Heater in PVC...will it melt?

[Fish Eat Fish]

I am thinking of building a HOB filter that is essentially a giant U shape. The input side of the U will have mechanical and biological filtration media and the output side I want to have my heater. Can I just drop my heater in the vertical piece of PVC? It's a 200w aqueon proheater submersible. I worry about potentially melting the PVC but I am also struggling to figure out how I could mount the heater without it touching any sides.

Thanks everyone!

 

[duanes]

As long as flow is maintained, it should be fine. That said, I had a Hydor in-line heater get stuck in the "on" position and start to melt the PVC down the line with a 500gph flow rate, the PVC actually arced before I caught the malfunction, and it may have only been a few hours or over night, so constant vigilance would be suggested.

 

[Drstrangelove]

Portable 300-watt water elements can boil water (in a cup), and PVC can melt at temperatures as low as 212 F, so yea, enclosing a heater in PVC is a challenging strategy.

I'd be sure I was using PVC with higher minimum melt points at the least.

 

[DN328]

An inline heater is one thing, but I would not risk just dropping a submersible heater in PVC for reasons called out. Also what happens when the return pump is off and no water flowing and/or the PVC has no water within?

 

[DN328]

It's a 200w aqueon proheater submersible. I worry about potentially melting the PVC but I am also struggling to figure out how I could mount the heater without it touching any sides.

Thanks everyone!

If you decide to go with it, are you nervous about the heater glass touching the PVC? If so, perhaps adding PVC couplings to the plastic ends of the heater; then use the return PVC with the internal diameter of the attached PVC - this should keep it snug.

 

[ragin_cajun]

If it was me......I'd just put the heater in a sump. THAT'S the real way to handle this. Sump seems to take care of so many little problems.

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

I don't want a sump because of the noise. This is next to a TV in the living room. I'm also not going to overstock so my 600 gph HOB should more than cover the 55 gal. I know you can silence sumps somewhat but it's always lots of tinkering. I also don't want one because it's at my girlfriend's place and a sump can go wrong in a much more extreme fashion than a HOB. Otherwise I'd be right on board with you.

I may just put the heater in the tank. I was just hoping to hide it. If anyone has creative suggestions I'm all ears!

 

[takagari]

Many many options out there to make a sump run silent. I'd be buying a canister filter in your case, as for the heater thing, that's risky, for all the above reasons...

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

A conister wouldn't solve this issue though. Its a 55 gallon and my current design would turn over the whole tank 11 times per hour so it would be more than adequate and much cheaper! I also am just crazy enough to enjoy using things that I designed and made whenever I can.

As for the heater it will go in the tank behind some driftwood. That was my original plan anyway.

Thanks everyone for all the feedback!