Need a heater thermostat

[Velcro]

i run an apex with the finned titanium heater (no thermostat on this heater, it plugs right into the apex power bar).

I'd like to add some redundancy by adding another thermostat before the power bar so that if for some reason the apex temp probe malfunctions, or whatever else goes wrong, the external controller cut some power regardless of what the apex is telling it to do.

I see that finned makes a pretty inexpensive one, but wondering if any one has other recommendations.

 

[jsker]

From what I have read, you are better off with the Apex. I use the finnex titanium with my Apes without an issue and trust the Apex more than a proprietary thermostat.

Notice I have set off and fallback off, and there is an alarm that can be set.

 

[donnievaz]

Check out Inkbird temperature controllers.

 

[jkapit]

There are a number of ways to approach this, many use a heater with a thermostats set slightly above what the apex thermometer is set to. That way if the apex fails on the high reading the heater will shut off and not cook the tank.

I use two Apex thermostats and heaters for redundancy. One temp probe plugged into the base unit and the other plugged into my Par module. The logic I am using is the following:

Sump heater logic:
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Sump_T < 78.0 Then ON
If Tank_T < 78.0 Then ON
If Sump_T > 79.0 Then OFF
If Tank_T > 79.0 Then OFF
If Output Ret_Pump_A = OFF Then OFF
Min Time 002:00 Then OFF
If Power Apex Off 007 Then OFF

Tank heater logic:
Fallback OFF
If Output Sump_Heater = ON Then ON
If Output Sump_Heater = OFF Then OFF
Min Time 002:00 Then OFF
If Power Apex Off 007 Then OFF