Re: [GSAS-Member] Do heaters die of old age?

["Hess, Clay A" <clay.a.hess@boeing.com>]

Kypros has touched on a very significant point here.  Any number of things can 
help thermally isolate portions of a tank. Things like plants, water flow path, 
decorations all play a part in localized temperature readings.  I had a tank 
that ran 4 to 5 degrees different from one location near  the heat source to a 
location thermally isolated from the heat source.  Water flow can help speed 
heat transfer if the surface is changing rapidly, working similar to the 
radiator in your car.  So, it may be more than a dead heater causing the issue. 

Clay


Clay Hess
787 Fuselage Systems Integration Manager and Team Leader
425-931-4322

----- Original Message -----
From: gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com <gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com>
To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat <gsas-member@thekrib.com>
Sent: Mon Dec 07 14:15:15 2009
Subject: Re: [GSAS-Member] Do heaters die of old age?

I have struggled with heaters on one my tanks, when it gets cold they can't
keep up, I went through two visitherm stealths, and another heater, rated
for 55 gallon tanks (my tank is 29 gallon), drove me crazy. Now I have made
an adjustment that has really helped, I have placed the heater right under
(or next to) the intake on my main filter.  Since I have done that, the
temperature is much more stable.  I think water flow must be the key, I had
been keeping the heaters on the opposite end of where my filter intake was.
Just a thought that might help.
Kypros

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 2:01 PM, Matt Staroscik <matt@wrongcrowd.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 1:56 PM, Shango Los <shango@shangolos.com> wrote:
>
> > Kind of random that they would fail at the same time though.  Maybe one
> has
> > been carrying the other for some time.
> >
>
> Neither alone is enough to heat the tank properly on a cold day, so if one
> is dead, or both are ailing, I guess that would do it.
>
> It's also possible that one or both has a bad thermostat mechanism. Neither
> control dial was never very accurate, perhaps one or both has gotten worse
> in the past year.
>
>
>
> >
> > On Dec 7, 2009, at 1:47 PM, Matt Staroscik wrote:
> >
> > > It's a 90 gal tank, and they need to keep the tank at most 15F above
> > > ambient. (60F house, 75F tank max)
> > >
> > > I have used these heaters for years already, so it feels like there's
> an
> > > equipment problem.
> >
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> >
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