PCB Geeks Required

[Thrustyjust]

Story goes. I have bought a new Delonghi wall heater for a corridor at work. Well, it alarms all the time with it not being level. Delonghi sent us a replacement heater , which works fine in the same location. So, I have a twin fan heater, which would look nice in the garage................ but I need to disable the level sensors. Now I have dismantled and found 2 items, as per the photo, which I am guessing are the level sensors, as they rattle, unless someone proves me wrong. Can anyone help to confirm this, so I will bridge them out , if that is correct. Cant find much info on the boards

 

[Andy Banks]

Are they normally open or normally closed circuit? Depending on the answer you could bridge them or disconnect them maybe? Thought occurs that the sensors are there as a safety device so should you actually be messing with them?

[Quinten]

Why would there be two level sensors?  I don't know what they are mind you, but with sensors I would expect them to be making contact when triggered (so there is no current flowing when level), so just cutting the legs would disable them permanently.

[SimonUK]

They look like tilt switches to me. I'm also not sure why there is 2. You could check with a multi-meter to see if makes or breaks contact when tilted. Then you know whether to bridge the legs or just disconnect.

[Thrustyjust]

19 minutes ago, Andy Banks - Chairman said:

Are they normally open or normally closed circuit? Depending on the answer you could bridge them or disconnect them maybe? Thought occurs that the sensors are there as a safety device so should you actually be messing with them?

If the heater falls off the wall, then some pillock didnt drill it into the brick properly  They seem troublesome when I searched about it. Just wired a plug on and goes direct to tilt alarm If it was a manual stat, it would be easy by my md wanted the all singing jobbie Arrgh. 

Not sure on voltage as the second pcb has a transformer built in, so the controls are probably 12 or 24 v. But I dont know which is neutral. Or it this is them, but all the rest of the boards are capacitors, chips and relays for the heater elements to run.

Just done a continuity check and not sure. Put a 200k ohms test and get about 12.5 on both and dont change when I shake or lean the board

[Thrustyjust]

5 minutes ago, SimonUK said:

They look like tilt switches to me. I'm also not sure why there is 2. You could check with a multi-meter to see if makes or breaks contact when tilted. Then you know whether to bridge the legs or just disconnect.

I might just cut them and see what happens. Goodbye world it was amazing  The heater although £100 was going in the bin as Delonghi didnt want it back.

[Thrustyjust]

Cut the wire on one side of each and still alarmed. So, cut the other ones and removed from the pcb. Then soldered the stubs of wire together and .....................silence...........no alarm !!

. So, I rebuilt the heater and tested and it works. Fans come in, heater elements come on and electronic temperature control switches off at temperature.

Then took the little component apart and found each has a pair of gold bearings and a strange ring of steel all gold. So a hundred quid new heater to warm me for the winter tinkering for free is always a bonus . I do think the reason for level switches is for people who floor mount the heater as that comes with the heater rather than wall mounting. When I spoke to Delonghi ( ironically one of our customers) she didnt hesitate to send me a replacement , so they must know of a problem with them. They do have skips of faulty scrap on the site , but its a big business there, so dont know how often they get emptied.

[Wilfman]

You southern softie!!..... up north we don’t need heaters through the winter

[Thrustyjust]

59 minutes ago, Wilfman said:

You southern softie!!..... up north we don’t need heaters through the winter

Sorry mate, but we dont burn our children down in the south to give heat or stick them up chimneys 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

I was going to do the whole Yorkshireman sketch of not having heaters, garages etc when you have to work on the car on the drive...

And then I remembered, I er, do have a “heated garage”...

 

[Thrustyjust]

Cant believe you managed to defrost the close using those heaters Dave............... its a bit excessive 

[Thrustyjust]

So , at lunchtime today , I put it on the wall and proof it works , hurrah !!. 

Excuse the brick dust ( proof of drilling into brick to mount it ) 

Now to start the 'This Years Tinkering List' thread ......................

[stephenh]

21 degrees in your garage?

Oh my, you really are a southern softy, my living room is only set for 20.5 degrees in winter, when we do occasionally have the heating on......if it gets really really cold, and that's only in the north midlands!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Indeed, my thermostat in the house is set lower than that!

[Thrustyjust]

So, guys, show me how to test the heater if the garage is 19 deg at the moment ?  Our house in winter this year has been set at 19 deg. The latest wife says its cold, I blame her menopause and make her put a extra jumper on..................