The Duraflame Infrared Quartz portable heater is a nice little piece of technology. Despite its diminutive size, it easily and efficiently warms a 1000 square foot room in very little time.
However, problems may sometimes occur like any technology, which brings up our article’s subject today.
In this article, we’ll address Duraflame Infrared Heater troubleshooting so that you’ll have a handy list of the most common issues to help you to know right away what you can do if your heater is not performing correctly.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common issues, their causes, and how to fix them
Duraflame Infrared Heater Troubleshooting
Control panel buttons are not changing settings
Suppose you are depressing the buttons on the control panel, and none of them seem to work. In that case, this is generally going to mean that the control panel has a defective circuit board or has otherwise been rendered inoperable and must be replaced.
Control panel is not lit-up
Likewise, if the control panel stops illuminating, this is also a sign that you will need to replace the control panel circuit board to get your heater up and running again.
Heater is displaying an “E1” or an E2 code
E1 and E2 codes are indicators that either the thermostat sensor is damaged or broken or possibly disconnected in the case of an E1. You’ll want to perform the following based on the code:
E1 – As an E1 may mean the thermostat is disconnected, you should unplug your unit and remove the back panel to check and see if the thermostat has become unplugged from the primary circuit board. If it is not, plug it back in and see if this fixes the issue. If it does not, you will want to contact customer service as you may need a replacement sensor.
E2 – An E2 is a definite sign that the thermostat sensor is inoperable. You will want to contact customer service to request a replacement sensor.
Heater is running, but there is no warm air coming from it
If you notice that your heater is not blowing warm air, see if this is something that lasts longer than a few minutes., Your Duraflame heater has a ‘cooldown cycle’ that will run on occasion, and during this time, it will only blow cool air. This is to be expected with regular operation.
If the issue continues for more than a few minutes, then the next thing that you will want to do is to make sure that the air filters are clean. A quick, gentle cleaning with a hand vacuum may correct the issue if the problem is your filters.
If, however, it is simply not reaching the set temperature, keep in mind that it is intended to be used as a supplemental heater, used in conjunction with a primary heating strategy. If this is new behavior from your heater, you may also try the following steps to Perform a ‘Master Reset’:
- Power off your heater and then unplug it from your power outlet.
- Press and hold the power button on your Duraflame unit, plugging the unit back in a while holding the button firmly down.
- Once plugged in, continue to hold the power button for a count of 5. Stop pressing the button at this time and power the unit on.
- Your unit should first flash a value of 72 degrees, followed by the ambient temperature of the room it is occupying.
If the steps outlined do not correct the issue, you will want to contact customer service.
Heater is turning itself on randomly
This is normal operational behavior. Your Duraflame heater, by design, will occasionally test the temperature by running two test cycles which are 3 minutes in duration. One cycle will be cool air, and the other will be warm.
Heater allows configuration but never starts heating cycle
If your heater lets you change settings but never actually starts to heat the room, then a manual reset may be in order. To do this, turn off your Duraflame unit and then unplug it for no less than 5 minutes. After this, plug in the unit, and the manual reset is complete.
If this does not help the issue, then you should contact customer service immediately for the next steps.
Power cord is noticeably warm
If you notice that the power cord is warm, there may be a problem with the outlet, or the plug may be loose rather than securely in the socket. If it is loose, plug it in firmly, but if it is already firmly in place, try testing it with another outlet to rule out any issues with the power source.
Heaters tend to draw more power than the majority of appliances that you will use with your household power outlets. As such, other appliances may function just fine, while using the heater results in a warm power cord.
Suppose the faceplate or the outlet itself becomes hot. In that case, you will want to contact a licensed Electrician, as this is likely an issue with an overloaded outlet and not the Duraflame unit itself.
What is occurring in this scenario is that the heater is drawing more power than your other appliances but should still be well within your outlet’s operational capacity to effectively power without heating up.
This makes the outlet a potential fire hazard, and you will want to have it checked out immediately.
Remote control is not working properly
If you are having issues with your remote control, there are 3 quick things that you can check to determine the issue quickly. Try checking the following:
- Try a fresh set of batteries to rule these out.
- Test the remote at a distance of less than 20 feet, with your remote pointed directly at the panel.
- Try pressing the buttons shortly for a slightly extended duration. Sometimes pressing the buttons too quickly may overload the transmitter so that your commands are not relayed to the control unit.
If none of these steps help, check with customer service as you may well need a replacement remote.
Temperature display not matching independent readings from other thermostats/measurements
If the temperature is displaying incorrectly, you will want to recalibrate it to see if it resolves the issue manually. To do this, please perform the following steps:
- Press and hold your ‘timer’ button on your Duraflame heater.
- Hold this down until the display flashes a ’00’, followed by a temperature between -9 and 9 degrees.
- Stop pressing the timer button and use your ‘+’ and ‘–’arrows to adjust the variance value, and once you’ve got it properly set, do not press any buttons for another 10 seconds, and the calibration should be complete.
The heater is taking longer than usual to reach the set temperature
If your heater is running, but it is taking a very long time to reach the desired temperature, then there are a few things which you will want to check. First off, remember that the Duraflame is intended as a supplemental heating source rather than a primary heater, and consider the square footage of the space occupied to ensure it is within operational range.
If it is well within operational parameters, the next thing to check is your air filters. If they are dirty, give them a quick, gentle cleaning with a hand vacuum and see if this improves performance.
Next, if you are using an extension cord, try plugging it directly into a wall outlet. If this does not help either, then consider the location of the unit. Ideally, it should have 6 inches of clearance at both the back and the sides of the unit to ensure proper operational airflow. Finally, it should be placed in front of an inside wall with proper insulation to avoid heat loss.
This should allow it to heat 1000 square feet of area efficiently, but if you are still having problems, the next step will be to contact customer service for further support.
The heater is still running after reaching the set temperature and/or when it has been turned off
This is expected behavior, and your Duraflame is performing as designed. Check the temperature of the air, it should be cool, and even though the unit has been powered off, it will continue to run for a few minutes before it fully shuts off.
Unable to change the temperature value from the control panel
If you are trying to change the temperature variable on your control panel, but it will not change, this is a sign that the control panel circuit board is either faulty or damaged and will need to be replaced.
Some final words on your Duraflame Infrared Quartz portable heater
Today we’ve addressed some of the most common problems seen with the Duraflame Infrared Quartz portable heater. If your issue was not included here or if the steps we’ve provided today do not resolve the issue, please be sure to contact customer service.
In many cases, problems might be a simple configuration or usage issues. Still, if that is not the case, customer service should be able to provide you with the following steps to get your Duraflame up, running, and back to being fully operational!