OF
Well-Known Member
Is there a particular technique to get it in properly? No matter what I do it wont sit right
Bummer. Unfortunate choice as you've found out. Hopefully the wires didn't get broken, this unit it not supposed to be disassembled that way.
Leave it as it is, remove the four small screws in the bottom and slide the cover off the unit. Then go to the top and notice the entire heater assembly is held by those four screws? That assembly, intact, has to be treated as one piece. Carefully unplug the two cables (larger one is the heater power, the smaller is the temperature sensor. When the cables are free, remove the four screws and carefully remove the assembly as a unit. Upper cover, heater body, lower plate, the circuit board with the connectors and wires to the heater soldered to it and the two screws that retain the board. Lift it straight up and clear keeping the latches shut as best you can.
Once it's out you can inspect the wires and be sure they're OK (the sensor leads are most frail). Center things as best you can, I usually can't get both the latches to reset. Then put the four screws back in and snug them down but don't tighten them down. Look at the gap between top and bottom pieces and slowly tighten the screws up one at a time to get the gap uniform then reduce it to zero a quarter or half a turn at a time. Don't force it, some don't fit all that square, often one latch won't set, but the key is the gap closing uniformly. Then connect up the cables again, slide the cover back, put the 4 small screws in (be sure the cover is fully down, don't use the screws to 'pull it in' or the tabs will snap off). Finally screw the top cover on and test it out.
Good luck.
OF