Simple repair of electric heaters. Main malfunctions

Oil-filled electrical appliances are units in demand in everyday life with a long service life. They are manufactured in an industrial environment using modern technologies. But such devices are not always resistant to possible emergency situations, so sometimes they still fail. In some cases, you can repair oil radiators with your own hands, significantly saving the family budget.

An oil heater is a reliable and safe technique that rarely breaks down.

The structure of the heater

Before proceeding with the repair of any electrical appliances, it is important to study the design of the product and the principles of its operation. After reading this information, it will not be difficult to disassemble the oil cooler . The components of the heating equipment are:

metal body;
heating element (TEN);
Control block;
connecting wires.

In the case of the device there is oil, the heating of which is carried out after the heating element is turned on. During operation, the walls of the radiator heat up, and from them the whole room. Upon reaching certain temperatures the control unit is activated, as a result of which the heating element is turned off. These cycles are repeated as long as the product is connected to a power source. As a result, a constant temperature is maintained.

How an oil heater works and how it can be repaired, see this video:

Main problems and their solution

To troubleshoot a radiator, you need to follow certain rules and have certain skills. It should be noted that in the event of a breakdown of any of the elements of the device, it is necessary to stop its operation until the end of repair work.

Oil heater can be repaired by yourself

It is important to understand that it is not possible to restore the operability of the bulk of the heater components at home, or this requires professional knowledge and experience. Experimenting with broken electrical components is undesirable, because such manipulations are fraught with consequences in the form of injuries, explosions and fires. That is why, in the absence of the necessary preparation, it is best to replace the element that has become unusable. During the repair, you need to follow certain recommendations:

Before disassembling the heater, be sure to disconnect it from the power source

be sure to unplug the unit from the outlet;
cool the product to room temperature;
it is forbidden to equip the device with components made in a handicraft way;
avoid contact of oil with the body and electrical wiring;
if it is necessary to replace the main cable, it must be grounded.

There isn't much possible faults oil heaters. Their causes are electrical and mechanical. Often, failures in the functionality of electrical equipment are due to the failure of the heating element, thermal relay, thermal fuse, and also the switch. Very rarely there are problems with the wiring.

Mechanical failures include a violation of the integrity of the housing and the appearance of holes through which oil flows. Determining the problem is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Leakage is detected by characteristic oil stains under the unit. All other breakdowns are related to the electrical part.

Appliance leak

Violation of the tightness of the unit often occurs with mechanical damage, as well as due to the appearance of corrosion formed due to defects in the paintwork. If a long-used and already familiar heater is dripping, then you can try to fix this malfunction yourself. Repair work can be carried out provided that the device is an old model and manufactured by a domestic manufacturer, and is also equipped with a removable heating element.

Leakage of an old radiator may appear due to the appearance of corrosion and rust.

First you need to disassemble the oil heater. To do this, it is necessary to disconnect the control unit, inside which the heating element is located. The latter should be carefully unscrewed and drained into a clean container. After carrying out these manipulations, it is necessary to fill the unit with water to avoid igniting the oil inside.

After detecting a leak, it can be eliminated by welding, but first you need to clean the case with coarse sandpaper or a grinder. Depending on the size and location of the damage, a metal patch is cut in, which is then superimposed on the hole and scalded.

The welding seam must be carefully cleaned and sanded, then degreased and painted with heat-resistant paint. After the paintwork has dried, oil is poured into the device by 80% of the volume. Then the device is assembled in the reverse order.

It is impractical to repair more modern ribbed structures. This is due to the fact that they are made of thin steel using laser welding. It is technically very difficult to restore the tightness of such units, and in living conditions practically impossible or would require large financial outlays. In addition, products are often equipped with a non-removable heating element, so oil can only be drained through the damaged area, and it will not work to fill it back up.

Replacing the heating element

In most cases, all oil heating appliances crackle when plugged in. This is not dangerous, because the sound is due to the expansion of the case under the influence of heat. If, after turning on the device and setting the required power and temperature indicators, the unit does not make sounds, then there is no heating. The cause of the breakdown may be a malfunction of the heating element or electrical wiring.

You can detect a breakdown by ringing the wires with a multimeter

It is important to carefully inspect the electrical cable for damage. If no visible defects are found, then it is necessary to dismantle the rack from the case and disconnect the radiator from the control unit. To do this, it is necessary to remove the plate with the inscription "Do not cover" or "Do not cover" on it, under which there are fixing screws. Having unscrewed the latter from above, on the lower part you need to unfasten the spring clips and remove the side part.

It is necessary to carefully inspect the wiring and insulation, check the quality of the connection. Pay special attention to areas where fractures or oxidation are noticed. If a damaged conductor is found, it must be replaced with a new one. Clean oxidized contacts with sandpaper.

The next step is to dial the details with a multimeter. It must be started from the section from the plug to the nearest switching point. Multi-colored strands in the wires make it easy to follow the directions of the wiring. If the tester beeps, then the conductor is intact. The absence of sounds indicates damage.

There are fuses outside the heating element - this must be taken into account when dialing. There are situations when the heating element is working, but the protective parts burn out.

You can try to replace the heating element yourself

If during testing a breakdown of the heating element is detected, further manipulations depend on the method of mounting the heating element in the heater. If the mount is threaded, you can replace the element yourself. To do this, unscrew it and install a similar part in terms of temperature and power.

If the unit is equipped with a non-removable heating element that is rolled inward, then at home it is almost impossible to flare it and install a new part. In this case, you need to think about purchasing a new product.

Breakdown of the thermostat

When testing the health of the temperature controller, a series of manipulations should be performed step by step. Some of them:

Ring a small section of the chain that goes from the plug to the regulator.
Set the minimum temperature value and test again - the device should show an open circuit.
When the heating element is turned on and the thermostat is set to a value greater than zero, the circuit must be closed.

In the event of a malfunction of the thermostat, it should be replaced with a new one.

If the dialing of parts revealed a lack of operability (for example, the radiator does not respond to temperature changes or power switching), then the element must be replaced with a new one. This is due to the fact that to identify specifications, and then it is impractical to repair in industrial conditions, and in domestic conditions it is very difficult. If the regulatory mechanism is fully functional, you need to clean it of dirt, and also tighten the contacts.

Bimetal fault

The question regarding the possibility of a heater explosion is relevant, because the oil pressure in the device reaches high levels, and the air space in the form of 20% of the volume, of course, has a limited potential. To prevent this, the device is equipped with a thermostat. Often this part is presented in the form of a bimetallic plate that closes the electrical circuit. If the multimeter detects a break at this location, the part must be replaced with a new one with the same characteristics.

If the thermostat is faulty, it will also have to be replaced with a new one.

Oil coolers explode very rarely. This is due to the fact that they have many protective steps that duplicate each other. The probability of a simultaneous failure of all security systems is very low.

No shutdown when dropped

The opening of the circuit when the product is tilted or tilted is provided by a mechanism. Its action is based on the presence of a suspended load, which, when deviated from the vertical position, remains in the same state.

Testing of this part is carried out by manually rocking the unit. If during these manipulations the heater does not turn off, then you need to clean it about

Parts in oil coolers are best replaced, repairs require special skills

tons of dust and good to disperse, but the best thing is to replace because the installation won't take long.

If the safety switch fails, the heaters do not explode. This is due to the fact that when the heating elements that are not covered with oil are overheated, protection is triggered on them or the electrical circuit is opened using a thermal relay.

At home, it is quite possible to fix an oil heater. When troubleshooting, it is best to replace non-working parts without attempting to repair them. This is due to various hazards that require professional skills.

A failed oil heater should not be thrown away; you can restore the operability of this source of additional heating yourself, without involving specialists.

How the device works

If the heater breaks down, before proceeding with its repair, you should become more familiar with its device and the principle of operation.

The main parts of an oil heater are as follows:

Metal case.
Heating element - heating element.
Control block.
Connecting wires.

The device works according to this principle:

The body is filled with special oil.
When the radiator is turned on, the temperature of the heating element begins to rise.
Accordingly, the oil also heats up.
Gradually, heat is transferred to the walls of the case, and the room heats up from them.
When the temperature in the room reaches the optimum value, the control unit is activated and the heating element turns off.
The process is repeated throughout the entire period of connecting the heater to the power supply network. Thanks to this, a comfortable atmosphere is created in the room.

Causes of heater failure

An oil heater stops working for various reasons, but all damage can be electrical and mechanical.

In the first case, electrical equipment fails, it can be a heating element and elements of the control unit, including thermal fuses, a thermal relay and a switch. In rare cases, a malfunction occurs due to faulty electrical wiring.

Mechanical damage refers to the deformation of the housing, including the formation of holes through which oil can be observed. This problem is the result of metal corrosion. It is very easy to determine such a malfunction; in this case, an oil stain forms under the heating device.

Preparing to repair the heater

Before repairing an oil cooler, certain conditions must be created. This step will be the key to a quality repair. First of all, it is necessary to prepare a place where the equipment will be disassembled. The main condition for this is space and good lighting. It is quite possible to repair the heater in the garage or in any separate room.

Next, you need to prepare a set of tools for work and various devices. The most ordinary tools will be required, since the heater has a fairly simple device. When performing repair work, screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters, a hammer and an awl should be at hand. In addition, you may need a soldering iron, tester, lubricant and clean rags. If the cause of the radiator failure is already known, then it is better to purchase a spare part in advance.

Repair process

Each owner, when an additional heating device fails, asks the question of how to return the broken equipment to work. The solution to the problem is quite simple and consists of several points:

Regardless of the type of work performed, before disassembling the oil cooler, it must be disconnected from the power supply.
Then the device needs to be disassembled and examined the oil cooler circuit in order to understand why it does not work. For this purpose, the control panel is detached from the main body. Latches, screws and staples can be used as fasteners in this case, so it is important to conduct a thorough visual inspection. After determining the type of fastening, remove the control panel. In this case, it is very important not to make special efforts so as not to break the plastic elements.
Restoring the performance of an oil heater begins with a check power cord and switch. Sometimes the oil heater does not work due to a broken wire in the power cord. You can check the reliability of this using a tester. As for the switch, here the reason is a contact failure, which is the result of burning the wires at the junctions. To solve the problem, the wires are disconnected and stripped, and the connection point is also cleaned. Next, the switch is assembled and the restored contact is checked using a tester.
At the next stage, all contact connections of the control unit are inspected. On each contact, oxidized or burnt places are detected, as well as places of weakened fastening. Repairs are carried out with screwdrivers and sandpaper. In some cases, a soldering iron is used to solder broken wires.

If the thermal relay or temperature controller turns out to be faulty, you need to carefully remove these elements and disassemble them. The bimetallic plate located inside is pulled out and replaced with a new element. There can be no other faults in these details. A new plate restores the functionality of the relay or thermostat.
Thermal fuses are checked for operability using a tester, in case of a malfunction, they are replaced with new elements. Check each of the available thermostats.
If the oil heater does not heat, then the cause may be a faulty heating element. A tester is also used to check the condition of the heating elements. With its help, resistance is measured, the normal value of which should be equal to 1 KΩ. Deviation from this value indicates a malfunction of the heating element and the time of its replacement.

Having passed all the stages of checking the electrical parts of the oil cooler, you can begin to eliminate mechanical damage.

The most pressing problem is oil leakage from the radiator housing. To solve it, it is necessary to disassemble the device and drain the remaining oil. When inspecting the housing for damage, it is important to pinpoint the exact location of the leak. Here, using a sandpaper, a stripping is performed, as a result of which the size of the hole is determined. It depends on how the repair is done. If the size of the hole is small, and there are no signs of corrosion around, then a small self-tapping screw or screw can be inserted into the hole.

Also, for the repair of oil radiators, you can use a special sealant "cold welding". For convenient use, the material is pre-softened in the hands to a plastic state. The sealant is rolled into a ball and cover the hole with it, carefully leveling it on the surface. For the sealant to fully harden, you must wait about 20 minutes. After that, you can turn on the heater.

A hole formed as a result of rust is more difficult to repair. The damaged area is also cleaned with sandpaper, removing rust to the base metal. After that, an inspection is carried out and the size of the hole is determined. A small hole can be soldered using brass solder rather than tin. A patch is applied to a more extensive damage and welded with welding equipment semi-automatic type. The process is complicated by the fact that it requires special equipment and skills to work with it.

You can repair oil radiators with your own hands, for this you need to have minimal skills in plumbing and electrical engineering. Moreover, repairing a minor breakdown will cost less than buying a new appliance for space heating.

Oil heaters do not often fail because they are reliable classic appliances. But there are times when you need to do a quick repair of an oil heater with your own hands.

The occurrence of a breakdown of the oil cooler, as a rule, is accompanied by the appearance of extraneous sounds inside the case. A slight oil leak may also appear or protection will work, and the heater will simply turn off.

The first thing to do is disconnect it from the power supply. If possible, you need to take it to a service center for repair, but this is not always possible. Therefore, you need to try to repair it yourself.

At first glance, it is impossible to repair at home. But as practice shows, in 60% of cases the breakdown can be fixed by hand. To do this, you need to carefully understand the cause of the breakdown.

When repairing an oil heater, it is necessary to observe all safety measures and follow the instructions and rules for operating the device. Violation of any of the points may result in injury.

Repair of oil heaters and the main types of their breakdowns

The process of repairing an oil heater depends on the type of breakdown or malfunction.

There are three most common directions in the deviation in the operation of the heater:

The occurrence of whistling, sharp sounds inside the heater.
Damage to bimetallic plates.
TENA failure.
Deviations in the operation of the electrical part.

The occurrence of a whistle may indicate the absence right level oil inside the heater. In this case, it is necessary to carefully examine the heater from all sides for damage. Also, the whistle is often caused by an incorrectly installed device. If the oil heater is frequently moved from place to place or tilted during transport, air pockets may form inside.

Oil heating appliances do not like a sharp and long position in an inclined state, therefore it is desirable to transport it vertically.

But if it really happened, you don’t need to do anything, you just need to put the device in the room and let it settle for about an hour so that the oil takes on the operating mode. Then the device can be operated.

Damage to bimetallic plates. When disassembling the heater, damage to the bimetallic plates can be detected. They are located on the temperature control knob. To repair this structural part of the oil heater, you need to turn the temperature control knob to the minimum heating position. Then the screws, fixing nut, frame, spring are removed one by one and the bimetallic plate is removed.

It is not repaired, but replaced with a new one. This part of the regulator most often wears out during a long period of operation. To completely replace the bimetal plate, you need to remove the sensor rod and magnet. The thermostat is assembled in the reverse order and installed in place.

TENA failure. Tan is one of structural elements, which is the most difficult to replace, since it can be either built-in or removable. How to repair the oil heater in this case? If the heating element is removable, you can do it at home by removing the mounting bolts and disconnecting it from the power wires. If the heating element is built-in, you need to bring the heater to a service center.

Deviations in the operation of the electrical part. The reason for the malfunction of the heater may be a lack of contact due to oxidation. To check this, you need to remove the heater from the base and unscrew the fixing screws. Using a screwdriver, it is necessary to remove the stop and adjoining washers. Then the anchor is removed, under which the contacts are located. If signs of an oxidative process are visible, you need to remove the wires, clean them, and wipe the contacts with alcohol. After the repair, you need to assemble everything in its original position and check the performance of the device.

Repair of the body of oil heaters

Holes in the housing are caused by corrosion of the heater walls or in case of mechanical damage from the outside. This breakdown will be visible visually. The device must not be operated in this state. Those who decide to take on the repair of the heater with their own hands should remove all the oil from the device and rinse the tank from the inside with alcohol. To repair the tank, equipment for repairing refrigerators should be used, and copper-phosphorus, brass or silver solder should be selected as a soldering agent.

Before soldering the case, it is necessary to clean the damaged area, cover it with an anti-corrosion liquid, and after it dries, degrease the surface with alcohol. The next step is soldering itself. To do this, the solder is applied to the place of damage and heated with a burner according to the principle of hermetic soldering of refrigeration equipment.

It must be remembered that synthetic oil is not combined with a mineral type. Do not mix different oils. Therefore, if you are not sure what type of oil was filled in, it is best to change the oil completely. If the type of oil is known, according to the passport data, it just needs to be topped up.

After a complete repair of the oil heater, it is necessary to fill the oil inside to 90% of the capacity, leaving a place of 10% under the air cushion (when heated, the oil tends to expand, and the air will contribute to this process). In the absence of an air cushion inside the case, from high blood pressure it may break.

When the case is repaired, you need to check it for leaks. If the oil does not flow even when the heater is fully started, then the repair has been done correctly.

Oil heaters are massively used by summer residents to heat rooms in winter. They are effective and do not burn oxygen, but the danger is that their body is very hot. Incorrect operation can cause a number of problems that are difficult to fix.

Oil heater repair - video

An oil cooler failure can happen unexpectedly and at a very inopportune moment. If oil leaks appear on the case, the device should be immediately turned off from the network and think about buying a new heat source. In case of other malfunctions, the device can be brought back to life with the help of a wizard or independently. It is recommended to take on the repair of an oil heater with your own hands only if you have basic knowledge in the field of electrics, while not forgetting to observe safety precautions.

The main breakdowns of oil coolers

Any repair begins with a diagnosis. It is important to correctly determine the cause of the failure and calculate the faulty part.

Do not be afraid if the heat source began to crackle immediately after switching on. As a rule, this happens during the heating of the mineral oil inside. Crackling is considered normal and does not affect the operation of the appliance. Sometimes moving the radiator to a perfectly flat place helps to reduce noise.
If the heater stops turning on, the first step is to exclude a breakdown in the outlet and turn on the device in another power source. The most common failure in this case is a loose contact, in second place is a plug malfunction, and in the third place is damage and breaks in the cord.
If the heater shows signs of operation (indicators are on, fans turn on), but does not heat up, the cause should be sought in the thermal relay. This spare part is easy to buy and replace with your own hands.
A cold case may also indicate that the heating element is out of working condition - this is a rather serious reason and it is not recommended to eliminate it yourself.
If the device does not turn off after heating to the set temperature, this may signal a thermostat malfunction - such work becomes not only uncomfortable and dangerous, but also uneconomical in terms of energy consumption.

Repair tools: screwdriver and multimeter

DIY troubleshooting

The oil cooler is a non-separable structure, therefore it is impossible to break the hermetic case of the device, trying to replace a faulty heating element. Self-repair of an oil heater is possible only at the level of the cord, plug and control unit. To the delight of home craftsmen, the most frequent breakdowns occur in these places. In order not to get confused in spare parts, it is recommended to group all fasteners and parts and do step by step photos during operation - it will be easier to assemble the device in reverse order.

Wiring diagram oil heater

The heater does not turn on: procedure

First of all, the cord is inspected and carefully probed, trying to detect creases. If the cord has been in a bent state for a long time, most likely a defect has formed in this area. The plug, if its design allows, is disassembled and the integrity of the contacts checked. Most often, the problem is hidden at the junction of the pins of the plug with the ends of the current-carrying strands of the cord.

If there are no visible signs of failure on the cord and plug, you should use a special device - an ohmmeter and "ring" the cable. It is also necessary to inspect the connection of the electrical wire to the power supply terminals and check the condition of the unit, having previously removed the decorative cover of the front panel. The detected soot is removed by carefully cleaning the elements. Loose fasteners are carefully tightened, restoring contacts. If there is a new power cord with a socket in stock, you can notice an aged cable with it.

Checking the contacts in the power supply

In order not to disassemble the power supply for the second time, it is recommended to immediately inspect the thermostat. To gain access to this module, you need to slightly lift the armature of the device and inspect the contacts. Darkening indicates that the appliance has been short circuit. Its consequences are easy to eliminate by cleaning the electrical contacts with sandpaper and treating with alcohol. Small debris formed during the cleaning process is removed from the unit with a vacuum cleaner.

Checking the functionality of the thermal fuse

Damaged tires are also subject to replacement - new blanks are easy to cut from a sheet of brass of the same thickness, using the old parts as a template. Holes for fasteners are drilled with a drill. The temperature controller has bimetallic plates, which, if a breakdown is detected, must be replaced. To remove the plate, disassemble the thermostat, carefully and sequentially unscrewing all the nuts.

Radiator gets too hot or doesn't heat well

These polar problems have one root - a malfunction of the thermostat. To find the cause, an important module is disassembled and carefully examined. The safest thing is to replace this part by looking for spare parts for oil heaters. You can try to adjust the knocked down settings yourself by setting the armature stroke in the range of 1.5-2.5 mm. Ideally, it should move abruptly from the magnet to the stop.

Oil cooler thermostat

Another important spare part: thermostat

After completing the repair, the device is assembled and connected to the network. The absence of the expected result is a reason to contact a specialist or an eloquent hint that it is time to purchase a new electric heater. It is strongly not recommended to engage in the replacement of a heating element at home, as well as welding and soldering a damaged case.

Many breakdowns heating devices you can fix it yourself, which will be very cheap.

The structure of the radiator

It is possible to carry out, which has broken, when its structure is known. It is like this:

Metal sealed container in the form of a battery or accordion. In the middle of it is technical oil. It fills 90% of the tank. The rest is air. It is necessary to compensate for the expansion of the oil as a result of heating. If the entire internal space of the radiator were filled with oil, then the container would simply burst.
heating element. It is located in the middle of the main part of the radiator. It is always mounted at the bottom of the tank. It heats up the oil. During heating, oil circulates through the radiator. Most manufacturers mount a double heater. It has two helixes. The heating element is fixed so that all its contacts are on the outside of the tank. Can be built-in or removable.
thermal fuse. It is located near the heating element above the heating element. The task of the fuse is to measure the temperature of the oil and, if it becomes critical, or the oil has leaked out (then the case gets very hot), turn off the heating element. It is an auxiliary security element, so it very rarely interferes with the operation of the device. There are two types: bimetallic and wire. The first one is more reliable.
. It can be found at the top of the heater. It is designed to regulate the heating of the radiator. The main part of this element - a bimetallic plate - is in heated air and reacts to changes in its temperature. Above it are usually ventilation holes. The same ones are at the bottom of the casing, which is attached to the main metal container.
Two switches. Each of them is connected by phase, neutral and ground wires that extend from the heating element. A wire from a thermal relay is suitable for each of them. Near the switches there is a light bulb that glows when the heating element is operating.

Oil cooler disassembly

It always starts with this procedure, because electrical elements are under a protective cover., which is attached to one end of the heater. Moreover, the manufacturer attached it in such a way that it seems as if he and the body are one.

Major breakdowns

Burnout, contamination of contacts.
Plug failure.
Thermal fuse failure.
Deformation of a bimetallic plate.
TENA breakdown.
Failure of the drop or position sensor.
Oil leak.

Elimination of the most simple breakdowns

These breakdowns are oxidation, loose contacts, plug failure.

After parsing the radiator, you need to check each wire. This is done with a multimeter or tester. First, check the correctness of the plug. To do this, one terminal of the tester is applied to one of its ends. The second terminal of the tester must be attached to the connection of the thermal relay and the wire extending from the plug.

Sometimes there may be an additional connection on the power cable. It is done immediately after the cable enters the case. Further, wires to the thermal relay and the heating element depart from this connection. The second terminal of the tester must be applied to each wire in such a connection. Check both plug outputs.

If the tester did not give a signal when alternately applying the second terminal of the tester to the end of the input phase and neutral wire, then the plug is faulty. She needs replace.

After that, the tester checks all other wires. One of its terminals is always applied to the plug. The other touch all terminals. The check sequence is as follows:

thermal relay contacts;
thermal fuse contacts;
contacts of the heater operation regulator;
TEN contacts.

During the test, the thermostat must be in a position in which the heating element will work. It is set to a temperature that is higher than the available one.

If there is no tester signal when checking the output contact of the thermal relay, then the contact may be bad or the thermal relay has broken, or rather bimetal plate. First, pay attention to the contact. The wire terminal is pulled out and checked. If it is clean, there is no oxidation or soot, then it is serviceable, and the problem lies in the base of the terminal mount or thermal switch. If the terminal has the listed disadvantages, then it needs to be cleaned. In extreme cases, it is replaced with a new one.

All contacts can be checked visually. If the terminals are clean, without damage, then the problem is not in them. Some of the contacts may be loose. Then they are screwed up or the base into which the terminal is inserted is more flattened.

Repair of thermal relay and thermal fuse

This process is bimetal plate replacement or the entire element. The bimetallic plate must be replaced when it is severely deformed, and any position of the relay wheel does not close the contact.

The bimetallic plate is changed like this:

Set the lowest heating temperature.
Remove the regulator knob.
Unscrew the nuts, dismantle the frame.
Remove the bimetallic plate, put a new one in its place.
Assemble the regulator.
Check the correct operation of the plate. For this you need turn the knob of the regulator, changing the position of the plate and setting a certain temperature level. Next, the plate is heated with a hair dryer or fan heater to the set temperature level. If it bends and the contact separates, then it is installed well. Otherwise, the substitution is invalid. It is necessary to solve the complexity by weakening the pressure of the plate on the contact, which corresponds to the lowest heating temperature.

Putting the plate in the right position is a lengthy process. Better buy a new thermostat.

Similar actions are performed with a broken thermal fuse.

Oil Leak Cleanup

Violation of the tightness of the main part of the radiator and oil leakage is the most common problem with these heaters. Oil may leak through an accidental hole or a wall that has rusted. If the second option takes place, then it is better to purchase a different radiator, since corrosion can destroy a larger area than is visible. That's why after a while, oil will flow near the brewed or sealed place.

Holes or small holes, cracks can be:

solder;
brew.

The first option should be avoided. Soldering cannot provide a reliable connection, and with constant heating / cooling, the strong contact of the solder and the metal of the tank will begin to turn into a crack. Therefore, it is better to weld a hole.

Preparing the heater for soldering or welding is the same:

Draining oil from the tank.
Cleaning the problem area from dirt and rust. This can be done with sandpaper.
Pouring water into a tank. This will avoid a possible fire (there was oil inside, and its remains were definitely preserved).
Turning the radiator in such a position that water will not flow out of the hole.