Heaters are back

[seangee]

Well technically not on. I had to use a bucket of cold water to test them and I have turned my controllers back up to normal settings.
Off on 3 weeks hols tomorrow and its probably at least a month till the heaters are actually needed - but you never know ...

 

[GaryE]

It is time.

For those of us who don't use controllers, this is a time to test. My worst disasters with heaters sticking in the on position have happened when they've sat unused for a summer, and been turned back on. This has happened when they sat plugged in but not needed in a tank. It happens less with electronic ones, but it's a breakdown that kills fish. As the temperatures drop and heaters are needed, it's good to monitor temperatures extra closely for a couple of weeks.

My view is never trust a politician, a pastor or an aquarium heater.

 

[seangee]

It is time.

For those of us who don't use controllers, this is a time to test. My worst disasters with heaters sticking in the on position have happened when they've sat unused for a summer, and been turned back on. This has happened when they sat plugged in but not needed in a tank. It happens less with electronic ones, but it's a breakdown that kills fish. As the temperatures drop and heaters are needed, it's good to monitor temperatures extra closely for a couple of weeks.

My view is never trust a politician, a pastor or an aquarium heater.

Good call! I don't usually check as thoroughly as this time. Inkbirds have all been reporting the correct temps over summer. Turned the thermostats back up and the one in the community tank went straight into an alarm state and informed me the tank was at 12C. Double and triple checked and the probe has gone (tank is still at 25.5 and over time the controller was displaying lots of different temps). No time to fix / replace before I am off so I have plugged in one of the (tested) heaters directly.
Probably wouldn't have broiled the fish because the heaters are set to turn off half a degree higher than the controller in case it fails, but there was the chance heating would be needed and not come on, once those probes go they are all over the place.