Bathroom heater not working fix or replace?

deendon1, May 9, 7:43am
Trying to help my Mother here so might take a while if there are ?

I'd appreciate any help.

Bathroom has a small wall mounted electric heater runs with a switch (or a pull cord!) it's not working. It circulates warm air around the room
Turn it on and nothing happens.

At least 5 years old

It will have had no maintenance (filters cleaned etc) is it worth trying to fix it ie call an electrician or should she just put in a new one?

Just wondering if there are any quick fixes I've missed , I was also caught out recently, needed a new tap and had to get the $250 one the guy had on the van (because of course once the guy has driven off to get one it's going to be $250 anyway)
farwest, May 9, 7:47am
Some of those heaters can be unclipped from a bracket - if so, see if a new one is available. If it is permanently fixed to the wall, you'll need an electrician to replace it. Buy one ready for him to install.
crazynana, May 9, 10:55am
Just remember OP that a lot of bathroom wall heaters were held responsible for fires. They were Goldair brand and some models were replaced by them though you did have to get an electrician to remove them then install the new one. I don't know the model numbers now but it is worth bearing in mind if you are trying to fix it yourself
tmenz, May 9, 11:41am
Have you checked its circuit breaker on the switchboard?
bill1451, May 9, 3:06pm
probably one the old goldair ones, it will be full of dust increasing the risk of fire. best t replace it with something more modern. I have a "serene" brand
and its probably a bit more expensive but will go for longer.
supernova2, May 9, 5:37pm
It might be something simple like the pullcord switch has packed up. Don't know if the switch is still available as a spare part.
I'd be inclined to take a picture of what you have and then send it to your sparky and ask if its more economical to try and repair or just replace. that way he should be able to come prepared with the appropriate new unit.

We've got a Scope one. Its an ugly metal box but has to be over 30 years old and it still works. i blow it out every so often with the compressor though to get rid of the dust.
cantabman1, May 10, 2:49am
x1
Just replace it .
Go to Bunnings; you can get a Goldair 2kw for about $30, and if you are at all handy you could replace it yourself, it is so easy to do.
maclad, May 10, 11:18am
x1
Yes, they are cheap enough to replace, so getting your electrician to install a new one may be the cheapest option.
fast4motion, May 10, 12:55pm
If it's a Goldair, and the same as the models currently available, you can swap it with a new one by simply unclipping the old one from it's wall bracket, and fitting an identical new one to the existing bracket. The wires attach to the bracket, which plugs into the heater when you clip it in, so no electrical work/knowledge or electrician required.

If it's the pull cord switch, the heater can be pulled apart, the pull switch cycled to "on", the cord cut off, then the wall switch alone is used to turn it on and off. But unless it's an expensive heater, paying someone to test and do this will probably cost more than a new one. I've done it to a few Skope heaters.
farwest, May 10, 12:59pm
And when you want to claim on your insurance, for a fire? Leave permanently wired fittings to electricians.
bill1451, May 10, 1:01pm
DO NOT GO TO BUNNINGS AND BUY A $30.00 PIECE OF JUNK. find a sparky or go to your wholesaler and spend probably around 3 times as much for some quality and your house wont burn down.
dollydot, May 10, 2:30pm
One of our bathroom heaters stopped, it too was only 5 years or less old. We had it replaced with another quality one by an electrician. He said dust build up can cause them to die, forgot exactly how but we do try to remember to vacuum the vents now quite often so it doesn't happen again.
cantabman1, May 11, 3:45am
I am the first to normally agree with you, however , to just swap out one heater for another and connecting 3 wires in the correct order is all that is required, then it is NOT a problem at all [IF HANDY]
cantabman1, Nov 12, 1:07am
bill1451 wrote:
DO NOT GO TO BUNNINGS AND BUY A $30.00 PIECE OF JUNK. find a sparky or go to your wholesaler and spend probably around 3 times as much for some quality and your house wont burn down.[/quote
They are not JUNK, just because they are in expensive. yes they are made in China; but you will find that most heaters on the market are. As I have already posted about, if you are at all handy it is just a matter of reconnecting 3 wires in the correct order, so no scare mungering of a house burning down etc.
On the other hand if i was replacing a oven , or installing a wood burner I would always get a sparky /plumber etc to install, because sometimes additional work is required as an upgrade.