Modes of Failure: Glass Submersible Heaters

[Potts050]

I'm planning to aproach the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to have the standards for certification for aquarium heaters upgraded to reduce the number and types of failures of aquarium heaters. MFK I need your help in doing some consumer reaserch.

Let me know how (if at all) your heaters have failed and what was the cost to you in having them fail, beyond direct replacement cost (heater only).

My goal is to work with a technical commitee to improve the standards and hopefuly eliminate 80% of the failures on certified equipment. The technology is there, we just need to improve the manufacturing standards to force heater manufacturers to raise the quality of their product.

Thanks in advance...

 

[aquatic_wonders]

What about add water sipping inside the heater in your choices.

 

[Burtess]

Do you think that the heater manufacturers are going to redesign their heaters just to pass a CSA spec for the small Canadian market? Compared to the European and U.S.A. markets, I think the Canadian market is miniscule and not worth their effort.

Presently, do heaters even have to pass any CSA spec to be sold in Canada?

Burt

 

[Potts050]

Thats a very good question. I think that the market is large enough that yes manufacturers would be willing to improve their heaters and build them to a higher standard. As I said earlier, the technology exists and is now low enough in cost that itwould not be a huge burden on them. It really is just a matter of raising the standard. I certain that once they are made for the Canadian market, it's logical that the same standards would be aplied to units sold in the 'States.

To your second question, where you live all electrical equipment must be either certified by an approved standards organization or field evaluated before you can sell it. CSA (see logo below) is one certification agency that is recognized in Ontario.



I would be very surprised if your heaters dont have CSA approval on them.

 

[Potts050]

What about add water sipping inside the heater in your choices.

Sorry I missed that one. I've had that hapen too.

 

[Bderick67]

To your second question, where you live all electrical equipment must be either certified by an approved standards organization or field evaluated before you can sell it. CSA (see logo below) is one certification agency that is recognized in Ontario.

View attachment 149334

I would be very surprised if your heaters dont have CSA approval on them.

Equipment in the States is UL listed UL being Underwriters labatories

Sorry I missed that one. I've had that hapen too.

I had a heaters fail in this way a few times

 

[Aquarium_Fish]

so far - no failure here

 

[rallysman]

Thermal shock, and crappy thermostats both ways.

I've lost few fish from getting over heated, I'll say probably $50 worth

 

[MCHRKiller]

I stopped having failures when I started using in-line heating systems. The fish we keep are naturally going to beat the f*ck out of a standard heater...so why not just get an in-line. They heat more evenly as they are a constant temperature and constantly heat water as it flows threw them, and since they dont have the constant stress of being pounded their failure rate is severly decreased.

 

[Potts050]

Do inline heaters have thermostat failures? what is the price differance? It may be insignificant compared to the cost of replacing a tank of fish..