Heater fail

[cowgirluntamed]

Something I didn't see that anybody else mentioned....did you make sure the heater was unplugged for at least 15 minutes before doing any kind of water change or scaping? If the heater is above water level then it can break. And if its out of the water for some time then it needs a chance to rest in the water as well before turning back on.

 

[AbbeysDad]

Something I didn't see that anybody else mentioned....did you make sure the heater was unplugged for at least 15 minutes before doing any kind of water change or scaping? If the heater is above water level then it can break. And if its out of the water for some time then it needs a chance to rest in the water as well before turning back on.

It sounded to me that the thermostat in this heater malfunctioned and the heater stayed on. Also, I've unplugged heaters and done water changes right away for many years and have never seen a problem. What you don't want to do is leave a heater on and lower the water or remove the heater as in some cases, it can literally burst in about 5 minutes.

 

[cowgirluntamed]

It sounded to me that the thermostat in this heater malfunctioned and the heater stayed on. Also, I've unplugged heaters and done water changes right away for many years and have never seen a problem. What you don't want to do is leave a heater on and lower the water or remove the heater as in some cases, it can literally burst in about 5 minutes.

I've had a heater quit working on me before when I haven't let it cool off. I honestly don't remember if it was still plugged in or not. It didn't burst, just quit working. Also, at least on mine, the manufacturer recommends to make sure it's off and cooled down. I would rather play it safe than sorry. Lol.

 

[mhancock]

Heaters are the most important equipment in an aquarium. Lights can fail, filters can fail, and both will be seen and dealt with. But a malfunctioning heater can cook a tank of fish overnight, or the opposite. So always buy the best heater, even if it costs more. Inexpensive brands are more likely to fail.

Second, was this heater functioning correctly for a time before this happened? Hypothetical question really, as there is nothing we can do now, but I ask it because the temperature setting on many even good brand heaters is not always exact; I have heaters set at 70F/21C that maintain the tank at 76F/24C. But the heater is not malfunctioning, it keeps the tank constant. It just took a bit of trial to get the setting where it needs to be for this heater.

Third point, the lower wattage heaters tend to give oput more than higher wattage. I have had 50w heaters fail, to the extent that I won't even buy them any longer. But my 100w, 150w and 200w heaters have functioned perfectly, some of them since the late 1990's.

My latest heater purchase for a new tank was Eheim Jager, a brand I trust. I have three Fluvals, and two seem fine but one acted up so I took it out to avoid risks.

Byron.

Thanks for the response.

No idea what the heater was doing before it broke!

 

[mhancock]

Might be penny wise and pound foolish - how much do you save when a cheap heater fails and kills a tank of expensive pets?

I'm fond of the Aqueon Pro heaters. I over power and double up. I could use a single 150w heater in my 60g tank, but instead, I use 2 - 200w heaters set to balance the load and insure if one quits, the other will manage the temperature. I'm afraid that I don't know of a way to guard against a heater malfunction where it stays on continually.

The tank actually has 2 300W heaters, with the logic that if one fails (as on stops working rather than overheats) the other will cope.

I don't think that having two will balance the load, however, unless both have the thermostats set at EXACTLY the same temperature (fairly impossible to achieve) the one set at the slightly higher temperature will always come on first. I guess the second one would kick in if the temperature dropped quickly but that's unlikely with a large body of water, especially given that water has such a high specific heat capacity.

 

[AbbeysDad]

The tank actually has 2 300W heaters, with the logic that if one fails (as on stops working rather than overheats) the other will cope.

I don't think that having two will balance the load, however, unless both have the thermostats set at EXACTLY the same temperature (fairly impossible to achieve) the one set at the slightly higher temperature will always come on first. I guess the second one would kick in if the temperature dropped quickly but that's unlikely with a large body of water, especially given that water has such a high specific heat capacity.

Oh it takes some time tweaking to synchronize but I can assure you that it can be done. I often see one of my heaters come on and the other one come on a few seconds later. But admittedly the real reason for two heaters is to better ensure that if one fails and quits working (which has happened to me) the other will be able to maintain the temperature...I have two filters for the same reason. Unfortunately this doesn't prevent a heater from staying on and overheating the water.
But I'm actually thinking of getting this Finnex Temperature Controller to drive both heaters. It also has high/low audible alarms.

 

[Byron]

It is true that two heaters in larger tanks (any tank more than 3 feet in length should have a heater at both ends) will assure one works if the other doesn't, but the real reason for having two is to have better temperature control so neither is over-used and they should in theory do a better job and last longer.

It is next to impossible to have a uniform water temperature in any aquarium. The heater is heating water around the heater, and at some point it will shut itself off because that water is at or above the set temperature. [This is why the heater should always be positioned close to the filter return and the second near the outflow to the filter; heat dispersal is improved this way.] The water in the rest of the aquarium is almost certainly going to be cooler, or warmer, depending. The second heater is similarly functioning at the other end. Having the two heaters means that each is heating less than just one would need to, hence they work better and last longer.

On the temperature variation, this will be along the length of the tank, but also vertically. My tanks are always cooler above the substrate and warmer closer to the surface, as every aquarium will be; I am sometimes rather surprised when I put my hand close to the substrate to rearrange a plant or whatever that the water is significantly cooler.. The tank lighting obviously warms the upper water column too, but there is also the natural "heat rises" taking place, in water as it does in air. Then there is the water movement naturally through the substrate; cooler water "sinks" into the substrate, is warmed slightly by all the bacterial action, and rises back into the aquarium and toward the surface. Fish are used to temperature variations, as this occurs in nature just the same.

Byron.

 

[mhancock]

Something I didn't see that anybody else mentioned....did you make sure the heater was unplugged for at least 15 minutes before doing any kind of water change or scaping? If the heater is above water level then it can break. And if its out of the water for some time then it needs a chance to rest in the water as well before turning back on.

Good question, but yes I did!

 

[AbbeysDad]

For about $45 USD I decided to invest in the Finnex Temperature Controller which controls the heater(s) and has low/high audible alarms.

 

[NickAu]

Money well spent.