Heater contaminated water

[mike007]

Great news all of my other tangs and fish have come out of hiding and are eating. Hope that there are no ill effects. I am some happy that i didn't lose everything.

 

[gtbarsi]

I'm really sorry to hear about your problems. This brings up a question I have often wondered, where is the bulletproof heating solution?
I have seen some inline heaters, but they are not large enough to gauge if they are any safer, since the largest only allows a 5/8" line.
The other solution that I would expect more people to embrace are hot water heating coils. While they are not "simple" with a controller they could be made more accurate than just about anything, and have the added benefit of not having any electrical components in the tank. I have seen a couple of these on big build threads where people have worked one in off of their home heating system. Assuming that the heating coil is running through a heat exchanger to get heat from the home heating system, the exchanger could be cooled using various means and allow the coil to act as a chiller coil in your sump.

Thoughts?

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

where is the bulletproof heating solution?

This article talks about the best, affordable methods. If money is of no concern (or you have huge system) I would spring for these.

Hot water heating coils are used in some applications, and they can be implemented very safely if installed properly. From what I've seen most times cost gets to be similar to the in-line heaters I linked above, which are much simpler to install. I know of a local guy that had one of the coil lines leak which turned his system freshwater overnight, so they certainly should be heavily researched prior to installing.

 

[gtbarsi]

This article talks about the best, affordable methods. If money is of no concern (or you have huge system) I would spring for these.

Hot water heating coils are used in some applications, and they can be implemented very safely if installed properly. From what I've seen most times cost gets to be similar to the in-line heaters I linked above, which are much simpler to install. I know of a local guy that had one of the coil lines leak which turned his system freshwater overnight, so they certainly should be heavily researched prior to installing.

I've seen that, and my only thought is that there should be a solution that is better.
Even if the OP had two or more heaters with a controller his tank would have been just as damaged thanks to the bad stuff that the heater released into his tank.
I have seen reviews that suggest that the sub 1K watt inline heaters are just as susceptible to overheating and thermal shock as glass heaters. There are plenty of different situations where the return line could be with out water.

So I am not convinced there is a long term relatively safe heating solution for anyone that needs less than 1000 watts of heating. Does anyone have any other ideas / solutions besides the ones that have been shared?

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

I've seen that, and my only thought is that there should be a solution that is better.

I wholeheartedly agree ELOS was touting that they were designing one heater to rule them all, but it never came to fruition and I haven't heard a peep about it in 3+ years.

Even if the OP had two or more heaters with a controller his tank would have been just as damaged thanks to the bad stuff that the heater released into his tank.

While possible, I believe there is a lot of merit to two undersized heaters controlled independently as they don't run as much, and do not have any power to them most of the time. I've watched heaters last considerably longer doing it this way. Have had zero issues with installing a heating system as such 50+ times (it's part of my job). Of course that's not to say it couldn't happen similarly to the OP's experience.

I have seen reviews that suggest that the sub 1K watt inline heaters are just as susceptible to overheating and thermal shock as glass heaters.

Can you link me? Would be interested to read more.

There are plenty of different situations where the return line could be with out water.

The inlines I linked can be plumbed with elbows on the input and output which completely eliminates the possibility of them running dry.

 

[gtbarsi]

I wholeheartedly agree ELOS was touting that they were designing one heater to rule them all, but it never came to fruition and I haven't heard a peep about it in 3+ years.

While possible, I believe there is a lot of merit to two undersized heaters controlled independently as they don't run as much, and do not have any power to them most of the time. I've watched heaters last considerably longer doing it this way. Have had zero issues with installing a heating system as such 50+ times (it's part of my job). Of course that's not to say it couldn't happen similarly to the OP's experience.

Can you link me? Would be interested to read more.

The inlines I linked can be plumbed with elbows on the input and output which completely eliminates the possibility of them running dry.

I agree that two or more under sized heaters managed by a controller will work well and are less likely to fail. But dam, why cant we get a heater that does not need a separate controller that costs a minimum of $100 on top of the cost of the heater! If you are using it to justify the cost of a tank controller then your are between 250 - 500 for the base unit!

Review of inline heater that failed due to overheating / thermal shock: Planted Aquarium Reviews - Hydor ETH 300 In-Line Heater - Project Aquarium
There are reviews all over Amazon about problems with Hydor ETH inline heaters. Clearly the issues are the same as any glass heaters, bad thermostats and glass will crack / shatter if it gets to hot or is thermally shocked.

Besides Aqua Logic and Hydor are there any other inline heaters. I like the Aqua logic design, they are just so over rated for what most people need. Hydor seems to have the same general quality issues as any other glass heater.

As to the heaters you posted, I'm not sure what elbows have to do with water potentially not being in them due to return pump failure of one kind or another.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

Thanks for the link I have a couple of those Hydors in the field on FW tanks so I'll keep a close eye on them. As you mentioned, likely very similar issues to any other heater.

I do think the AquaLogic is in a league of their own, but still out of most everyone's price range for standard set ups.

As to the heaters you posted, I'm not sure what elbows have to do with water potentially not being in them due to return pump failure of one kind or another.

In short you plumb the heater so that when power is lost/return turned off water is still kept within the heating unit due to elbow orientation. Here's an example from Cole here on R2R:

 

[gtbarsi]

Got it!

I would hate to think about the head loss, but it does solve the issue of running empty. I guess if you have the money for a heater like that you can afford a bigger return pump!
I've been looking in to titanium heating elements, but they are all designed for heating over 200 degrees!

The search for a more reliable and affordable heating solution continues...

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

I would hate to think about the head loss, but it does solve the issue of running empty. I guess if you have the money for a heater like that you can afford a bigger return pump!

:thumb: