MAJOR Heater Accident!!

[inline6]

Not real titanium..

Nothing in this hobby is titanium, usually titanium plated or plating.

Once moisture gets underneath that plating rust will take care of most heaters. makes me wonder about those titanium coated chillers.

 

[heuerfan]

Nothing in this hobby is titanium, usually titanium plated or plating.

Once moisture gets underneath that plating rust will take care of most heaters. makes me wonder about those titanium coated chillers.

Like you said Sharn, seems like this can happen to any heater. Best to check on your heater as well when doing routine maintenance. Another thing to worry about

 

[cali_reef]

What? Is there a thread? What heaters do you use cali?

Cheapo Won and also freebie TAAM. All heaters with built in controller sucks, they all stick after while.

You should check your heater on a regular bases for electricity leak and rust. Use a separate temperature controller for all heaters. Pecan cooked his 12G nano with a Pro Heat II and now uses a Ranco controller.

 

[cali_reef]

Nothing in this hobby is titanium, usually titanium plated or plating.

Once moisture gets underneath that plating rust will take care of most heaters. makes me wonder about those titanium coated chillers.

Really, how do you plate Ti?

 

[inline6]

:google: it.

 

[cali_reef]

No need to, I know how to do it. I also know it is cheaper to use Ti tubing to built a heater than plating Ti in China.

The rust starts at the end of the tube on Frank's heater, that's poor welding technique or the wrong filler was used.

You should also look into how to plate the inside of a tubing for your mentioned of chiller.

 

[heuerfan]

Cheapo Won and also freebie TAAM. All heaters with built in controller sucks, they all stick after while.

You should check your heater on a regular bases for electricity leak and rust. Use a separate temperature controller for all heaters. Pecan cooked his 12G nano with a Pro Heat II and now uses a Ranco controller.

Would you know what causes it to stick? I have to ask Pecan about that, maybe he accidently moved the dial that adjust the temp. I know that dial is easily moved.

If a heater can fail, wouldn't a controller also?

 

[cali_reef]

Would you know what causes it to stick? I have to ask Pecan about that, maybe he accidently moved the dial that adjust the temp. I know that dial is easily moved.

If a heater can fail, wouldn't a controller also?

Most heaters I played with uses a bi-metal switch to turn on and off the heater. The ones with a separate temp sensor\control uses a micro relay, these don't last long due to the high power draw nature of the heater and the arcing of the contacts.

Ranco controller uses a large(I think 20Amp) HD relay, those have a pretty high duty cycle limit, it will eventually fail too, just takes a lot longer to do so.

 

[NYReef]

I think I'll switch to a small visi-therm heater, I've used them for years with no problem. And although the problem here was caused by my not tying the sensor down better, I don't want to wait for the titanium to rust or the controller to fail. One runaway heater is enough for a lifetime.....

 

[cali_reef]

Visi-therm uses a bi-metal switch..

 

[heuerfan]

Most heaters I played with uses a bi-metal switch to turn on and off the heater. The ones with a separate temp sensor\control uses a micro relay, these don't last long due to the high power draw nature of the heater and the arcing of the contacts.

Ranco controller uses a large(I think 20Amp) HD relay, those have a pretty high duty cycle limit, it will eventually fail too, just takes a lot longer to do so.

Thanks for explaining, i think

 

[inline6]

Thanks for explaining, i think

ditto

 

[NYReef]

I misread cali-reefs post thinking he meant the micro-relays shortout from current draw, not the bi-metals. The death toll rises, hydnophora, purple monti, fox coral, green birdsnest, green and red blasto's, and the ricordia look awful. Plus my 4 line wrasse hasn't shown up, I can't take much more and will need to bail out if anything more dies. Geez, one day beautiful reef, next day disaster.............