Lets play "Can you identify my heater?"

[AquariumBot3000]

Come on down, for our next challenge, contestants will identify this old looking green heater from what appears to be the stone age. Its cylindrical in shape and has a little clear spot which exposes a light. At the top, there appears to be no moving parts yet when you look at the heater from the top there are two arrows pointing opposite directions toward a plus sign and a minus sign. Obviously to raise the heat up or down. The question is, how does it operate? It does not twist and when I bend the top each direction laterally, the temperature does not change. Can you identify my heater?

Each contestant that correctly guesses which heater I have will win a warm and fuzzy feeling inside for helping this poor soul out.

 

[GodFan]

Come on down, for our next challenge, contestants will identify this old looking green heater from what appears to be the stone age. Its cylindrical in shape and has a little clear spot which exposes a light. At the top, there appears to be no moving parts yet when you look at the heater from the top there are two arrows pointing opposite directions toward a plus sign and a minus sign. Obviously to raise the heat up or down. The question is, how does it operate? It does not twist and when I bend the top each direction laterally, the temperature does not change. Can you identify my heater?

Each contestant that correctly guesses which heater I have will win a warm and fuzzy feeling inside for helping this poor soul out.

An old one! Dadadada!!! I win!

 

[Super_Blueberry]

When you say it doesn't twist, is it seized up, or is it literally not meant to twist

 

[AquariumBot3000]

When you say it doesn't twist, is it seized up, or is it literally not meant to twist

It looks like the part that looks like it might twist is sealed to the base. Its kinda hard to see. I might be wrong. Ill take a look at it but it doesn't really look like it is meant to twist.

 

[AquariumBot3000]

Ya it really doesnt look like it twists. I just tried to twist it as hard as i could but it didnt budge. I was hoping someone on here might own one of these and might be able to tell me how to operate it? Or someone who has had something like this?

 

[Andy Sager]

I got this!!!!! LOL I don't remember the brand but I remember the heater. I'm still using HOB heaters that were from that same time period.
This is an old submersible heater. The "window" that has the little light is the pilot light window to show you when the heater is actually heating. The light should not be on all the time.
With some old submersible heaters, you had to pinch then turn the knob inside to raise or lower the temps. You could never move the internal knob all that far in one pinch which was to help reduce overheating. See if the knob in pic#2 is squeezable. If it is ( and I believe it will be ), turn the inside knob in the direction as shown to either raise or lower the temp.

If you want to test the thing before putting it in a tank, you can carefully do it. Plug in the heater, twist the knob until the pilot light goes on and wrap your hand around the lower end of the heater. It should start getting hot immediately or within 30 seconds. IF it gets hot, remove your hand and unplug the heater immediately and place it on something that won't burn until it cools off. THEN you can put it in the tank and 15 minutes later, plug it back in. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you don't put the hot heater in the tank of colder water or the glass will break and the heater will be worthless.
The biggest downside to these heaters was that you don't know what temp they are set at until you see the pilot light go out. It means you may be needing to go into the tank and readjusting the heater a few times until you get it where you want it. I strongly suggest you do this in a bare tank or in a tank with no fish. This way, if you overshoot your intended temp, no fish will be harmed in the process. Once you have the temp set, unplug the heater and move it back into the main tank (once it's cooled down), wait the 15 mins and replug it in. PRESTO, you should be set.

Hope this helps

 

[aqua_chem]

I'm reasonably sure that's the ancient Ebo-Jager, ie, the one before the one before the current one. Evolution seen here

 

[Andy Sager]

I'm reasonably sure that's the ancient Ebo-Jager, ie, the before the one before the current one. Evolution seen here

I believe you are correct. I couldn't think of the name. LOL I'm still using the old Supreme heaters by Eugene Danner. Best heaters of their time. I kept a bunch when I closed my last hatchery back in the 1980s. I hated to part with any of them. Now I'm glad I kept some

 

[aqua_chem]

I think my dad had these in our aquariums growing up. Blast from the past for sure.

 

[AquariumBot3000]

I got this!!!!! LOL I don't remember the brand but I remember the heater. I'm still using HOB heaters that were from that same time period.
This is an old submersible heater. The "window" that has the little light is the pilot light window to show you when the heater is actually heating. The light should not be on all the time.
With some old submersible heaters, you had to pinch then turn the knob inside to raise or lower the temps. You could never move the internal knob all that far in one pinch which was to help reduce overheating. See if the knob in pic#2 is squeezable. If it is ( and I believe it will be ), turn the inside knob in the direction as shown to either raise or lower the temp.

If you want to test the thing before putting it in a tank, you can carefully do it. Plug in the heater, twist the knob until the pilot light goes on and wrap your hand around the lower end of the heater. It should start getting hot immediately or within 30 seconds. IF it gets hot, remove your hand and unplug the heater immediately and place it on something that won't burn until it cools off. THEN you can put it in the tank and 15 minutes later, plug it back in. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you don't put the hot heater in the tank of colder water or the glass will break and the heater will be worthless.
The biggest downside to these heaters was that you don't know what temp they are set at until you see the pilot light go out. It means you may be needing to go into the tank and readjusting the heater a few times until you get it where you want it. I strongly suggest you do this in a bare tank or in a tank with no fish. This way, if you overshoot your intended temp, no fish will be harmed in the process. Once you have the temp set, unplug the heater and move it back into the main tank (once it's cooled down), wait the 15 mins and replug it in. PRESTO, you should be set.

Hope this helps

And the winner is....ANDY SAGER! CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING THIS ROUND! Please enjoy the warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

But honorable mention goes to Aqua Chem for pretty much making me laugh harder than I have in a while. Also, the best of that particular Indiana Jones .gif.

Thanks for playing everyone. Ill see in a few days if the temperature changes. Stay tuned for next round of "Is my new Coralife fixture wired in series or parallel?"

 

[Andy Sager]

Thank you...... Thank you. ........ It would indeed have been an honor to have just been nominated but to get this win as well.............
I'm not sure if it's good that I have been at fish keeping so long that I knew this or sad that I am so out of date that I don't know many of the new things lol I still use the old things

I'll try to post a pic of my heaters a.s.a.p.


Thanks again