Heaters are Dangerous: Public Service Announcement!

[reefhunter]

At 730am I walked out of the bedroom and found the entire house full of smoke (a/c system was off so it didn't circulate into the bedroom).

 

I ran into the kitchen to find smoke pouring out from underneath the tank. I opened the glass doors to find my heater halfway submerged and the top of it red hot melting the wires and plastic cap. It may have even been on fire, I dont remember now. I unplugged the unit and removed the heater.

 

I dont know how long it was like burning or why it randomly happened between 6am and 715am this morning. I just did a water change and adjusted the water in the sump down. I failed to make sure the heater was still submerged to the top! I guess the heater hasn't been needed up until this morning because of the temperature change yesterday.

 

This is scary! First time for me! Check your heaters.

[onux20]

Wow! Glad you were home and everybody/everything is okay. Checking mine now!!

Ron

[Stu]

Hunter, if you have room, I find it's best to put a heater in a baffle/bubble trap because the water level never drops below the top of the last spillover piece of acrylic/glass. If you leave it in the last chamber, you always have to worry about water level fluctuation.

[Chad]

I am glad things are ok!

 

I have seen a lot of heater issues over the years... IMO, it is a pretty wise investement to view heaters as consumable items and replace them every year or two (they are pretty cheap in comarison to the whole investment) and do what Stu says with the water level.

[Charlie]

I am glad things are ok!

 

I have seen a lot of heater issues over the years... IMO, it is a pretty wise investement to view heaters as consumable items and replace them every year or two (they are pretty cheap in comarison to the whole investment) and do what Stu says with the water level.

They are certainly cheaper than a house. I'm glad that everything worked out well for you.

[Incredible Corals]

I was thinking about ordering a new one and now I'm going to do it for sure this weekend.

[Charlie]

My plan is to change it out when I change my bulbs, kinds like you change the batteries in your smoke detectors when you change the clocks.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

What kind of stealth heater was it?

[Origami]

You've definitely got to keep heaters covered by regardless of the brand. (I know that you didn't mention a brand, Hunter, but I see that Tim did....) This can happen with any heater. I've certainly had it happen in my smaller biocube during a water change some time back when the heater was kept in the last (return pump) chamber. I've now moved it to the first chamber where the water level is typically higher. Anyway, I remember how I heard a sizzling sound as the heater, now out of the water, tried to heat the air around it to 80 degrees (a futile exercise given that the air conditioner was on). Had I not been there, the heater might have eventually shattered or melted parts of the Biocube partitioning. What a mess that would have been.

 

I'm glad you caught your situation before it got messy. Maybe you should consider putting a smoke detector or something under your tank or in the room. Maybe a small battery powered one?

[lhcorals]

Glad you are O.K. Hunter. I guess i will be replacing my heater soon. I use a Titanium Heater that is fully submerged. Can this happen to them as well?

[overklok]

I am glad my system does not need a heater. I stay stable between 77 and 79 depending on season and how many fans I run in the sump room.

[reefhunter]

it was a titanium heater I bought second hand. I dont think it was the heaters fault, it was because it wasn't submerged totally. thanks guys!

 

I am definately putting a smoke detector under the stand.

[Origami]

Glad you are O.K. Hunter. I guess i will be replacing my heater soon. I use a Titanium Heater that is fully submerged. Can this happen to them as well?

 

Not if it's submerged. The problem in Hunter's case is that the water level was below much of the heater and the heater was responding to the cool air temperature that surrounded it.

[lhcorals]

Not if it's submerged. The problem in Hunter's case is that the water level was below much of the heater and the heater was responding to the cool air temperature that surrounded it.

 

 

I have my Titanium heater laying on the bottom of the sump. If the water level drops to it lowest point it will still have approx. 2 1/2" of water over it.

[treesprite]

Thank goodness you caught the problem!

 

I rarely use heaters. If I ever need to start on a regular basis, I'll take that very good advise to put it where the water level stays consistent.

[wfoxfox]

good reaction Hunter. and of course, glad everything is OK. I have a nice heater from Nadir for sale :-) ( shoot, you can have it)

[truestelf]

glad you and your house are ok..... but does sound like a good excuse to tell the wife i need a new heater and while you buy that maybe some other stuff for your tank for safety purposes lol.

[WDLV]

I've had 'em smoke on me before too but not as bad as you described. I now have my heater and thermister probe zip tied in place so I don't accidently pull them upward. I also keep them flat on the bottom of the sump so that my return pump would suck air before it would get exposed.

 

I'm glad your home is safe.

[sen5241b]

I had one almost burn my house down to. Ground everything!!!!!

[gmubeach]

I have a question do you think its worth investing in that automatic smoke fireexteguisor ... it would nuke your tank, but what if you weren't home and hadn't caught it... Glad everything worked out for the best?

[lanman]

I have mine on a controller, which is plugged into arc and ground fault protection. A couple of weeks ago, my GFI kept going off. Traced it down to one of the heaters on the controller. Someone needs to design and have built a higher quality heater for fish tanks - with built in protections.

 

bob

[dtfleming]

DO NOT put the smoke detector under the stand. The moisture will cause it to go off.

[BowieReefer84]

Assuming they stay submerged is there anything to worry about? It is my understanding their are only problems when they somehow rise above the water level?

[thewire]

Tell me about it. I was lucky

I took my stealth heater out for cleaning and I have it soaked in the vinegar water on a bucket. I had the heater soaked for a few days and I took it out and clean it. I discovered there is a cracked on the black plastic stealth heater that I can see the stuffs inside!