Heater Thermostat Way Of Actual Temp

[NeonTetra97]

Hey everyone!
 
I have been using the Fluval M150 heater for a week now and it is doing a good job at keeping my tank at a stable 26c, fluctuating by around only 0.4c each way. The only odd thing is to get it to stay at this temp the thermostat switch on the top is set at about 23c, is it normal for the thermostat to be this inaccurate or is this faulty? I don't understand how, if the thermostat is so bad, that the heater is actually maintaining a steady temp? Any ideas?
 
Thank you

 

[bluesword23516]

Lots of thermometers that I have had have always been a few degrees off.  Once you figure out what the temperatures really are just set it by that.  So your thermometer isn't broken, its just off a little and its fine to use.

 

[b3cca]

Some heaters just simply are not calibrated to perfection so use the dial numbers more as a guide than an actual thermometer
 
One of mine is set at 29 degrees yet keeps my water at a steady 26 degrees, my other tank heater is set at 22 degrees and keeps my water at around 25 degrees
 
Just trust the reading on the separate individual thermometer that you have and not the actual figure the heater dial is set to.
 
 
 

 

[NeonTetra97]

Thank you everyone! You have put my mind at ease now! So 22 on heater could translate to 26 water temp, odd

 

[upNdown]

The heater I recently bought came with the adjujstment knob off.  The piece that it pops onto wasn't a shape that would receive the knob in only one position - so I could have popped it on with the heat reading 70 or 74 or 76 or 78 etc.  So I figured I'd pop it on, wait for the tank to come to temperature, then adjust it appropriately.  Sure enough, when the tank came up to temp, it was off by 4 degrees.  I haven't adjusted it yet.  Maybe someday I will, but for now I just go by whatever the thermometer says. 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yeah, that does happen pretty often. Nothing to worry about as long as you remember heater control is not quite right.
 
One of my heater is set at 22C despite water temp being at 24C.
 
No biggie