How To Get the Most out of Your Heater

[MyFishEatYourFish]

i've decided to share this because i have noticed a lot of people orient their heaters vertically.
for those of you who don't know, the typical heater has its thermostat above the heater coil close to the dial. so when a heater is placed vertically, the heat rises and turns the heater off until cool water again cools the thermostat and turns the heater back on. this results in many more on and off cycles than is necessary. and just like am incandescent light bulb, a heater's life isn't limited to time spent on, but to times turned on and off.
to get the most life out of a heater, orient submersible heaters horizontally and non-submersibles as off-vertical as possible. this will keep fresh cool water in contact with the thermostat and reduce on/off cycles tremendously.
putting the heater in current also helps tremendously for the same reasons.

hope this helps!!!

 

[flowerpower]

Wow, that's great to hear! I have my heaters horizontally so that I'm not blowing heaters every time I do water changes.

 

[Juxtaroberto]

Wow, thanks! I had no idea. I'm off to tilt my heaters.

 

[CLDarnell]

Crap, I just got my hands and arms dried off! lol

Thanks for the tip, I never thought of this!

Off to tilt heaters!

 

[BlueEagle]

Great info. THX

 

[greenterra]

This may be possible if you have no current in your tank but I doubt it in tanks with current.

 

[cichla81]

This may be possible if you have no current in your tank but I doubt it in tanks with current.

x2, if you have sufficient water movement, you wont have to worry about placing them horizontally

 

[Scorponok]

The next question is how to keep your heaters horizontally with those crappy suction cups?

 

[fishy12]

The next question is how to keep your heaters horizontally with those crappy suction cups?

zip ties and duct tape.... DUH! jk

 

[Jgray152]

I don't think it will matter whether you have current or not, maybe high current will make a difference but "heat" in general, not talking about "heated water", will rise. We are not talking about high temps either to turn the thermostat off. There is still a lot of HEAT generated inside the heater which will rise within the heater case.

Just my opinion. I always thought of this but never did anything about it.

The next question is how to keep your heaters horizontally with those crappy suction cups?

Super Glue