Aquarium Heaters

[Ricardo]

I read a post on here somewhere I think about aquarium heaters & the thermostats on them being a little inaccurate.
I have 4 x 25w heaters in use in my wines beers & now wash 30litre fermenting bins.
So I thought I would check the temperature of the liquids against the thermostat settings.
Temperature set on heater at 25 degree C gave all sorts of different readings.
Some of them readings about 6 degrees higher than set !!!!!1
One heater is now set a 20 degree C, its minimum setting, the liquid temperature is 35 degree C .......!!
My heaters are about 4 years old I think.
Do the thermostats degrade over the years ??

[Easydrinker]

No mate 'tis cheap Chinese shitty stuff.
No matter where you buy it.
Recently went through my bunch on a temp.testing,all were sadly wrong.
Aren't you glad that you are not trying to keep a prized Guppy alive with this shit?
I broke one today,I shed zero tears.

Robert.

[chill]

Having used these, I was surprised that more people did not end up with Fish Soup in their aquariums.

[Mash]

+1 even the expensive stainless steel ones are shite.

[Ricardo]

@Easydrinker.....
Cheap Chinese shitty stuff is right but you can't get away from it can you.
The Missus bought me 5 pairs of new socks the other day in good old M&S.....guess where
the bl**dy things were made !!
And no they were NOT cheap.
@Chill..
Did a bit of a Google on the things & it looks like some fish keepers DID end up with
fish soup

[Easydrinker]

These heaters are nearly as cheap as chips these days.
My current policy is to buy more than needed, and test them with at least two thermometers, as these are also cheap,plentiful and often shite.
I strive for a product that is inexpensive, not cheap.

Robert.

[Iain]

Better off with a straight heater and a PID control unit .. (about a tenner off a certain auction site) ... far more accurate and you only have to change the heater element when it goes not the whole thing ....

Indeed they should even control the old brew belt things ... or anything with a plug ! I am looking at experimenting with those later in the year !

If you can wire a plug without nuking yourself to kingdom come then you can wire a PID !

Iain

[Easydrinker]

Please share your findings mate,mine are so far inconclusive with a PID.
But I admit to going about it in an half arsed way.


Robert.

[Seagull]

Just bought a cheapo heater from ebay - £6.95 including postage from the UK seller.

Not expecting too much but hoping at least for a UK plug.

[Easydrinker]

That looks rather like some of the units that I have owned/do own.
If it doesn't have a UK plug,it will come with an adapter, they always do.
I test all mine against a thermometer,then wrap a short flag of silver "Duck Tape" around the cable near the plug, and write on that with a Sharpie the actual performance, i.e. 30%°C is really 25%°C. Or "reads 5% low".

HTH

Robert.

[Seagull]

Cheers Robert. Handy tip. Will probably hook it up to an Inkfish temperature controller too to make sure it doesn't cook the yeast

[Myles]

I have used them for a short time but I mostly distill fruit, in a fairly thick mash. Aquarium heaters are no good in that application. Probably ok on clear washes though.

The problem is that they cycle on/off on the thermostat. When on the surface temperature of the heater is surprisingly hot and any solids will stick. This insulates the heater that then overheats and breaks.

I switched to soil heating cables which can be put into thick mashes and because the watt density is so low there is no problem.

[Mash]

I have always had good results with heat mats or electric blankets

[Easydrinker]

Maybe I now regret taking half a dozen electric blankets to the tip last summer, while helping move an elderly lady into a much smaller sheltered accommodation?
I could have tried them, no, second thoughts, provenance. Glad that I didn't.

Says the man currently burning a sheep's after birth on his stove, too tired to dig a hole, and the first triplets arrived today.

Robert.

[Mash]

oooooo Triplets. Not good. Do a hear a lot of cade lambs for sale?

Back on topic. I managed to scrounge 2 electrical underfloor heating demonstrators. They are a large floor tile, with some cement on the back [containing the element] and a plug. BRILLIANT.

I have considered making some they are that good. Gentle even heat. Just enough and if used outside just add an old duvet or a camp mat.