Unplugging The Heater?

[Valmyre]

Hiya, i was reading an article on the net the other day advising that when you
clean your tank i.e put your hands into the water, that you must unplug the heater to avoid
the chance of electrocution.

Hmm i think this seems a bit OTT , does anyone out here follow this rule?

 

[Ethos]

Nope, never have. i dont think I've once turned my heater off (On pourpous anyways) for my 55G....

 

[red-devil0602]

i never used to until i acidently cracked the heater while moving an ornament and shocked myself. now i always turn it off

 

[Ethos]

Yeah, But I'd always forget to turn it on again

 

[Bloo]

I don't unplug it, but I will absolutely always flick the switch on the wall to turn it off.
I really don't fancy an accident (shattered glass - hand touches wires - I die )

 

[Valmyre]

i never used to until i acidently cracked the heater while moving an ornament and shocked myself. now i always turn it off

Ouch' don't blame you for turning it off then

 

[Ethos]

So all you really have to do is not move the dec. during water changes, ect..

 

[@ombomb]

It's not just in case of an accident, if you have the heater on and out of the water (assuming that this is at water changes) then the heater could blow. For the sake of flicking a switch on / off, I'd rather make sure I don't have to replace it.

Yeah, But I'd always forget to turn it on again

...sounds familiar, luckily I have a nice warm flat.

 

[Valmyre]

I don't unplug it, but I will absolutely always flick the switch on the wall to turn it off.
I really don't fancy an accident (shattered glass - hand touches wires - I die )

Hmm Good point..,

 

[trace1]

i have to unplug mine when doing water changes, but saying that i unplug everything. already blown 1 heater by not unplugging it so not taking that chance again.
can't just flick the switch of cos our house doesn't have them on the plug sockets, must be an old house

 

[kimbowee]

I also turn off everything when cleaning tanks. Filter heater and lights. They are all plugged into a power strip so I just unplug the power strip & then plug it back in when I am done.

 

[Jen]

I have a 10 or 15 gal tank that I use when I do a whole tank clean and take all the fish out (Well, I did when I had my 35 g up and running.) This tank has the metal edging no all the outside seams - top bottom and side. I was emtying the tank out, and the heater was still on, and the water was about 3/4 full. Every time I stuck my hand in the water, I felt funny. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was, so i unplugged the filter. Still the funny feeling, so I unplugged the heater, and when I removed it from the water, I got a shock... like when you've be walking in socks on a carpet, and you touch something... just a little jolt. I threw that heater out.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

I turn mine off for two reasons, they are:

1. To avoid risk of electricution - not OTT, it could save your life.

2. My heater is near the surface of my tank, meaning as I do a water change it will be too far out of the water and it could break.

 

[Valmyre]

I turn mine off for two reasons, they are:

1. To avoid risk of electricution - not OTT, it could save your life.

2. My heater is near the surface of my tank, meaning as I do a water change it will be too far out of the water and it could break.

Aye , you are probably right , better safe than sorry.. me thinks i might start turnin it off

 

[Beta 93]

just be sure if its on to have it covered in water, or it will get very hot and crack