# Hydor 200 eth inline heater problem



## nduli (7 Jan 2015)

Guys, after some help. 
Have a hydor inline heater installed on my tank, I am trying to set the temp of the water at about 22 degrees and in order to do that the thermometer needs to be set about 30 degrees. 
The heater clicks on and off a lot and loudly and occasionally has what can only be described as a dizzy fit where it's on and off repeatedly inside a 5 sec period. 

I think it's broken, it's in warranty but want to know if others recognise this behaviour as normal or not. 

Rich


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## Iain Sutherland (7 Jan 2015)

not normal and worth turning off after seeing a few people with cooked tanks... i just replaced my 300w yesterday after 4 years as it wasnt holding stable any longer.  £32 on swell, price matched by Maidenhead


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## Julian (7 Jan 2015)

Definitely not normal. 

Where abouts do you have it installed? If it's on the intake side and you've had it a while it may need cleaning.


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## mafoo (7 Jan 2015)

I was looking at getting one a while back and of the reviews on amazon, half of them said the thermostat went after 12 months. I think its sadly just a design flaw - lucky for you its still under warrantee.


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## Stu Worrall (7 Jan 2015)

ive binned mine after it cooked the tank and killed a load of my fish.  You can get an electrical cutoff for it but I dont trust them anymore so have just invested in an Eheim thermofilter.


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## nduli (8 Jan 2015)

Julian said:


> Definitely not normal.
> 
> Where abouts do you have it installed? If it's on the intake side and you've had it a while it may need cleaning.



Output side, will have a look when I take off this weekend, but good point thanks.



Iain Sutherland said:


> not normal and worth turning off after seeing a few people with cooked tanks... i just replaced my 300w yesterday after 4 years as it wasnt holding stable any longer.  £32 on swell, price matched by Maidenhead



Under warranty so will be taking back, just shop is on other side of Manchester......so not a quick trip down the road.


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## nduli (8 Jan 2015)

stuworrall said:


> ive binned mine after it cooked the tank and killed a load of my fish.  You can get an electrical cutoff for it but I dont trust them anymore so have just invested in an Eheim thermofilter.



Thanks stu, replacing filter not an option right now. Very happy with my jbl 1501, better (imho) than the other eheim I have owned (that broke with disastrous results).


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## bogwood (8 Jan 2015)

Speaking from personal experience, not to be recommended.
Incidentally probably had 50+  traditional heaters over the years,and only one failed. Two inline, and two failures.
If only i could afford more Thermofilters.


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## Stu Worrall (8 Jan 2015)

Yep Thermo's are not cheap but I needed another filter for a bigger tank so had to save a while longer to get one with a heater.  The only other option was a heater in the tank which I didnt want to do.


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## Brian Murphy (8 Jan 2015)

I think I will stick with a normal heater for my new tank, pity about the hydor heaters thermostats failing otherwise I would have went for one


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## GlassWalker (8 Jan 2015)

My Hydor inline heaters occasionally click on/off. No rapid clicking.

Any thermostat could fail, or possibly be accidentally knocked depending on its design. Many like to run a temperature controller as the primary regulator, with the thermostat in the heater as a secondary backup set a little higher. I do that on my tanks where the heater rating is high relative to the water volume e.g. >1W/L. Otherwise, I try to go damage limitation by having the lowest power heater for the volume and temperature differential such that a failed heater wont cook things quickly. The inline heaters unfortunately only come in higher powers so that isn't possible for smaller tanks.


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## nduli (8 Jan 2015)

stuworrall said:


> Yep Thermo's are not cheap but I needed another filter for a bigger tank so had to save a while longer to get one with a heater.  The only other option was a heater in the tank which I didnt want to do.



stu, you can't spoil the art you produce with a dirty great heater on view......understand the thermofilter decision, just couldn't persuade myself that £300+ was a wise idea v £150, for once it was me arguing against instead of the better half.....


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## critch (9 Jan 2015)

I have had two of the 200w die on me, lost my puffers due to it,
But had a 300w for 4 years now no problem,
Not sure I would recommend one,


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## GlassWalker (9 Jan 2015)

Out of interest, how did they die? Stick on? Stick off? Other?


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## stu_ (9 Jan 2015)

GlassWalker said:


> Out of interest, how did they die? Stick on? Stick off? Other?



http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/another-hydor-heater-failure.33372/#post-355260


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