Water heating problem

[dleone7]

This issue started Sunday night after I did a water change and tank cleaning. I have a 20 gallon freshwater with about 10 fish in it. While I was putting everything back together I broke my heater (glass 100w). My wife picked up a submersible (100w) while she was out and I put it in later that afternoon. After a couple hours there was no change in water temperature and it had dipped down to around 65. The heater was not warm/hot. I ran up to the local petstore and got a more expensive one (still 100w). Put that in (after letting it sit for about 15 minutes) and waited. I kept checking it and it never got warm. By this time the petstore had closed so I had to run around and find one at Walmart. Brought it home - same story. During the course of trying three different heaters I tried different outlets, etc. The light, aerator, etc all work fine in the outlets that I am trying to use. That night I ended up doing another 25% water change (with hot water) because the water had dipped to 59 degrees. Not sure how I have any fish left alive at this point. The next day I had my buddy bring me a 200w Stealth (Marineland), and I went ahead and bought one myself. Started with just the one, but for the past two days have had both 200w heaters in a 20 gallon tank (set to 79) and cannot get the temperature above 63 degrees. I would say the water temp is pretty much the room temp at this point (the tank is in the far corner of the house between two windows).
Does anyone have a clue why the water temperature isn't coming up? I would think that between the two heaters there should be no problem. I have changed the battery on my thermometer so it's not that (not to mention you can tell my sticking your hand in the water that it is no where near 79 degrees). Any suggestions would be wonderful.

 

[CaptainAhab]

When your original broke are you sure you didn't trip the GFI and/or the circuit breaker at your panel? Or burn out the outlet? Plug something else into the same location (light, radio) and make sure you're getting juice.

 

[dleone7]

I did check the outlet. I have a power strip with timer for the light. It powers the aerator, light, filter, and heater. I have switched the heater around with other things on the strip and they work. I have tried plugging in the heater to nearby outlets and even running an extension cord across the room.

 

[dleone7]

There is a chance that all the outlets I tried are on the same breaker. Is there a chance that the heater requires more power than the other things? If the filter for instance only requires a low voltage would it still be able to run if there was something wrong with the circuit?

 

[CaptainAhab]

and you're not plugging it/them in until the heater is submerged, right? Something is amiss or you've got a black cloud following you around

 

[dleone7]

Correct - they were completely submerged (they're both horizontal) and I waited a few minutes for each before plugging them in. I suppose unplugging everything and flipping the circuit breaker couldn't do any harm.

 

[brutus]

you say the water temp same as room temp 63 deg?your house is cold to live in.Turn your house temp up until you can find out the problem.

 

[dleone7]

Slight exaggeration. The house thermostat is at 70 - I would say the corner of that room is probably closer to 66.

 

[brutus]

yeah colder if outside wall and windows .you get heater to work?

 

[dleone7]

Not yet - I'll be leaving work in a few and will try the circuit breaker. Maybe I'll get lucky.

 

[brutus]

when you turn the thermostats all the way up on the heaters do the stat lights come on?

 

[HooKooDooKu]

Under the notion that you fried something electrical when you broke the heater, and working of the idea that perhaps only low power items will now run on the power strip, have you tried replacing the power strip with a lamp with a 100 watt light bulb? Basically prove that the electrical outlet can handle the load.

 

[cwt]

when you turn the thermostats all the way up on the heaters do the stat lights come on?

If he's using that borrowed Marineland Stealth one, there are no lights; the only way I know mine's working are the bubbles on the heating element part of it.

 

[booginish]

i didnt read all the posts on this thread but i know its always a good idea to leave your heater in your tank for 15 - 20 mins to let the heater climatize, so when you start it up it doesnt detect an instan temperature swing and think theres a problem within the tank. i had that problem a few times, and went through alot of heaters(never broke mine tho). i would also consult an electrician about the issue they might be able to instruct you on what your issue is. i live in a place with climates colder than the north pole in the winter, and deal with alot of temperature swings, and my 300 watt smart heater keeps up with my 55 gallon just fine, keeps it at a regulated temp perfectly. also i dont know if you are useing one or not, but a surge protector might help you out when you get everything working again, so whenever it detects a surge it will break your circuit and stop any further issues.

 

[dleone7]

Correct, the Stealth does not have a light. Also my power strip has a built in surge protector. The idea of plugging in the 100w lamp is a good one.
However, last night I flipped the circuit break just to see if that was the issue. It wasn't. When everything came back on the heaters did not. So in desperation I turned both up to 85 degrees and checked again. Immediately they heated up. I left them on for about four hours checking every few minutes. The tank came up from about 62 to 69 degrees. Before I went to bed I turned them back to 79 to make sure that I didn't cook my fish overnight. This morning the tank was back to 62. Heaters were cold (of course). Before I went to work I turned them back up to 82 this time and verified that they were hot. We'll see what happens while i'm away...

 

[GhostKnife]

It would not be the circuit breaker as you are still able to filter and aerate your tank correct... maybe not. However it is all the same 120 at the outlet nothing more nothing less. Watts is what you need to look at. If other things are working in the general area its not in the fuse box... The heater is not instant it will take a while(day or two) to heat to the temperature selected. Amperes is what is used to measure the amount of work the heater is actually doing wattage is the hefty-ness and voltage is what is coming out of your wall/surge protector(120). What size tank and what is the wattage on your heater? If the heater is faulty the surge protector depending on what kind might not allow it to run.

 

[GhostKnife]

Im sorry the heater doesnt need wattage it produces wattage larger for more heat i e bigger aquarium smaller amount for a smaller aquarium. So yes look at the watts and look it up to see if it is enough for your size aquarium. If it isnt its discombobulated. HAHA yea!

 

[GhostKnife]

If your heater is a 100 watt heater and you have a 100 watt bulb. Test it. Make sure its around 100 watt bulb as if you are worried about voltage drop off which I doubt... use it. It could be in the surge protector too. But I tend to believe its the heater itself... Too small Im guessing is what is sounds like. My tank gets up to 78 durring the day and 77 or 76.8 at around 4 in the morning lowest point. Dont ask what I was doing up then!!! Anyone ever played Call of Duty 5?

 

[ezy33]

It seems to me that the plug is not making good connection. I would try slightly bending the prongs on the heater plugs, so they will make good contact inside the receptacle.

 

[jsoong]

.... So in desperation I turned both up to 85 degrees and checked again. Immediately they heated up. I left them on for about four hours checking every few minutes. The tank came up from about 62 to 69 degrees. Before I went to bed I turned them back to 79 to make sure that I didn't cook my fish overnight. This morning the tank was back to 62. Heaters were cold (of course). Before I went to work I turned them back up to 82 this time and verified that they were hot. We'll see what happens while i'm away...

This sounds like the usual heater dial not being accurate problem .... It is pretty common to have the heater set at some temp & the actual set point is way off. <That's why some people use a separate temperature controller to control the heaters.>

At any rate, if the heater actually heats at a different setting, it is pretty safe that the problem is not in the outlet/surge protector ... etc. <Even if the surge protector is fried & it is giving 50V, say, the heater still should have turned on when set to 79 if it was on at 82 ... that dial is just a simple on/off switch ....>

Now, why you would have 3 new heaters in a row having the same problem is a bit of a mystery ... most of the time, the heater set points are kinda randomly set, some read high, some low ... but i suppose you could by chance get 3 of the same (reading temp falsely high.)