mling November 14, 2007 Share November 14, 2007 I have 3 Pro Heat II heaters by WON, one for each tank. I like them because there is an external LED read out of the tank temp and also an on/off indicator next to the temp reading to tell you if the heater heat element is on (Green LED on, red LED on) or off (Green LED off, red LED on). You also get to control the temp externally. Lucky for me, I still had this old stick on thermometer stuck to the glass of one of my tanks. Yesterday, I noticed that the WON heater said 76 degrees and the heater element was off ( Green LED off, red LED on ). i.e. everything is idea, heater element not needed. However, the stick on thermometer suggested that the temp was in the 80s. To cut to the chase, the WON heater had malfunctioned and the heater element of on all the time. I removed the heater and tested it in a tub of water and discovered that in a few hours the water was soon hot enough to burn you when you touch it ! All this when the LED said temp in the 70s ! My worry now is that I am often out of town. If this had happened when I was away, I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaironman November 14, 2007 Share November 14, 2007 I had the same problem with my WON heaters and drop them. bought a plastic type of heater for fear of glass break; however, the plastic type heater does not work very well. Too many dilema in this hobby. I have 3 Pro Heat II heaters by WON, one for each tank. I like them because there is an external LED read out of the tank temp and also an on/off indicator next to the temp reading to tell you if the heater heat element is on (Green LED on, red LED on) or off (Green LED off, red LED on). You also get to control the temp externally. Lucky for me, I still had this old stick on thermometer stuck to the glass of one of my tanks. Yesterday, I noticed that the WON heater said 76 degrees and the heater element was off ( Green LED off, red LED on ). i.e. everything is idea, heater element not needed. However, the stick on thermometer suggested that the temp was in the 80s. To cut to the chase, the WON heater had malfunctioned and the heater element of on all the time. I removed the heater and tested it in a tub of water and discovered that in a few hours the water was soon hot enough to burn you when you touch it ! All this when the LED said temp in the 70s ! My worry now is that I am often out of town. If this had happened when I was away, I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeltwayBandit November 14, 2007 Share November 14, 2007 If you do a search you will find many folks here who have had issues with WON heaters. I too suffered a malfunction of the 250W digital heater. Fortunately I discovered it before it did any damage. I have found that the titanium heaters are very durable and trustworthy. Another strategy that I employ is the use of two undersized heaters in different locations (for me one in the main and one in the sump). That way neither one is capable of catastrophic heating in the event of a failure. I also switched to the Ranco controller, as the thermostats on most hobby heaters are not that rugged IME. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman November 15, 2007 Share November 15, 2007 One MORE reason to have a reef controller... bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mling November 15, 2007 Author Share November 15, 2007 One MORE reason to have a reef controller... bob What is a reed controller and how will it prevent this from happening ? Does it cost alot ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak November 15, 2007 Share November 15, 2007 Does it cost alot ? YE$!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnguyen4007 November 15, 2007 Share November 15, 2007 YE$!! The reefcontroller that Lanman mentioned is the controller such as ACjr, ACIII or ACPro. They are expensive with the jr model going for somehwere around mid $200 being the cheapest. But, it also does a whole lot more than monitor and maintain your tank's temp. If the reef controller is out of your current budget, you can also buy a temp controller. You see folks selling them all the time on RC or you can buy new. HTH James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhogan November 15, 2007 Share November 15, 2007 The reefcontroller that Lanman mentioned is the controller such as ACjr, ACIII or ACPro. They are expensive with the jr model going for somehwere around mid $200 being the cheapest. But, it also does a whole lot more than monitor and maintain your tank's temp. If the reef controller is out of your current budget, you can also buy a temp controller. You see folks selling them all the time on RC or you can buy new. HTH James Once you add up the price of timers, surge protectors, temp controller, etc. I think it is pretty close to breaking even for the ACjr. It just makes things so much easier for me, I don't ever have to worry about anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite November 15, 2007 Share November 15, 2007 Once you add up the price of timers, surge protectors, temp controller, etc. I think it is pretty close to breaking even for the ACjr. It just makes things so much easier for me, I don't ever have to worry about anything. unless the controller goes bad, then you lose everything at once. Sorry... I wouldn't mind having a controller instead of all kinds of other things, but everything carries a risk. I like the suggestion of using a couple smaller heaters instead of just one bigger one... I have one in the tank and 1 in the sump (though they rarely need to come on). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer November 15, 2007 Share November 15, 2007 Well, this discussion made me buy a new heater today. Went to pick up a new Koralia3 and some bulbs, so I grabbed a Jaeger heater too. My Hydor Theo has been sticky lately. It's been off when it should be on (based on temp) and on when it should be off. So, thanks for the discussion, as it forced me pick up a more reliable heater today. Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite November 15, 2007 Share November 15, 2007 Well, this discussion made me buy a new heater today. Went to pick up a new Koralia3 and some bulbs, so I grabbed a Jaeger heater too. My Hydor Theo has been sticky lately. It's been off when it should be on (based on temp) and on when it should be off. So, thanks for the discussion, as it forced me pick up a more reliable heater today. Tracy sometimes these forums save a person's tank, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer November 15, 2007 Share November 15, 2007 sometimes these forums save a person's tank, huh? Indeed! T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRehman November 16, 2007 Share November 16, 2007 (edited) I have multiple Visitherm 250W Stealth heats. One alone should not be capable of "cooking" the tank. Except for two in the main tank, the heaters are in the sump in higher flow areas. So far, so good (knock on wood). Edit...if I could only write... Edited November 16, 2007 by NRehman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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