Recently there was an unusual wave of below freezing air come through Texas so I decided to double-check my plumbing bay electric heater. Firstly, I found that the thermostat was dialed very low, so I turned it up to about 50 F. Although the amp meter instantly showed a power draw increase of about 10 amps, I decided I would still visually check the heater. I'm glad I did. I found that the heater coils were red hot but the fan wasn't turning. Eventually the overheat circuitry kicked-in and the heater cooled; however, I realized this cycle would just keep repeating and was obviously dangerous. After disconnecting the heater, I did a google and found the following recall notice for Square D heaters which were common in Vintage Newells:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml96/96102.html
I just bought a new heater and will be submitting my receipt for the promised "25% cash back for a heater of the same general design and wattage".
Those of us with heaters that look like the attachment (I have three: plumbing bay, bedroom and livingroom) should verify that they are disconnected and/or replaced.
Square D Heater Recall
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