=20's to 50's Space Heaters=

[Forgotten Man]

Well, some of you have seen some interesting and unique space heaters I'm sure at antique shops, thrift shops and swap meets... and most people who see them instantly think: OMG, I could never use one of those, they'd burn the house down!

The common misconception is that old electrical appliances can result in an electrical fire or short out the house... this can happen only if:

The power cord is tattered or broken.

The plug is cracked or chipped or seriously corroded.

The connectors inside are not properly attached or are corroded.

The heating filament is broken.

These little heaters are much like the common house hold counter top toaster, they work off of the same principal. I have a few of these old space heaters my self and I use them as long as it is safe to do so.

Now, if one looks at the power cord to a heater, it's much the same as a toaster cord... copper wire with rubber and cotton cloth weave. The plugs are either rubber or bakelite. Now, even if the cord looks fine, it's best to test it and one can do this by plugging in the heater, let it heat up for a bit, feel the plug and cord... if the plug and cord remains cool after the heater has heated up all the way, then, you're looking at a good and reliable heater. If the plug or cord gets hot, that means there's a break in the copper wire somewhere and then, it should be replaced.

To replace a cord is easy... however requires some soldering. Also, you'd want to use a heavy cord since these heaters do draw a healthy amount of current. You can find good period appropriate heater cord on ebay or I could contact my friend who carries the stuff. The cloth covered stuff may seem dangerous but, it works fine because, it's over rubber insulation.

Most heaters of the times had rubber plugs attached permanently to the cord, now, if one replaces the cord, they will have to use a different plug... and believe it or not, bakelite plugs are everywhere on ebay! The classic early "Button" or "Wall hugger" styles are appropriate for early 20's to 30's types:

and then more streamlined 40's to 50's sets used more of a flat "Streamlined" style like this:

These are safe to use, Bakelite can take a lot of heat... and as long as the prongs are clean, they'll do the job just as well as a modern one.

Now for those who do want a vintage heater, and one is found in an antique shop, and it looks to be in good shape, have an employee assist you and plug it in... and test it out... they usually are pretty happy to help with that kind of stuff. Watch it and test the cord or plug and see if it warms up or stays cool. If it stays cool and the price is right, go for it! They do come in handy on those chilly nights. Now, they were designed only as a space heater, they will not warm up an entire house or large room... Bedrooms or bathrooms are appropriate for space heaters. And just like any heating type of appliance, do not ever leave it on wile you sleep or are away for a long period of time.

If a heater is found that is missing the cord, or is rusty, corroded or looks like too much work... there's three things to do; one is to pass on it till you find another one that's in better condition; two is to buy it and restore it; three is to take a picture and email me the photo! I may just want to buy it... lol

If anyone has questions or input, by all means ad something interesting or fun to this thread!

 

[carebear]

Do you have pictures of some examples of different periods?

 

[surely]

Great idea. You've inspired me, thanks.

 

[Twitch]

You are right. And most of the old electrical things I've perused had cords/plugs I wouldn't trust. Rare that the internals actually go bad.

And never splice a new plug onto the old cord with a cord to cord splice. It is the weak point and will crap out right away= sparks+fire. Only install a new plug at the end of the cord...if the cord if good.

 

[ShooShooBaby]

i have one from the 50s or 60s that looks like something out of an old sci-fi movie. my great-aunt and uncle dug it out of their garage for me and i used it every morning for 2 years with no problems. i'll try to post a pic later today.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Never splice a new plug onto the old cord with a cord to cord splice. It is the weak point and will crap out right away= sparks+fire. Only install a new plug at the end of the cord...if the cord is good.

Yes, splicing is bad... I've seen some interesting splice jobs that made my friend mess his pants if you will... when I do buy an item that needs a new cord, I go over to this buddy's place and he's an electrician, he'll dig up a new old stock cloth cord for me that's in perfect shape, take the ends off of each end of the cord and then solder the copper ends for the connections. Then, dig up a perfectly good vintage plug of my choice out of his magical vintage plug box lol and put it on!

 

[ShooShooBaby]

fftopic: speaking of bad electrical... i have a vintage fan with the old bakelite plug. the back is missing and someone along the line replaced it with CARDBOARD. this seems like a Really Bad Idea to me. needless to say, the fan is just for decoration!

 

[Forgotten Man]

Sure, here are a few images I found on the net of vintage space heaters:

1920's:

This is an early 1920's bulb type of heater... they are rare but, really neat when working.

Also at the time dish heaters were very popular such as this:

Dish type space heaters were popular all the way into the 50's! You can tell by the overall style of them when they were made... if they look ornate or very detailed, it's eariler... more streamlined it's later.

Here is one of mine; the tall style that were around in the late 20's and into the 30's... this is a Thermador and is my personal favorite in my collection:

This next type is the heater fan type... Arvin made many different small heater fan types in the 30's and into the 50's. This type is from the 40's.

In the 50's, they became very space age like so:

Hope that helps!

 

[Forgotten Man]

fftopic: speaking of bad electrical... i have a vintage fan with the old bakelite plug. the back is missing and someone along the line replaced it with CARDBOARD. this seems like a Really Bad Idea to me. needless to say, the fan is just for decoration!

No, it's not a bad idea! Cardboard is fine, in fact, that is correct. You see, when electricity flows through the wires, it's not to generate heat... so, it will not catch it on fire.

Bakelite plugs are fine, they are really great to use... as long as the wires from the cord are screwed into place proper, you can use it and its safe. And that cardboard cover is perfect! I have many plugs with cardboard backing... its dangerous not to have the backing! So, if the cord looks good on that fan, I'm sure you could use it without any risk! Post a photo of your fan some time in the display case! I'd like to see it!

 

[Johnny B]

I've got that Arvin heater, same colour. The plug was in perfect condition.

I remember rewiring a vintage fan with a modern cord. It's easy to do, and you can add a ground for extra safety.

 

[Sefton]

Fortunately there are now many companies that make very good reproduction cloth covered wires and plugs,etc. so It's easy to get your vintage items up and running safely. All of my vintage electronics have been re-wired and tested by professionals so I can use them without too much concern. Just use a little "common sense" when using a vintage-or modern-space heater and you'll be fine. The one exception would be if you have small children and pets who might tip the heater over. I wont use one now since my 8 month old daughter is starting to crawl. Also the 1910's electric fan is going up on a high shelf. Those unprotected steel blades would be just too much temptation for small curious hands!

 

[Dinerman]

At a mid '50s roadside restaurant in Virginia, they had the original wall mounted space heaters. Big old metal boxes with an open flame and a blower inside, much like the concept of the gas fireplace. The place burned a couple months after we visited.

 

[Forgotten Man]

The place burned a couple months after we visited.

Must have been a grease fire in the kitchen

Well, we're talkin' about electric ones... not the gas kind.

I have used some of the cloth covered cord that is being reproduced... and it's great! Some of it is so close to original it's not even funny! Using a heavy rubber cord with a three prong plug on a vintage fan is kinda sacrilege in my mind... I get some appliances like that and I always convert it back to how they would have been. Since these items are never plugged in (until I use it) there's no risk. Old plugs work just as good if they're clean.

As long as one understands electricity, you'll be fine!

 

[benben2356]

Hi there .... I know this is an old thread , but I've just inherited an extemely old one of these copper dish space heaters .... It belonged to my nan and was sat in the garage for decades .... Seems to be in ok condition and has the old style plug attachment with the 3 circular pins , so I don't know how the law goes on selling them like that lol
All I can really tell is that it has hotpoint written on it.... I'm interested in finding out a bit more about this particular one as I haven't been able to find any matching pics on google .... Not sure how u can attach pics here from my phone , but if anyone is interested I will happily email u some pics .... I have resisted the urge to polish it up because I know collectors are funny about that , but I bet It would come up really nice .....

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Good bump!

 

[Methuselah]

Hi there .... I know this is an old thread , but I've just inherited an extemely old one of these copper dish space heaters .... It belonged to my nan and was sat in the garage for decades .... Seems to be in ok condition and has the old style plug attachment with the 3 circular pins , so I don't know how the law goes on selling them like that lol
All I can really tell is that it has hotpoint written on it.... I'm interested in finding out a bit more about this particular one as I haven't been able to find any matching pics on google .... Not sure how u can attach pics here from my phone , but if anyone is interested I will happily email u some pics .... I have resisted the urge to polish it up because I know collectors are funny about that , but I bet It would come up really nice .....

You specifically mention selling. As far as i know, items sold for use in the UK have to comply with current regulations regardless of what the plug regulations were at the time of manufacture.
That's why a lot of 2nd hand sellers specify that items are for decoration only, and many even cut off the old flex.
See here for info:
http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file38628.pdf

If you're concerned about safety, it would be best to have a PAT test done. (It's quite cheap)

You can upload images to the net (Flickr, Google etc) then link to them here.

 

[Talbot]

I have used a cord from an electric iron to good result.

I tested it with a megger before installing

It was covered in brown cloth, and while the plug was cast in place it was concealed when in use.