. A primary heat source is designed for 24 hour operation. Portable electric heaters are designed for supplemental heating in conjunction with a primary heat source. Can I use my electric heating appliance in my bathroom? The only electric heating appliance approved for use in a bathroom is the QWH2100. Installation is required for use. Is there any maintenance I need to do? While you should never disassemble your electric heating appliance, there are a few things you can do to take care of it. When not in use, repack it in the box it came in to keep it clean. Cleaning: NEVER, clean your appliance while in operation. ALWAYS unplug the appliance and allow it to cool completely. A soft dry cloth can be used to clean the outside of the heater. You can remove dust and dirt with a vacuum cleaner, or with a can of compressed air, as used to clean a computer. If your heater has a washable filter, clean it in accordance to the directions in your owner’s manual. Make sure it is completely dry before using your heater. Why does my heater keep shutting off? Your appliance is equipped with a safety shutoff device that will turn the appliance off if the internal temperature is too high. If this happens, make sure nothing is blocking the rear inlet or the appliance’s heat discharge. Additionally a build- up of dust and dirt within the heater can cause this problem. SEE THE ABOVE ANSWER REGARDING MAINTENANCE TO LEARN HOW TO REMOVE DUST AND DIRT. How do I set the thermostat? To set the thermostat, simply turn the unit on high and let it operate until the room has reached your desired temperature. At that point turn the temperature control back until the appliance turns off. It will now cycle on and off to maintain the desired temperature at +/- 5° F. There are many factors that can affect how your heat cycles on and off. Some of these include but are not limited to the size of the room being heated, where used, drafts, outside temperature, the level of heat rise needed to reach your desired set point, etc. Thermostats and temperature sensors in portable heaters can vary by as much as 8 degrees from high to low. Get to know your heater and you will soon learn how to set it to your desired temperature. What’s the benefit of the High/Low feature? After the room has reached its desired level, consider switching the electric heating appliance to low. This way when the thermostat calls for heat, the appliance will use less electricity to make up for heat loss. This can be a very effective method of reducing energy costs, especially when heating smaller spaces. For more ideas on how zone heating can save you money, click on the Smart Solutions link below! Can I use my electric heater as a primary heat source? No. A primary heat source is designed for 24 hour operation. Portable electric heaters are designed for supplemental heating in conjunction with a primary heat source. Why does my heater have an odor? If the electric heating appliance is new, the odor may be manufacturing oils and residues that settled on the appliance during production. This will normally go away after a few hours. If the appliance is older, check for an accumulation of dust and dirt. While you should never disassemble your heater you can remove dust and dirt with a vacuum, or with a can of compressed air, as used to clean a computer. NEVER, clean your appliance while in operation. ALWAYS unplug the appliance and allow it to cool completely. Why won’t my ceramic disc heater shutoff with the thermostat even though my room is warm? Ceramic disc heaters function differently than other heaters. Instead of the entire unit turning off and on, only the fan speed changes from the high speed setting when the room is cool, to a low speed setting when the room has reached its desired temperature. The elimination of the on/off cycle helps to eliminate the hot/cold cycles sometimes associated with electric heaters. Why is the cord getting hot? It is normal for the cord to get warm; however it should not be hot to touch. A hot cord is an indication that the outlet is bad and in need of replacement. In addition, it is important to fully uncoil the power cord. If an electric appliance is used with a coiled cord, the cord may become hot. Should I use a dedicated circuit for my electric appliance? Most of our electric heating appliances require 12.5 amps to operate. During initial start up this draw is usually higher. If your heater is plugged into a 15 amp circuit and you are operating other appliances you may blow a fuse or trip a breaker. For this reason it is better if only your electric heating appliance is operating on the circuit. Consider redistributing your appliances to balance the electric load on the circuit. 20 amp circuits will have fewer issues, but you may still have problems if an appliance, such as hair dryer is used on the same circuit. Further, if your outlet does not accept the polarized plug, the outlet should be replaced by a qualified electrician; please do not use an adapter. Contact a qualified electrician for further information to resolve electrical issues. Can I use an extension cord or power strip with my heater? No. Using an electric heating appliance with a power strip or extension cord may cause the power strip or extension cord to overheat, creating an unsafe condition. Recent changes to government standards regarding electric appliances require them to be plugged directly into a grounded outlet only. Electric Stove, Fireplace and Quartz Comfort Furnace Questions Why won’t my remote control work? Our remote controls function by line of site. You must have the remote hand unit pointed directly at the front of the stove/fireplace. If you are too far away or too far to the left or right of the stove/fireplace the remote signal may not be received by the stove/fireplace. If you are lined up correctly to use the remote and the stove/fireplace still doesn’t respond, replace the battery in the remote hand unit. Why do I not see the flame anymore? This would generally indicate that one or more light bulbs need replaced. Refer to your owner's manual for bulb replacement instructions. HELPFUL INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR HAND HELD REMOTE You adjust your desired room temperature by using the up and down arrow buttons on the remote or on the furnace itself. After you have set the temperature, the unit will return to reading the room temperature, but it still “remembers” the desired setting. Occasionally another universal remote for another appliance such as TV may cause interference. In most cases if you reprogram the universal remote to a different code you should able to correct the problem. These documents are for reference purposes and not intended to replace your owner’s manual. It is important to read your owner’s manual in its entirety which has been designed to instruct you as to the proper manner in which to assemble the heater, maintain the heater, store the heater, and most importantly, how to operate the heater in a safe and efficient manner. Visit our Owner's Manual section to find a copy of your heater's owner's manual.