Final answer:
To prevent a heater from overheating, use thermal safety switches, lower the thermostat when not needed, understand the heater's duty cycle, and change filters regularly to maintain efficiency and safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
To prevent a heater from overheating, one should take into account various safety and efficiency measures. Turning your thermostat down when not needed can help reduce the need for the heater to work excessively, as the power required to maintain temperature in your home is related to the temperature difference between the indoors and outdoors. In terms of physics and energy efficiency, having a lower set temperature reduces heat loss through conduction, since air is a good insulator, and minimizes the duty cycle of the heater. Thermal safety switches, such as bimetallic switches, are also critical as they automatically turn off the heater to prevent overheating and possible damage. Additionally, a heater often alternates between full blast and off, regulated by a thermostat to maintain the desired temperature, and understanding your heater's duty cycle can anticipate its behavior and efficiency.
To ensure proper maintenance, it's also advised to change heating filters regularly, as they trap dust and prevent pollutants, and this keeps the heater running efficiently and safely. Regarding the construction of your own problem with an electric immersion heater, one would calculate the needed resistance and energy cost while considering components like voltage, mass, heat capacity, and heat losses. Also, incorporating a thermal safety switch into the design of an electric immersion heater used for making tea would protect the unit from reaching damaging temperatures.