Heater on a timer?

[1911_guy]

I have an Ebo-Jager submersible heater. I have never been able to get it set right. It will come on and not go off sometimes leaving my tank at 85+ degrees.

Currently it is not even in my aquarium but it needs to be. The winter is taking its toll on my house. Would it hurt anything to put the heater on a timer to come on every 15-30 minutes or so? I have my powerheads on a timer and was wondering if I could just add my heater to the same schedule.

 

[chipmaker]

I really do not think a timer is a suitable substitute for a thermostat. Have you actually bumped the heaters temps up against a good themometer, or are yu going by the scale on the adjusting knob as to the temp being 85 deg? That top ring is adjustable so once yur temp is at such and such according to thermometer, it can be unlocked and rotated to coincide with the thermometers temp and relocked.
I guess when you get right down to it, short of buying another heater, which is what I would do, is put it on the timer and hope for the best.

 

[1911_guy]

I contacted the manufacturer a few months ago and they wanted to me to send the heater in for repair...but I had to pay for shipping. The heater cost less than $20 so I kept it. I was going to buy a new heater, won brothers, but decided not to. I have tried adjusting it, I STILL might not be doing it right. I must be confused...you leave it on and let the water temp stabilize then you unlock it and set it to what your tank temp is???
So then how do you set it for what you want your tank temp to be?

 

[chipmaker]

Take a known good thermometer and place it in a container of water. Add heater to water, and turn it on. Set heater to a number like say 80 deg. Make sure water has decent circulation and its not got dead spots which can make water temps spike or fall and give false readings. After some time and the heater is in the off position check the number onthe adjusting ring and see how it compares to the thermo temp. Watch it until it kicks on again and when it once again kicks off see if it does coincide with the thermometers temp. If it does not, pullup that raised pin type thing on the dial which disconnects the adjustment dial from the threaded portion that moves the heaters adjustment screw. Rotate ringuntil the right temp is lined up with mark and that corresponds to termometer indicated temp, sand then push that pin lock back down. If its done right it should be within a half a degree one way or the other. I seem to think your using the indicating scale as shipped by the factory, as yur indication of temp...May be wrong but thats the impression I get. I have had EBO's indicate 85 deg on the adjustment ring but only heat water to approx 74 deg or so....which is verified by a thermometer. Its best to get the water temp up as close to the actual temp you want to keep it at and then lock and adjust the adjustment than set it at a lower point on the temp scale. EBO's are kown for precise accuracy but like any man made item are prone to breaking or getting out of wack. I do not know what it costs to send it in from your neck of the woods but in the lower 48 it can be sent by priority mail for about $3.85, stil cheaper than buying a new heater. Odds are EBO would actually replace it totally or install a brand new internal unit and use only yur old glass pyrex tube, as repairing individual compnents inthesm is not really in their best interests due to labor involved. EBO does however strive for customer satisfaction.

 

[1911_guy]

Chipmaker,

Thanks for taking the time to explain this to me. Just got done working 12 hours...I'm really tired, especially after staying up all night Wednesday to smoke our Thanksgiving turkey (it was delicious)

I'll try recalibrating the heater tomorrow.

 

[aw2x3]

Why not just go and buy an new, more reliable heater?
I use nothing Titanium heaters and I'd NEVER trust anything but those again.
A few years ago, I stumbled upon a small Scorpionfish, at a LFS in Chicago. No one had any idea what it was, so I picked it up for like $30.
Got home and started researching...come to find out, it was a species that had never been seen before. Shedd Aquarium, Monterey Bay, U.C. Berkeley, Boston Aquarium...they all wanted it. I sent pics to all of them, plus a few more places...no one had ever seen it.
One night, the glass heater in the Scorpions tank broke, killing the Scorpion, before anyone ever got a positive ID on it. From that point on, I've never taken ANY chances with heaters...Titanium, all the way...and, they're not really that expensive. I just picked up a new 300W for $35.
Sorry, this is off-topic, but it's a related story I gotta kick in, cause I still laugh to myself, every time I think about it.
2 years ago, at IMAC, the famed Dr. Frank Marini (in charge of the breeding forum, over at --, country renowned biologist, etc) was speaking about Scorpionfish and I, along with my friend James, sat in on his lecture. He had this great slide show up, showing all different species of Scorpionfish, Lionfish, etc. He started a sentence with "Now, this next picture is a Scorpionfish that I found, not too long ago and purchased. I took these pics of it, no one knows what it is, blah blah blah".
Well, he changed the slide and what do you know??...the pics he just claimed were his, were actually of the Scorpion that I mentioned above. He had stolen the pics off of another forum, where I'm a senior member and passed them off as his own. In the middle of his presentation, I stood up in front of over 150 people and called him out on it. He stumbled and stuttered, etc. etc. and basically closed down his show and walked off stage.
I wrote an email to the President of IMAC, along with a few others, explaining what had happend. Needless to say, Dr. Marini has never once been invited back to IMAC.
Sorry...back to the heater thread!

 

[1911_guy]

AW2X3, thanks for the stories...first one sad, second one great!
Like I said, I have read some good and some bad stories on titanium heaters.
My main concern is that they "shock" the tank when malfunctioning. I was just about to purchase a Won Brothers titanium heater until I read that it's not too uncommon that they go bad and kill everything in the tank.
What model titanium heater do you recommend?

 

[aw2x3]

Honestly, I'm not sure of the exact model/manufacturer...I'm in FL, right now, on vacation and wont be back home till Tues.
If you still havent purchased another heater by then, I'll be more than happy to let let you know.

 

[corky]

IMO it's always better to have 2 under-rated heaters than 1.
For example: instead of buying one 300 watt heater buy two 150 watt heaters.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard of heaters malfunctioning and "cooking" a tank.

 

[1911_guy]

Chipmaker,
Okay, the dial was set to 78 and my thermometer reads 81.6, once it shut off I raised the pin and rotated the dial to 82 and pushed pin back in. This is where I get confused.
Hopefully now the heater knows that it's around 82...but I want the temp at 78 should I rotate the dial with the pin locked down to 78?
I have 2 of these Jager heaters, one in my QT, the other in my DT. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[1911_guy]

Update,
Chipmaker, thanks again for your instructions

The heater in my QT has been keeping the temp at 78 +/- less than half a degree. I have reinstalled the other heater in my sump and readjusted it the same way. I'm finally able to control the temp.
The QT hasn't been below 81 in a few months and my DT has been at 76 for about 3 weeks. Now they will both be 78!!! My hat's off to you!

AW2x3, Do you remember what brand glass heater killed your scorpion and how did it break? I have positioned the heater for my DT in the sump at an almost horizontal position above a rock and below some chaeto. I sure hope it's safe there. The holder broke so I can't put it in my DT, I didn't want it in there anyway.

 

[aw2x3]

I cant remember the exact brand, but I do know that it was the major/most popular brand and I still see them all the time.
I did nothing for the heater to break. It had not been repositioned, etc...it just broke by itself, for no reason at all.

 

[chipmaker]

Well it looks like you got it. Thats great. EBO's are darn durable and longlived heaters.
Over time you may have to pull up that pin and recalibrate it to temp to dial relation, but usually once is enough. YOu can continue to play with it and really dial it in darn close to within half a deg if need be. I know it can be confusing when yu have it say set at 80 and the water is ice cold...........The calibration is in the instructions IIRC but its easily overlooked. Just how many really read them when it comes to using a simle heater. I know I had over looked it for some time and simply adjusted heater and pluged it in and went forit, and was totally bummed out when yu read EBO's are accurate within 1/2 deg, and there was like 8 deg difference between what the thermo said and what the heater ring indicated.

 

[1911_guy]

I read it, just didn't get it I guess.

I called the manufacturer, wrote them too....asked a few people on here months ago and didn't understand then. Wow, how simple and how stupid I feel. All is good now though!