Heater issues

[Artimusclyde1974]

170 gallon tank I have 2x 300w heaters the seem to be operating correct I see the light on and can see the water heat around them my house is set at 74 but my tank is always at 72?
I have both heaters return pump and a grow light on refurgium that puts out a lot of heat
But the tank dosnt seem to warm up to the 78 I want
I have a 12 gallon that has a 100w heater that stays at 76-78 with the heater almost never being on any ideas?
I’m using a lazer temp gun

 

[Schnizzle]

Are your heaters in an area of direct flow? Meaning the water has to pass across them. My primary heater is very efficient in my bubble trap but my secondary is not great at all because its in an eddy in the refugium.

 

[Snoopy 67]

I would double check with a thermometer.

 

[theMeat]

Would double check with regular thermometer, and move one heater to another location in sump so the heat from one doesn’t effect the reading of the other so directly

 

[S2G]

Are these jagers? You calibrate those using a thermometer. 2 of mine were off

 

[crusso1993]

170 gallon tank I have 2x 300w heaters the seem to be operating correct I see the light on and can see the water heat around them my house is set at 74 but my tank is always at 72?
I have both heaters return pump and a grow light on refurgium that puts out a lot of heat
But the tank dosnt seem to warm up to the 78 I want
I have a 12 gallon that has a 100w heater that stays at 76-78 with the heater almost never being on any ideas?
I’m using a lazer temp gun

It makes no sense, at all, that you keep your house at a constant 74, run two heaters and your tank stays at 72. The only way this might be possible is if it gets exceptionally cold where you live, the tank is against an exterior wall(s) not close to any heat source and the wall(s) are insulated terribly.

Based on your saying you "see water around them", I am guessing the heaters are in the display and not your sump. If this is the case, first thing I would do is move the heaters to the sump. Second thing I would do is put the heaters on a heater controller. I would take these two steps regardless of the heating issues you're having as they are good practices to employ.

 

[ScottB]

I would confirm the temp reading with a couple other instruments or even an old mercury thermometer.

 

[Artimusclyde1974]

They are in the sump in the over flow chamber ( only chamber that lets me get them deep enough) that are at a angle sump is to short to stand up and not wide enough to lay down I see heat emotion g off of it it has good flow I would say as it’s dumping just off center of them

 

[Artimusclyde1974]

I’ll see about calibration for them any info on how to do this
They are jagers

 

[Artimusclyde1974]

Ahh just looked up calibration I think that’s my issue I was treating the red as the dial thank you guys. This dosnt address the issue that my house is 74 and my tank is 2 below lol so I’ll be getting a better way to monitor the temp

 

[theMeat]

Having heaters on controller is cheap insurance

 

[Artimusclyde1974]

Already in my amazon check out!

 

[crusso1993]

They are in the sump in the over flow chamber ( only chamber that lets me get them deep enough) that are at a angle sump is to short to stand up and not wide enough to lay down I see heat emotion g off of it it has good flow I would say as it’s dumping just off center of them

Without knowing the model, it's difficult to say if mounting the heaters diagonally is good. Most heaters need to be mounted either vertically or horizontally. You may want to check your manual to check it out.

Happy you are getting a controller!

 

[Artimusclyde1974]

It’s a Jager 300w it says vertical and has a minimum level line that is 3 inch higher then my sump water and I don’t want it in my display

 

[Artimusclyde1974]

2x 300w heaters only a bucket got the temp to 70 then I plug in heaters and with in 5 minutes they took the water to 76 and turned off I’ll leave them for ten more minutes to make sure but if it stays at 76 I then move the red knob to 76 then turn blue knob to 78 correct?

 

[Gene Ashton]

Ahh just looked up calibration I think that’s my issue I was treating the red as the dial thank you guys. This dosnt address the issue that my house is 74 and my tank is 2 below lol so I’ll be getting a better way to monitor the temp

Just because your house is at 74 doesn’t mean your tank will be at 74. You have evaporative cooling etc. you may want to put a controller in the heaters and put the probe in the tank. The sump or over flow may have to be warmer to keep the tank at 77 or what ever temp you want. I have heater in my sump and separate temp gauges in tank and sump, sump runs 79 and tank stays at 77.3-77.5. I run two heaters on a ink bird with the ink bird prob in the weir.

 

[Artimusclyde1974]

That makes sense man ty

Just because your house is at 74 doesn’t mean your tank will be at 74. You have evaporative cooling etc. you may want to put a controller in the heaters and put the probe in the tank. The sump or over flow may have to be warmer to keep the tank at 77 or what ever temp you want. I have heater in my sump and separate temp gauges in tank and sump, sump runs 79 and tank stays at 77.3-77.5. I run two heaters on a ink bird with the ink bird prob in the weir.

that makes sense man ty

 

[Gene Ashton]

2x 300w heaters only a bucket got the temp to 70 then I plug in heaters and with in 5 minutes they took the water to 76 and turned off I’ll leave them for ten more minutes to make sure but if it stays at 76 I then move the red knob to 76 then turn blue knob to 78 correct?

I need an inexpensive digital thermometer. All my digital temp gauges are all over by 0.5-1.0 degree.

 

[Schnizzle]

2x 300w heaters only a bucket got the temp to 70 then I plug in heaters and with in 5 minutes they took the water to 76 and turned off I’ll leave them for ten more minutes to make sure but if it stays at 76 I then move the red knob to 76 then turn blue knob to 78 correct?

Correct.

Did you do both heaters at the same time? If so, I would double check them individually.

 

[Artimusclyde1974]

I did at first but after posting that picture I unplugged one then got it in the tank after calibration then did the next