DR. Heater DR-968H User manual

Infrared Portable Space Heater with Humidifier
 1500 Watts with
Two Heat Settings
 Automatic Thermostat
 Tip-Over Switch
 Built-In Humidifier
 Room Temperature
LED Display
 Precision Temperature
Control
 Easy Push-Button Controls
 Remote Control
Owner’s Manual
PLEASE READ AND
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Model No.: DR-968H

T
CONGRATULATIONS!
he Dr. Infrared Heater you
have just purchased is a
safe and powerful heater,
designed to heat a room after a few
minutes of operation. The far-infrared
Quartz-PTC heating system is an
excellent choice for safely heating
whole rooms, while saving on
heating costs.
Additionally, this heater includes an
overheat protection system, and an
inlet air overheat protection system
designed to ensure your safety.
This heater does not reduce humidity
or oxygen in your home or office,
promoting a healthier environment!
Before using your Dr. Infrared Heater,
please take a few minutes to read
these instructions, and review the
product’s limited warranty.
Thank you!
CAUTION- High temperature! Keep
electrical cords, drapery, and other
furnishings at least 3 feet (0.9 m)
from the front and rear of the heater.
IMPORTANT
INSTRUCTIONS
When using this appliance, basic
precautions should always be
followed to reduce the risk of fire,
electric shock and injury to persons,
including the following.
1. Read all the instructions before
using this heater.
2. This heater is hot when in use. To
avoid burns, do not let bare skin
touch hot surfaces. Keep
combustible materials, such as
furniture, pillows, bedding, papers,
clothes and curtains at least 3 feet
(0.9 m) from the front of the heater
and away from the sides and rear.
3. Extreme caution is necessary
when any heater is used by or
near children or persons with
physical challenges and whenever
the heater is left operating and
unattended.
4. Do not operate the heater with a
damaged cord or plug, or after the
heater malfunctions, has been
dropped, or damaged in any
manner. Return the heater to an
authorized service facility for
examination, electrical or
mechanical adjustment, or repair.
5. Do not use outdoors.
6. This heater is not intended for use
in bathrooms, laundry areas or
similar indoor locations. Never
locate the unit where it may fall
into a bathtub or other water
WARNING! To reduce the risk of
fire, electric shock, or personal injury,
read all the instructions before using
this heater. This appliance is
intended for household or personal
use only as described in this manual.
Any other use including but not
limited to commercial, agricultural, or
outdoor use, is not recommended by
the manufacturer and may cause
fire, electric shock, injury and/or
damages. The use of any
attachments and accessories or
extension cords not recommended
or sold by Dr. Infrared Heater
Products may cause hazards and
void the warranty.

container.
7. Do not run the cord under
carpeting and do not cover the
cord with throw rugs, runners or
the like. Do not route cord under
furniture or appliances. Arrange
the cord away from traffic areas
to avoid a tripping hazard.
8. To disconnect the heater, turn
controls to OFF, then remove the
plug from outlet.
9. Do not insert or allow foreign
objects to enter any ventilation or
exhaust opening as this may
cause an electric shock, fire or
damage to the heater.
10. Connect to properly grounded
outlets only.
11. To prevent a possible fire, do not
block air intakes or exhaust
openings in any manner. Do not
use on soft surfaces, like a bed,
where openings may become
blocked. Use the heater on flat,
dry surfaces only.
12. A heater has hot and arcing or
sparking parts inside. Do not use
the heater in areas where
gasoline, paint or flammable
liquids are used or stored.
13. Use this heater only as described in
this manual. Any other use not
recommended by the manufacturer
may cause fire, electric shock or
injury to persons.
14. Never clean this heater while it is
plugged in. Do not immerse in
water. To disconnect, turn control
to OFF, then remove the plug
from the outlet by grasping it and
pulling it from the outlet.
Never yank on the cord.
15. This heater includes a visual
alarm to warn that parts of the
heater are getting excessively hot.
If the alarm flashes, immediately
turn the heater OFF and inspect
for any objects on or adjacent to
the heater that may cause high
temperatures. DO NOT
OPERATE THE HEATER WITH
THE ALARM FLASHING. To reset
the heater, turn it OFF, unplug it
from the electrical outlet, and wait
five to ten minutes for the unit to
cool down before plugging it back
in and turning the heater on.
16. Always unplug the heater when it
is not in use.
17. Always plug heater directly into a
wall outlet/receptacle. Never use
with an extension cord or
relocatable power tap
(outlet/power strip).
18. It is normal for the heater’s plug
and cord to feel warm to the
touch. A plug or cord which
becomes hot to the touch or
becomes distorted in shape may
be a result of a worn electrical
outlet. Worn outlets or
receptacles should be replaced
prior to further use of the heater.
Plugging this heater into a worn
outlet may result in overheating
of the power cord or fire.
19. Make sure the plug is fully
inserted into an appropriate
receptacle. Be mindful that
receptacles also deteriorate due
to aging and continuous use.
Check periodically for signs of
overheating or deformations of
the plug. If any overheating or

deformation occurs, immediately
discontinue using the heater and
contact Dr. Infrared Heater
Authorized Service Center.
20. CHECK YOUR HEATER CORD
AND PLUG CONNECTIONS.
Faulty wall outlet connections or
loose plugs can cause the outlets
or plug to overheat. During use,
please check frequently to
determine if your plug outlet or
faceplate is HOT! If it is hot,
discontinue using the heater
and/or make certain a qualified
electrician checks and replaces
the faulty outlet(s).
CAUTION: This appliance is not intended
for use by persons (including children)
with reduced physical, sensory or mental
capabilities, or lack of experience and
knowledge, unless they have been given
supervision or instruction concerning use
of the appliance by a person responsible
for their safety.
SAVE THESE
INSTRUCTIONS
Humidifier Attachment
Installation:
1. Open the humidifier packing and
remove the humidifier attachment,
as shown in Figure 1.
2. Take out the water bottle (Max.
500 ml.) from the package and fill
the water bottle with distilled water.
Then fully tighten the connector on
the water bottle as shown in FIG 2.
CAUTION: You must use distilled
water to keep the humidifier
working properly. Also, make sure
the connector is tightened to the
bottle to prevent water leakage.
FIG 1
DC JACK
HOOK
WATER
SEAL RING
BOTTLE
CONNECTOR
FIG 2

3. Fully insert the humidifier into the
two hooks located in the rear side
of the wooden box as shown in
Figure 3.
CAUTION: Make sure the two hooks
are fully inserted and the DC
PLUG is connected to the DC
JACK.
4. Push down the moisture outlet
cover on top of the wooden box as
shown in Figure 4.
CAUTION: Make sure the moisture
outlet cover is pushed down
before using the humidifier
attachment.
5. Insert bottle, attached to connector,
into the humidifier, as shown in
Figure 5.
Operating Instructions
1. Plug the power supply cord into a
grounded wall outlet. (120VAC,
60Hz).
Important: This heater comes with a
grounded (three-prong) plug. The
grounded plug must be used with a
grounded outlet. Do not use an
adapter in a two-slot wall outlet unless
the ground plug of the adapter properly
connects to a building ground. Using
the heater without a properly grounded
outlet or adapter could result in an
electric shock hazard.
The cord has a plug as shown at A in
the following figure. An adapter, as
shown at C, is available for
connecting three-blade
grounding-type plugs to two-slot
receptacles. The green grounding
plug extending from the adapter must
be connected to a permanent ground
such as a properly grounded outlet
HOOKS
DC PLUG
FIG 3
FIG 4
FIG 5

box. The adapter should not be used
if a three-slot grounded receptacle is
available.
2. TURNING THE HEATER ON
To turn the heater ON, press the
POWER button; the power LED
will turn on. Next, press the MODE
button; the heat setting will be set
to AUTO. Press the MODE button
again to set to HIGH. Press the
button a third time to set to LOW.
Press the button a fourth time to
turn the heater OFF.
3. TURNING THE HEATER TO
STANDBY OFF To turn the
heater to Standby OFF, press the
Standby OFF button. The heater
will shut off but the fan will
continue to run until all the heat
has been expelled. The heater will
turn off automatically and is set to
Standby mode. If you are not going
to use the heater for a long time,
press the POWER button to fully
shut down the heater. The power
LED will turn off.
4. SETTING THE THERMOSTAT
Press the MODE button, and set to
AUTO mode to engage the
automatic thermostat.
5. SETTING THE TEMPERATURE
To set the desired temperature:
Press the button once
until the numeric temperature starts
flashing.
Press the button again to
increase the temperature or the
button to decrease the
temperature.
After the desired temperature is set,
this will be your ideal setting. The
heater will run on HIGH until the room
temperature reaches the set
temperature. The heater will then
switch to run on LOW for 10 minutes.
The heater will turn off if the room
temperature is equal to or greater
than the set temperature. (The fan
will continue to run a minute until all
of the residual heat has been
expelled).
For example: If your ideal setting is
72°F, the heater will run on HIGH until
it reaches 72°F. The heater then will
switch to run on LOW for 10 minutes.
The unit will turn off if the room
temperature is equal to or greater
than the set temperature.
The default temperature setting is
preset from the factory at 68°F.
Remote Controller
HOW TO INSERT BATTERIES
NOTE: Remove the batteries if the
remote control is not to be used for a
month or more. Batteries left in the
unit may leak and cause damage.

DO NOT MIX OLD AND NEW
BATTERIES! DO NOT MIX
ALKALINE, STANDARD
(CARBON-ZINC) OR
RECHARGEABLE
(NICKEL-CADMIUM) BATTERIES!
Instructions for the Use of the IR
Remote Control
The buttons of the remote control
function in the same manner as those
on the control panel on the front of
the heater. Set the timer by using the
remote control.
Setting the Timer
1. Press the TIMER button until Set
Time starts flashing. The default
value is 3 hours.
2. Press the “+” button to increase the
set time or the “–” button to
decrease the set time.
The timer can be set from
1 to 12 hours. The timer will set and
execute after the LED display stops
flashing. The heater will shut OFF
automatically when the set time is
reached.
3. To turn the timer OFF, follow step 1,
pressing the “–” button to set the
time to 0. The timer feature will
turn off when the LED stops
flashing.
Maintenance
1. Always turn OFF the heater and
disconnect the cord from the
electrical outlet before cleaning
the unit.
2. Light accumulation of dust may be
removed from the heater with a
soft cloth or vacuum cleaner.
3. Wipe the exterior surfaces of the
heater occasionally with a damp
cloth (not dripping wet), using a
solution of mild detergent and
water. Dry the case thoroughly
before operating the heater.
Caution! Do not allow water to run
into the interior of the heater as
this could create a fire or electric
shock hazard.
4. The fan motor is factory-lubricated
for life and will require no further
lubrication.
5. Store the heater in a clean, dry
place when it is not in use.
Cleaning the electrostatic
filter
The heater has an electrostatic filter
located at the rear. The cleaning of
the filter should be performed once
per month or as needed (when dust is
visible on the filter) to ensure efficient
operation of the heater.
1. Power the heater OFF by pressing
the POWER button located on the
left side of the Control Panel.
2. Unplug the heater’s power cord.
3. Release the filter by pushing the
filter up from below (Figure 1).
4. Remove the filter by pulling down
and out (Figure 2).
5. Clean the filter by vacuuming.
6. Replace the filter by sliding the top
upwards into the spring loaded slot
on the back of the heater (Figure 2).
Then gently push the bottom of the
filter into place (Figure 1).

Warning: Any other servicing
needed must be performed by an
authorized service representative. Do
not attempt to service the unit
yourself.
Product Specifications
Model No.: DR-968H
Voltage: 120V, 60Hz
Current: Maximum continuous draw:
12.5 amps
Output: 5200 BTUs
Power: 1500 Watts
Turbo Fan: Multi-blade; Low Noise
Figure 2 Figure 1

G
B
TM
H
Features
A. “Cool-To-Touch” cabinet F. LED temperature display
B. POWER button G. Visual alarm LED
C. Decrease temperature button H. Humidifier button
D. Increase temperature button I. Humidifier LED
E. MODE button
Special Features
LED Display – When the unit is plugged in, the LED display will show the
room temperature. At Auto mode, it will display the set value 2 minutes
after the desired temperature is set.
Overheat Shut-Off Protection System –This heater includes a protection
system that shuts off the unit if it overheats for any reason.
Inlet Air Overheat Protection System – This heater will automatically shut
off if the inlet air duct becomes obstructed and causes the unit to overheat.
Safety Tip-Over Switch – The Dr. Infrared Heater is designed to shut off
automatically when tipped in any direction. Place the heater on a flat,
smooth, stable surface to prevent the heater from tipping over again.
When returned to a normal upright position, the heater is ready for use
again. This is a safety feature to avoid the possibility of fire should the unit
be tipped accidentally.
Note: There may be a trace of smoke or odor when the unit is first operated.
Do not be alarmed. This indicates a drop of oil fell on the interior coils during
the manufacturing process. It will quickly evaporate and should not recur.
A
C D E
F
I

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
If the heater cycles ON/OFF without heating:
Please note: This is a smart heater that monitors the room temperature and
produces heat only when needed.
You can set the desired room temperature with the heater in either AUTO
HIGH or AUTO LOW mode. (The factory default setting is 68 °F.) For an
example of how the heater works, let’s say you set the temperature for 70 °F.
Once the room has reached 70 °F, the heater switches off and the fan stops
(Note: The heater remains on STANDBY as long as you do not POWER OFF).
As the heater remains on STANDBY, it will read the room temperature every 5
minutes by running the fan ONLY for 30 seconds. During this process, the fan
also blows out the residual heat from inside the chamber to ensure an
accurate temperature reading of the room. If the room temperature is at 70
°F(or higher), the heater will remain on STANDBY. It will repeat this sensing
cycle, reading the room temperature, every 5 minutes. However, if the room
temperature drops 2 degrees lower than the set temperature, the heating
function will turn the heater ON and the fan will blow warm air.
If the heater cycles but doesn’t produce heat for hours:
If the temperature is set lower than room temperature, the heater will perform
only the sensing cycle and the heater will not turn on in the heating function.
To have the heater turn on, always set the desired temperature higher (2°+)
than the room temperature, or manually select High or Low to have instant
heat.
How to turn off the heater:
Switch to STANDBY mode or POWER OFF the heater.

Does the blower cycle use much electricity?
The blower fan will run for 30 seconds every 5 minutes to clear residual heat
inside the chamber, while at the same time measuring the room temperature.
This uses less than 18 watts of power to operate.
Why does the blower fan keep running after I have pressed the power
OFF button?
The blower fan will continue to run until the heat chambers cool down. After a
few minutes the fan will shut off automatically.
What if the heater’s airflow seems to have diminished?
Please ensure the rear intake is not blocked and that the filter is clean. Please
follow the filter maintenance procedure to clean the filter.
Once the heater is turned on, how long will it take to heat my room?
This heater can heat up to 1,000 square feet. Generally speaking, it takes
minutes to heat a room. Remember that with any type of heating process,
there are many variables such as the size of the room, how well the room is
insulated, how many doors and windows there are, the amount of bare
concrete (which acts as a heat sink with any type of heating), the opening and
closing of an exterior door, the outside temperature, etc. Please remember
that this is a zone heater and is meant to be used as a supplemental heating
source only.
Can I use the heater to heat multiple rooms at the same time?
Keep in mind that heating will vary based on how open your floor plan is
and the size of the rooms involved. We have heard from customers that
with the help of ceiling fans, they have been able to heat multiple rooms
simultaneously by placing the unit in a central room. We suggest you give it

a try and see what works best for you.
My home is not well insulated; will this heater help me?
Yes, but it may take a little longer to heat the room. The outside temperature
will also have an impact on heating time. Once the room has reached the
desired temperature, it will cycle on and off accordingly.
Can the heater be used in a bathroom?
It is not recommended due to a bathroom’s high level of moisture.
Can the heater be used in a basement or garage?
Yes, but keep in mind that rooms with little insulation will not retain the heat as
efficiently. Bare concrete floors, which act as a heat sink with any type of
heating, will absorb some of the heat. However, placing the heater a few feet
above the floor will allow for more efficient heating.
Can I use more than one heater at a time?
Yes, but please make sure the heaters are not on the same circuit. Each
heater and appliance should be on its own circuit.
Can I use the heater and another appliance at the same time?
Yes, as long as they are not on the same circuit. This heater is considered to
be an appliance. You should not run more than one large appliance on a single
circuit breaker. Your appliances, such as a freezer, refrigerator, microwave
oven, washing machine, dryer and others, should not share a circuit breaker.
Can I use the heater on a job or construction site?
This heater is not designed to be used in a high dust construction environment.
Using the heater for this purpose will void your warranty.
Can I move the heater around while it is operating?

It is not recommended to move any portable heater while it is operating. We
recommend moving the heater only once the fan has completely turned off.
What is the life expectancy for the heater?
This heater uses one infrared tube (which is rated for 20,000 hours and up),
and one PTC element (which is rated for 80,000 hours and up).
What is zone heating?
Zone heating focuses heat where people spend the most time. After all, there
is no point in heating multiple rooms to +68 degrees when not in use.
Can I use an extension cord, surge protector, or power strip with my
heater?
No. The DR. INFRARED HEATER is designed to plug directly into a grounded
120V 15 Amp or higher circuit receptacle. Never use with an extension cord or
relocatable power tap (outlet/power strip).
How many kilowatts per hour does the heater use?
The DR. INFRARED HEATER MODEL DR-968H uses approximately
1.26 kilowatts per hour.
What is the BTU Rating for the heater?
The DR. INFRARED HEATER MODEL DR-968H uses approximately 5200
BTUs.
The power cord feels warm to the touch; should I be concerned?
It is normal for the heater’s plug and cord to feel warm to the touch. A plug or
cord which becomes hot to the touch or becomes distorted in shape may be a
result of a worn electrical outlet. Worn outlets or receptacles should be
replaced prior to further use of the heater. Plugging this heater into a worn
outlet may result in overheating of the power cord or even a fire.

I don’t have a grounded outlet; can I use a cord adapter or remove the
grounding plug?
NO. If you don’t have a grounded outlet, contact a licensed electrician in your
area for advice. Removing or altering any part of the heater is unsafe and will
also void your warranty.
How long is the warranty?
This heater comes with a THREE-YEAR LIMITED COMPONENT WARRANTY.
If your unit does not appear to be working properly, please contact our service
center by calling 1-800-317-1688. Prior to your call, we encourage you to visit
our service related website www.DrHeaterUSA.com for troubleshooting tips
and service instructions if needed.
Dr Heater USA
239 Harbor Way
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94080
TEL: [phone]
EMAIL: [e-mail]