Question About Cable Heaters

[littleimp]

This one goes out to all the cable heater owners.

Do they make the tank too warm in the summer??

I've just ordered a 80w 15metre rena one for my 6ft tank & was wondering if they give temp problems in the summer??

 

[zig]

Not sure i dont use one but some of the guys have been getting DIY thermostats to control them, have a look in gf225s journal, just skip back a few pages and you will find it, smithrc another member of this forum made it, im sure if you crossed his palm with silver he might do the same for you, somebody else whose name i cant remember off hand also got one made up, not sure if it was also smithrc that made it, normally the thermostats for them cost a fortune (small fortune ) )they are very expensive

 

[prankster705]

Thermostaes for them cost like 100$ and up.

 

[Aqua Essentials]

This one goes out to all the cable heater owners.

Do they make the tank too warm in the summer??

I've just ordered a 80w 15metre rena one for my 6ft tank & was wondering if they give temp problems in the summer??

They will not cause problems at all. They run at less than 24 degrees anyway.

 

[Bloo]

Without trying to sound too blonde ) I just really don't get that DIY thermostat control - or how it's meant to work. Can someone "in the know" please explain to me (the idiots guide fashion) ? I'm quite good at DIY and don't mind making it myself - if I can just understand it !

I'm doing my tank rehaul tomorrow and will be putting in my heater cable too - is the thermostat control something that can be added in afterwards ? Or would I have to get it sorted first before the cable goes in ?

 

[oldwhitewood]

I think the actual cables do add to the heat in the summer, but its hard to narrow it down as I only think they create a bit of convection, they aren't enough to heat the tank on its own.

 

[littleimp]

That's good then, won't have to worry about adding a heater. Hi aqua essentials, didn't realise you were on here. Funny that, buy a piece of equipment & get replied on the forum by the person who sold it!

I'm always funny about heat, that's what keeping marines does for you!!!!

 

[emo]

I'm doing my tank rehaul tomorrow and will be putting in my heater cable too - is the thermostat control something that can be added in afterwards ? Or would I have to get it sorted first before the cable goes in ?

The one that smithrc made was a socket attatched to a thermostat heater, so yes you can run the heater cable now then add the DIY thermostat later by plugging the heater cable plug into the socket.

 

[Bloo]

so yes you can run the heater cable now then add the DIY thermostat later by plugging the heater cable plug into the socket.

(thanks ) but, (with tears in my eyes) how

???

 

[Aqua Essentials]

That's good then, won't have to worry about adding a heater. Hi aqua essentials, didn't realise you were on here. Funny that, buy a piece of equipment & get replied on the forum by the person who sold it!

I'm always funny about heat, that's what keeping marines does for you!!!!

Hi Littleimp

You'll still need a heater though becasue you cannot rely on a cable to heat the whole tank.

Hope this helps and the web makes it an even smaller world...!

 

[zig]

so yes you can run the heater cable now then add the DIY thermostat later by plugging the heater cable plug into the socket.

(thanks ) but, (with tears in my eyes) how

???

Here you go bloozoo.......page 20 of gfs journal, smithrc gives a brief explanation as to how it works with a picture as well




DIY heater cable

I know gf and others that ran heater cables during the summer had to switch off or unplug the main heater and just run the cable instead on its own

 

[Bloo]

Thanks Zig but I still don't have a clue what this means and the picture doesn't explain it

Its nothing fancy, Just a re used heater with the heating element stripped out and hard wired to act as a switch for the socket.
It plugs into a wall socket and will switch the cable on and off around an adjustable temperature

 

[oldwhitewood]

I'm always funny about heat, that's what keeping marines does for you!!!!

Yep I hear you, I wish they would make a cheap chiller!

 

[zig]

Thanks Zig but I still don't have a clue what this means and the picture doesn't explain it

Its nothing fancy, Just a re used heater with the heating element stripped out and hard wired to act as a switch for the socket.
It plugs into a wall socket and will switch the cable on and off around an adjustable temperature

Well he is using the thermostat of the old heater to control the temprature of the cable in the tank, so you just plug your cable into the middle plug in the picture, the end plug obviously goes into the wall socket and you set the temprature on the thermostat (on the old heater) and anytime the water reaches the temprature that you have it set for, the cable switches off and stops heating.

gf would really have to confirm exactly how he works this in conjunction with the main heater in the tank this bit im a little bit confused about also

Sorry bloozoo im not quite sure, but im nearly sure someone else had one of these as well, so maybe if they see the thread they can enlighten us.

 

[emo]

gf would really have to confirm exactly how he works this in conjunction with the main heater in the tank this bit im a little bit confused about also

Sorry bloozoo im not quite sure, but im nearly sure someone else had one of these as well, so maybe if they see the thread they can enlighten us.

I belive it is simonbrown403 who has one on smithrc's instruction (apologies if it's not!) But I PM'd smithrc a week or two ago regarding the DIY themostat, I belive he is on holiday/honeymoon at the moment, but i'm sure once he gets five minutes he will be able to let us know how to do it!

I would think when the thermostat goes on, it completes a circuit within the attatched socket, but quite how he has done this is what I (we) need to find out!