Comfort Zone Heater Keeps Shutting Off [5 Easy Solutions]
Lack of airflow is the number 1 reason that causes your Comfort Zone Heater to keep shutting off. And the airflow gets restricted if the air filter is covered with dirt or debris. If your space heater model has no air filter, check the radiator inside the unit for blockage.
Apart from these, activated safety features, a dirty heating element, or clogged fan & motor are also responsible for the unit to go into the shut off mode repeatedly.
Luckily, this guide will help you pinpoint the problem behind the issue and help you resolve it. So, keep reading till the unit.
Table of Contents
Comfort Zone Heater Keeps Shutting Off [5 Reasons & Solutions]
Comfort Zone Heater keeps shutting off due to:
- Dirty air filter
- Dirty radiator
- One of the safety features of the heater gets activated
- Dust buildup on the heating element
- Clogged fan & motor
1. Dirty Air Filter
A clogged air filter is the main culprit that causes your Comfort Zone Heater to shut off repeatedly.
How?
The air filter protects the heating coil or element from dirt & dust and keeps the air in your home cleaner & fresher.
Over time, the air filter itself gets clogged by dirt, which reduces its efficiency. As a result, sufficient airflow won’t flow through the space heater.
And the restricted airflow causes the internal components to get overheated, which triggers the thermal cut-out or overheat safety sensor to activate and shuts the unit immediately.
How To Fix:
You should clean the air filter every 3 months to maintain its optimum performance.
To clean the air filter, dismantle the unit using a Phillips head screwdriver. Once you disassemble the heater, locate the air filter. After4ward, remove the air intake grille and wash the air filter.
Before putting the air filter back into your heater, dry the air filter. Finally, restore the filter in its place and reassemble the unit.
2. Dirty Radiator
Not every model of Comfort Zone Space Heater has a built-in air filter. In this case, the main problem lies in the center of the unit. Once you take the fan out of the heater, you can see a radiator there. If it gets covered with dirt buildup, the heater will keep shutting off.
How To Fix:
Clean the radiator and the problem will go away. Regarding this, disassemble the heater and remove the fan from its place. Then, use a shop vac to remove all the buildup from the radiator. After that, reinstall the fan and reassemble the heater.
3. One of the Safety Features Get Activated
Like other space heaters, Comfort Zone Heater is also equipped with a number of safety features, including:
- Tip-Over Safety Feature
- Overheat Safety Feature or Thermal Cutout
- Internal circuit breaker
The tip over switch comes into play when the heater is tipped over accidentally. This internal switch shuts off the unit automatically to avoid possible fire hazards.
On the other hand, your space heater will go into the shut off mode because of the overheat safety feature. When the internal components of the unit reach a certain temperature that could cause overheat, this sensor will turn off the unit.
Lastly, an internal circuit breaker adds an additional layer of safety to your Comfort Zone Space Heater. If the unit draws more electric current than its rating, the circuit breaker will open and cut the electric supply off.
How To Fix:
First off, place your space heater on a firm and level space. If the heater knocks over accidentally or by your pets, restore it to an upright position. Then, turn on the unit by the remote control or the control panel on the unit to continue operation.
Secondly, if the unit shuts off due to overheating, reset the unit to resolve the issue.
To reset your Comfort Zone Space Heater, turn off the heater and set the master power switch to the Off position. You can find this on the rear of the heater. Then, unplug the unit from the power source and leave it for 20 minutes. After that, restore the power to the unit and turn the master switch and on/off switch to On.
Thirdly, check the internal circuit breaker and reset it manually if needed.
4. Dust Buildup On the Heating Element
A dirty heating element is also responsible for intermittent heater problems. If the heating element gets covered with dirt or debris, it may fail to work or overheat, which could shut the unit off.
How To Fix:
Cleaning the heating element will be a simple fix to this issue.
To clean the heating element, loosen the four Phillips head screws instead of removing them completely. You can find those screws behind the louvers in the corners of the louver housing on both sides. Then, lift up the louver and pull it out.
This provides access to the heating element. Now, use a vacuum cleaner or a soft brush to brush away the lint or dust buildup from the heating element.
Once you clean the heating element, replace the louver into its place and secure it by tightening up the Phillips head screws.
FYI: You must unplug the unit before inspecting or cleaning. Forget to mention that the heating element cleaning procedure is applicable for Comfort Zone CZ220. The cleaning method could be different for other models.
Don’t hesitate to replace the heating element if this component seems damaged or broken.
5. Clogged Fan & Motor
Your Comfort Zone Heater will function intermittently if the fan and its motor gets jammed by debris. Because of a clogged fan, the heater fails to draw enough air to keep the internal components cool. As a result, the unit gets overheated and causes the heater to shut off continuously.
How To Fix:
Before cleaning the fan and its motor, unplug the heater from the power.
Then, pull out the protective grill from the rear of the heater. It will help you get the fan and motor. Using a soft cloth or brush, wipe off the fan and the motor.
Restore the protective grill in its place once you clean the fan and the motor.
FAQs
The heater will cycle on and off repeatedly to maintain the room temperature. In short, it’s not a problem at all.
Oil filled heater keeps shutting off if the overheat protection feature gets activated. To resolve this issue, turn off the unit and leave it for 20 minutes.
Error code E1 on Comfort Zone Garage Heater means either the air filter gets clogged or the tilt switch gets tripped. To reset this error code, unplug the unit, turn onto the side, then back it upright again. Finally, plug the heater into an electric outlet. If needed, clean the air filter.
End-Note
The first priority is to operate the heater safely. If your Comfort Zone Heater keeps shutting off, I bet it’s going through a problem, which must be addressed and resolved.
Throughout this guide, I brought every culprit into light that causes the heater to shut off repeatedly. What you need to do now is just follow the troubleshooting steps and fix the heater issue.
Good Luck!
Read Also:
Eric Alvarez is the head of content on LilDutchUncle.Com. He is an HVAC guy based in El Paso, Texas, United States. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University Of Texas at El Paso. Years of experience in the HVAC field have taught him many lessons, not the least of which is that the value of quality and knowledge far exceeds any promised initial savings. He has a good standing reputation for superior skills in heating, air conditioning, hot water tanks, and indoor air quality systems.
