Modes of Failure: Glass Submersible Heaters
- Thread starter Potts050
- Start date
All the heaters I've lost are due to fish or decor bumping into them. Total cost to me: about $50-$60 worth of heaters over 20 years.
just lost two 200 Watt heaters that were used in 30 gallon tanks for three years. One failed open, the other closed. Damn near lost some prized F-3 zebra breeder females!
The poll results indicate that heaters fail in the closed position, ie turned on permanently twice as often as failing open. This can result in overtemperature tank water killing your fish. It would therefore stand to reason that using two smaller heaters is a safer strategy than oversizing with a single heater.
If one stays on permanently and is only rated for half the tank volume, it will take a very long time to raise the temperature to a lethal value, if at all. The other heater will not run in the meantime.
When doing tank maintenance, check your heaters visually at least twice a year to ensure the thermostat is working properly.
If one stays on permanently and is only rated for half the tank volume, it will take a very long time to raise the temperature to a lethal value, if at all. The other heater will not run in the meantime.
When doing tank maintenance, check your heaters visually at least twice a year to ensure the thermostat is working properly.
From my experience, most failures occured because I didn't allow the heater to acclimate after a water change.
Thankfully I have never had any of the other faliures.
Thankfully I have never had any of the other faliures.
so far just thremal shock/forgetting to turn them off durring water changes.... once they cook i never use them again... its just not worth the risk..
One that shocked 
the crap out of me when I put it in the tank. I found a tiny bare spot on the cord right next to the heater. Could have killed some one with a pacemaker. It was replaced under warranty, The replacement failed to turn on after about a year.
the crap out of me when I put it in the tank. I found a tiny bare spot on the cord right next to the heater. Could have killed some one with a pacemaker. It was replaced under warranty, The replacement failed to turn on after about a year.chesterthehero;2590198; said:
I agree, if they are of the bimetal thermostat type, the calibration is likely compromised and strip less likely to release when it hits the high temperature set point.
Changing a heater onced its run hot in a dry tank is a good policy.
I can't really vote for what happened to my Hagen heater. I was outside one day, my girlfriend came running outside speechless, so I run in and there's this hagen heater literally exploding, sparking, smoking in my fish tank. Luckily I acted quick pulled the cord from the wall. All fish are still with us today and that was a couple years ago, now everything is run on GFI's.
The heaters here in canada do have to be CSA certified, mine are. I currently have some submersible tetra whisper heaters, so far so good, looking to get better soon though maybe.
The heaters here in canada do have to be CSA certified, mine are. I currently have some submersible tetra whisper heaters, so far so good, looking to get better soon though maybe.
