HEATER constantly turning on/off????????

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titansfever83

titansfever83

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Aug 30, 2007
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First the heater is a FINNEX 500, it's a titanium heater with temperature sensor/probe and an inline thermostat.


I placed the sensor about midlevel on the back glass. It is approx. 1 foot away from the heater. The sensor is not in direct flow of any of my powerheads or filter outputs, but it does get a constant flow of water that is bounced off the front glass to the back glass from a HOB filter.

Every 5-10 sec, the heater cuts ON for 1 sec and shuts OFF for around 5-10 sec. I just added the heater to the tank yesterday. Is this normal or a defect???

My cheap glass heaters do not turn on/off this often, which makes me think it could be a defect. And I don't really want an insane electric bill next month, 500w every 10 sec:WHOA:


Would love to hear from other FINNEX owners or someone with a similar heater that is equipped with a sensor probe.


Jamie
 
BUMP!


This doesn't happen throughout the entire day. Sometimes it will be 5-10 minutes and then it will shut on/off for next few minutes. When it is going crazy, the quickest it would turn on/off was around 5-10 sec. The thermostat will drop to 82, then turn on, within 1 second the thermostat goes back to 83, then shuts off.


Either the FINNEX is a POS or it is trying to be extremely accurate???




:popcorn:
 
I have several Catalina Aquarium titanium heaters and I have often observed them to act in a similar fashion. These particular heaters do not have a separate temperature probe. I suspect that what happens is that the titanium shell heats up and this tricks the thermostat into believing that the surrounding water is actually quite warm. Either that, or the heater is mounted vertically and the heated water rises and tricks the thermostat. So, the heater cycles off until circulation around the heater dissipates the heat. Regardless, my heaters have been reliably heating the water for well over two years. I wouldn't be concerned.
 
Thanks BrianP!


Anyone else have this problem happen???
 
This happens to me, but it is not a problem.

The heater is simply making microcorrections to the temperature of the water. All of my glass heaters do this, I have never had a heater that did not do this.
 
I had this exact same problem with mine.. The solder joint is getting so hot from the wattage that the molten solder lets go and the contact is broken from the main wire inside the controller. When the power gets cut the solder hardens and reconnects. Thus the on and off.

You can open up the controller and watch it happen.

Personally, I would return them asap and get something that wont burn down your house.
 
VLDesign;2953550; said:
I had this exact same problem with mine.. The solder joint is getting so hot from the wattage that the molten solder lets go and the contact is broken from the main wire inside the controller. When the power gets cut the solder hardens and reconnects. Thus the on and off.

You can open up the controller and watch it happen.

Personally, I would return them asap and get something that wont burn down your house.
Click to expand...


WHAT BRAND WAS YOUR HEATER? FINNEX?
 
VLDesign;2956568; said:
Yes..

Finnex controller HC810 with a 500 watt ellement. Happened to both I had bought brand new.
Click to expand...

What brand did you end up with ?

thx
 
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