water inside of heater?

[Be102]

so I took my heater out to wipe it down as I haven’t done that in quite sometime and I noticed that there appears to be water inside of the heater. It’s not major and just seems to be near the top but unsure if this would cause problems. I originally took it out as my temp seems to be dwindling around 74-77 but not to 78 as it’s set. I’m going to raise it a little bit and see if wiping down will fix the problem but on the other hand I also want to prevent my tank from getting messed up from the heater

 

[jsker]

Sorry, time for a new heater

 

[ca1ore]

Most likely just some form of condensation. I wouldn’t worry about it frankly. If you see any kind of internal corrosion, that may indicate its time for a new one. How old?

 

[soflmuddin]

Disaster waiting to happen. Toss it.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Agree....time to buy a new heater. I'm a backup nut and always have one ready to go.....but that's me!

 

[User]

Counterpoint- my brand new eheim jaeger 250w has condensation droplets like that form the first day I put it in the tank. Eheim says it’s residual moisture from the oil used during manufacturing and it shouldn’t be a problem as long as it’s only a few drops and it doesn’t increase. Mine hasn’t.

It’s been running fine for 4 months now.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I had one do the same thing. Then it acted like a missile and shot 3/4 of the glass tube trough the side of my sump. I just happened to be home for it and had a spare tank for a sump.

 

[User]

Darn

 

[Katrina71]

Scary

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I was in another room and heard glass shatter and what sounded like a bug zapper. Funny it didn't trip my breaker. I replace heaters when they have any sign of wear.

 

[Be102]

I was in another room and heard glass shatter and what sounded like a bug zapper. Funny it didn't trip my breaker. I replace heaters when they have any sign of wear.

Wow I wonder if this could be the reason of my breaker tripping s few eeeks back... its also struggling to stay right temp. That’s scary.

 

[ca1ore]

How old is the heater? I think it is good practice to replace them sooner rather than later. None of mine are more than three years old. As noted above, when asked EBJ says some internal condensation is normal and not cause for panic. Now, if the heater is old, then probably best replaced. These boards skew towards over reaction IMO .....

 

[GWHouston]

Buy a titanium heater and never worry again.

 

[Be102]

How old is the heater? I think it is good practice to replace them sooner rather than later. None of mine are more than three years old. As noted above, when asked EBJ says some internal condensation is normal and not cause for panic. Now, if the heater is old, then probably best replaced. These boards skew towards over reaction IMO .....

The heater is coming to about 2-3 years... can’t eemmeber which.. but I had a spare heater I used for my water changing bucket. I’ll just order a new heater now. What’s the preferred heater currently? This was an Eheim 200w I believe in my 65 g w like 20 g sump. It’s also plugged into my profilux but isn’t really controlled by it just plugged in.

 

[Stigigemla]

You should use the safety from the profilux. Heaters do hook up.
I sell the Eheim Jaeger because I think they are the best for a reasonable prize. (Normally 2 smaller to each customer so the tank will not crash if one gets hooked up).

 

[salty joe]

Counterpoint- my brand new eheim jaeger 250w has condensation droplets like that form the first day I put it in the tank. Eheim says it’s residual moisture from the oil used during manufacturing and it shouldn’t be a problem as long as it’s only a few drops and it doesn’t increase. Mine hasn’t.

It’s been running fine for 4 months now.

Moisture from oil? That doesn't sound right to me.
To the OP, I like a titanium heater.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

I spoke with an Eheim rep and they used to have clear heaters and got lots of complaints about moisture inside of them , she stated that it was normal and they went back to smoke glass so they get less complaints. PS I love and use Finnex titanium heaters with a Ranco controller.

 

[User]

Moisture from oil? That doesn't sound right to me.
To the OP, I like a titanium heater.

That was their explanation.

I too had a ‘what?’ Moment when they said oil. Several other people have mentioned the same response from eheim in other threads.

My take is that it’s moisture that was in the air when it was assembled, that now condensed out once it hit the cooler water. It’s less than a few drops, as you’d expect. The place these are made aren’t exactly environmentally sealed, so some humidity in the air results in tiny water droplets.

 

[salty joe]

But the air inside the heater and the heater's glass would be warmer than the tank's water, at least when the heater is on.
Water inside a heater would make me uncomfortable.

 

[ravi197699]

time to buy titanium heater, I used to add layer of silicone in top where wire and joints are just to prolong life of the heater,