# My heater is cooking my fish!!!



## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

Lately, I've had nothing but problems with my Eheim heater, which I got in March. It is constantly over heating my water. I wanted set to 79*F but it is constantly running at 82-84*F (Room temperature is 68*F). I have even tried lowering it to 77*F to compensate, and still nothing!

I then tried recalibrating it. I turned it off, moved the red arrow to 84*F, left it there, then moved the blue dial back to 79. That was this afternoon.

Well, just now I looked, at the water was at 90*F!!! I immediately unplugged it and will e leaving it unplugged. I cannot risk this heater cooking my fish over night tonight.

Am I not calibrating it correctly? Or is it time for a new heater?

Thanks!


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## Woodworm (Jan 3, 2009)

I am thinking your correct on replacing your heater. The only other option I see is to turn it all the way down and see where it put your tank, but I still think your playing Russian roulette with your fish if you don't replace it.


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

Any suggestions on what I should replace it with? I definitely will not be buying another jÃƒÂ¤ger, that's for sure!


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## Woodworm (Jan 3, 2009)

my Jager is the only one I trust but from what I have been told it is one of the old ones before it was bought out. I was a big fan of the stealth heaters but they are now under recall and I am waiting on their replacements. I am in flux at the moment as to a preference in heaters but I am sure there are others on here that can point you in the right direction.


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

I have had fantastic luck with Hydo inline heaters, I put mine on the return from my canister, it's a tank and has never failed me.

I had a regular heater fail about a week ago and cook some juveniles, it was in a 10G so I could not undersize it, but I put a 300 in my 100G tank with a 60g sump, and turned it all the way up and left it for a week, it never got about 84, I will never again put a heater than can stick on and kill my stock.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

jnick said:


> Lately, I've had nothing but problems with my Eheim heater, which I got in March. It is constantly over heating my water. I wanted set to 79*F but it is constantly running at 82-84*F (Room temperature is 68*F). I have even tried lowering it to 77*F to compensate, and still nothing!
> 
> I then tried recalibrating it. I turned it off, moved the red arrow to 84*F, left it there, then moved the blue dial back to 79. That was this afternoon.
> 
> ...


What size heater is it, and what size tank is it on?


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## Steveboos (Dec 23, 2011)

I have had great luck with the Aqueon Pro heaters. The Marinelands didn't work well for me and so i went with Aqueon pro and i've been good for over 2 years!

Sounds like your heater is broken or underpowered, either way, i would get a new one.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I suggest moving away from the standard design heaters. They have several things that limit them a great deal. One big item is the controls in the tube with the heater. They have to be small to fit, making the contacts tiny which fail often. The temperature sensing being in the tube with the heating coil makes it switch on/off frequently as the air inside the tube heats very quickly (much quicker than water). This leads to the contacts operating many times more often than a remote sensing probe might. With a shaft through the seal of the tube, there is an obvious leak potential. Also this leaves you prone to ruining the heater if you fail to unplug during water changes.

I now use the titanium heater by Via-Aqua. In the $30-40 dollar range they are higher but I'm willing to pay more for the features I want. They have remote sensing bulbs, controls in a box outside the tank so size does not limit the design and a fully sealed tube so it should not leak.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Any suggestions on what I should replace it with? I definitely will not be buying another jÃƒÂ¤ger, that's for sure!


There are bad ones in every batch. You'll find that all manufacturer's heaters have some that fail like yours has. Go ahead and try a different brand, I would, but also go with a lower wattage. If a heater can take your water up to 90, it's too much wattage.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Steveboos said:


> I have had great luck with the Aqueon Pro heaters. The Marinelands didn't work well for me and so i went with Aqueon pro and i've been good for over 2 years!
> 
> Sounds like your heater is broken or underpowered, either way, i would get a new one.


I also have two aqueon pro's.


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## fubu56 (Aug 23, 2008)

I second on the Aqueon Pro heaters, for the money they seem very reliable !


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## smitty (May 7, 2004)

Yes it is time for a new heater. But I would be sending that one back to Eheim for a replacement or my money back since it is not a year old. Every heater have there horror stories. I currently use Visi-Therm, Eheim, and Aqueon which has really surprised me with how well it has performed.


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## alexisonfire92 (Apr 10, 2009)

i'm using a hagen elite and love it so far. definitely a big step up from the tetra submersible i had in the past.


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! It's a 200watt heater for my 55g.

I'm torn between the Hydor and the aqueon pro. I'm going to look at some of the others that have been recommended though! Please continue to bring on the suggestions!


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## Fishy_Cichlid (Aug 4, 2011)

> There are bad ones in every batch


I agree with this, can happen with any brand.

I noticed just the opposite with my Eheim, takes a pretty long time to get to the temperature (30 deg C) I have set, infact its ON for most time of the day - winter. However, I must mention that the water volume too is large (165G). After reading this post, need to monitor my heater more closely.

*I thought temperature controls with these heaters, just like ACs etc, worked on a temperature band. Say, I set the temperature on an AC at 26 deg C. The compressor would turn on at 27 deg C and cut-off at 25 deg C, i.e. +/- 1deg C.*


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> I thought temperature controls with these heaters, just like ACs etc, worked on a temperature band. Say, I set the temperature on an AC at 26 deg C. The compressor would turn on at 27 deg C and cut-off at 25 deg C, i.e. +/- 1deg C.


That's correct, they do. When I monitored one years ago with a digital thermometer, it was +/- 1 deg F. It was on a 180 gallon and took a surprisingly long time to climb and fall. It really didn't cycle that often in a 24 hour period. Room temp and wattage can make that cycle time vary.



> It's a 200watt heater for my 55g.


Too much wattage if the room it's in is kept in the comfort range for people. Drop down to no more than a 150.


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

Well, the Jager is in the garbage and I have replaced it with a Aqueon Pro, 150W. I was relieved to see a GREEN light after I set it to 79*F, while my temp reading was 84*F from the last of the Jager effect. The temperature is now at around 81*F and dropping! the Aqueon hasn't turned on yet which is AWESOME!

Thanks for the suggestions!


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jnick said:


> Well, the Jager is in the garbage and I have replaced it with a Aqueon Pro, 150W. I was relieved to see a GREEN light after I set it to 79*F, while my temp reading was 84*F from the last of the Jager effect. The temperature is now at around 81*F and dropping! the Aqueon hasn't turned on yet which is AWESOME!
> 
> Thanks for the suggestions!


You are welcome. I love the red/green LED light. I know when I am sleeping and wake up the first thing I look for are the lights. That lets me know they are working. Otherwise if the heater is dead you just assume because no light is on that the heater is off so the green light lets you know it is working.

So far I love mine....hopefully I will continue to.


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

My via aqua 200w heater just died yesterday too.. good thing I was checking out the tank and notice that the water was pretty warm so i turn the heater down but it was stuck on and wouldn't turn off.

Anyway I got this heater a year ago because the original heater that i had in there (visi therm deluxe) was 8-9 years old and I didn't trust it running longer then that. I guess I was wrong so now the visi therm deluxe is going back in temporarily till I can find another heater.


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

I have to say, while I've only had it for a short time, the Aqueon pro has been spot on! The dual color LED light is VERY helpful. I can look across the house and see exactly what the heater is doing. Every time I've checked the temp from my thermometer, it has been spot on. So far, highly recommended.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jnick said:


> I have to say, while I've only had it for a short time, the Aqueon pro has been spot on! The dual color LED light is VERY helpful. I can look across the house and see exactly what the heater is doing. Every time I've checked the temp from my thermometer, it has been spot on. So far, highly recommended.


Yep...the only issue I have had comes from some sort of electrical interference with my aqueon pro on my 30g grow out tank. I think the electronic thermostat is being affected by a drain or overload on the circuit it is currently running on. When ever I plug in a high powered box fan and turn it on high the light switches from green to red as if the power went out. It could also be the surge protector it is plugged into. I need to get a new surge protector to be sure.


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## jnick (Aug 17, 2011)

Is this on a typical 20amp circuit? What else do you have plugged into is consistently? Sounds like the load may be a bit high on the line OR for the surge protector. Maybe try going to a home depot/lowes and getting a higher quality surge protector? Possibly one that's made for Home theater systems? They may run around $25-40 however if it does not make a difference, you can then simply return it :thumb:


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

jnick said:


> Is this on a typical 20amp circuit? What else do you have plugged into is consistently? Sounds like the load may be a bit high on the line OR for the surge protector. Maybe try going to a home depot/lowes and getting a higher quality surge protector? Possibly one that's made for Home theater systems? They may run around $25-40 however if it does not make a difference, you can then simply return it :thumb:


Yes...it is on a 20amp circuit. I have a lamp, small alarm clock, my refrigerator(sits on the other side of the wall but I am pretty sure on the same circuit), my penguin 350, two aquatech 5-15 (100gph) filters, heater and my tank lights. Although the tank lights are off when this is happening. I don't think the compressor/fan on the fridge are running when this happens but it would have to be a coincidence. I think it is the old surge protector. I had to take the originally aqueon pro back because the LED burned out or something inside the heater burned out before I noticed this issue. I brought home the replacement....and it did exactly the same thing. I have not plugged the fan in since.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I think it will not be an overload. Sounds to me like a case of "EMI". Motors and light ballasts make electronic interference (arcing) that goes out in waves from the source. With older electronics the controls operated at normal line voltage and the EMI was not a problem. New digital things operate on extremmely low voltage. A stray voltage of say .5 volt does nothing to the older but really jacks the digital voltage off course. Digital things can read this stray voltage as a signal to do something. In the heater it may think it is the signal to turn on.

Before trading again, I would try a different way. Set it up so that the heater is not doing what it is supposed to with the fan etc. running. While it is malfuncioning, put a metal shield between the fan and the heater. Sheet metal like ductwork would be good for the shield but something thinner like aluminum foil may do as well. You may have to play around with the shield, even nearly enclose the fan. The waves will possibly go out in all directions and bounce off walls, ceiling and such. You may find wrapping or moving the heater fixes the trouble.

EMI is one of the little funnies they don't mention much when they talk digital. Don't use the cell phone when on planes? Runaway cars with electronic ignitions? Sound familiar?


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## Clink51 (Aug 4, 2011)

i use two aqueon pro 150w on opposite ends of the tank on my 75g. does the trick


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

PfunMo said:


> I think it will not be an overload. Sounds to me like a case of "EMI". Motors and light ballasts make electronic interference (arcing) that goes out in waves from the source. With older electronics the controls operated at normal line voltage and the EMI was not a problem. New digital things operate on extremmely low voltage. A stray voltage of say .5 volt does nothing to the older but really jacks the digital voltage off course. Digital things can read this stray voltage as a signal to do something. In the heater it may think it is the signal to turn on.
> 
> Before trading again, I would try a different way. Set it up so that the heater is not doing what it is supposed to with the fan etc. running. While it is malfuncioning, put a metal shield between the fan and the heater. Sheet metal like ductwork would be good for the shield but something thinner like aluminum foil may do as well. You may have to play around with the shield, even nearly enclose the fan. The waves will possibly go out in all directions and bounce off walls, ceiling and such. You may find wrapping or moving the heater fixes the trouble.
> 
> EMI is one of the little funnies they don't mention much when they talk digital. Don't use the cell phone when on planes? Runaway cars with electronic ignitions? Sound familiar?


Well....when I run my high powered oreck vacuum right next to the tank...no problem. The ONLY difference being it is running off a different circuit about 30 feet away. Thoughts?


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Better quality motors cause less sparking and less EMI. It is not a real easy thing to sort out as it can be really freaky. What circuit they are on has less to do with the effect as it is not something moving over the wires. Remember AM radio? It is quite often bothered by any type arcing. It doesn't have to be a big arc but something as simple as flipping a light switch can make a pop on AM radio as it changes the voltage (amplitude) of the signal. For interference, the cheaper the motor, the more arcing may occur. Many box fans are using very cheap motors with plastic housings. In higher quality motors the machining is better so that the brushes fit better and make less arcing. As this arc occurs, if there is no metal around the motor, there is a stray radio type signal produced in a wave through the air. If the signal is of the right frequency and strength, it can get into the digital works. Since the digital signaling is of such low voltage on intergrated circuits, a very small voltage can be induced on a wire. This can lead to really weird operation.

It really takes a lot to explain but a wire can pick up a signal without being connected. Moving either the heater or the fan may be a simple way to correct the problem.

My reasoning on it not being an overload is that the circuit breaker is designed to kick off if there is an overload. It really takes a lot of tank equipment to overload a 20 amp circuit.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

I just stopped using the fan. My heater working correctly is much more important than my fan.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

That is the way my thinking runs , too. If you get around to it and still want to use the fan, try moving it around here and there in the room. Like I said, it can be really freaky and there is no real way to prove/ disprove it other than just trying to work around it. You may be able to see some of the arcing if you put the fan in a dark room. Lots of times you can see the arcing as flashes of light coming out of the motor. Then for the vac, you may see much less light or it may have a shield of metal. Sometimes the cover is metal or even just a layer of foil inside the cover so that the stray signals are drained off and don't go shooting out into the room.

Something to play around with when you get bored?


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

PfunMo said:


> That is the way my thinking runs , too. If you get around to it and still want to use the fan, try moving it around here and there in the room. Like I said, it can be really freaky and there is no real way to prove/ disprove it other than just trying to work around it. You may be able to see some of the arcing if you put the fan in a dark room. Lots of times you can see the arcing as flashes of light coming out of the motor. Then for the vac, you may see much less light or it may have a shield of metal. Sometimes the cover is metal or even just a layer of foil inside the cover so that the stray signals are drained off and don't go shooting out into the room.
> 
> Something to play around with when you get bored?


Nope...not even when I get bored because the last time I played with it.....my heater stopped working all together. I just can't take that chance in the winter time.


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## rich_t (Nov 26, 2009)

13razorbackfan said:


> jnick said:
> 
> 
> > Is this on a typical 20amp circuit? What else do you have plugged into is consistently? Sounds like the load may be a bit high on the line OR for the surge protector. Maybe try going to a home depot/lowes and getting a higher quality surge protector? Possibly one that's made for Home theater systems? They may run around $25-40 however if it does not make a difference, you can then simply return it :thumb:
> ...


I'd have to crunch the numbers, but that sounds like a lot on a 20amp circuit.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

With the frig it can get close but since the breaker is not kicking to kill the whole circuit, theory says it isn't an overload. If the circuit were dying when the frig kicked on, I would suggest an overload as possible.


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