I fixed my $40 space heater for $3 instead of buying a new one, and it was the fuse not the element

Jake Ward · 2026-09-25T04:55:04.038125+00:00

Everyone on the repair boards says just toss a dead space heater and grab a new one on sale, but that is nonsense. My little ceramic heater quit on a Tuesday night in January, and the internet said the heating element was shot. I opened it up on my kitchen table in Fargo and tested the thermal fuse with a multimeter. The fuse was blown, not the element. A replacement fuse cost me $3 at the hardware store, and it took ten minutes to swap. The new heater would have been $40 plus tax and a trip across town in the cold. I get why people say replace it, but a fuse is a safety part that fails on purpose, and the heater itself was fine. Has anyone else fixed a small appliance this way, or do you just buy a new one when the fuse blows?

🐿️Pinecone Attack

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I fixed my $40 space heater for $3 instead of buying a new one, and it was the fuse not the element | Broke But Brilliant - Pinecone Attack