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Hydor problems, switching to in-tank heater

daizeUK

daizeUK

Member
Joined
18 Jun 2013
Messages
161
Location
Berkshire
My external Hydor heater burnt out this morning, filling the kitchen with a strong burnt plastic smell. It was only 18 months old.

I don't feel safe with external heaters any more. I want to return to a submersible in-tank heater. Any recommendations for a good model for a 120L tank?
 
I like the Aquael NeoHeater. It's slim, has a relatively accurate thermostat dial, and is a lot less fragile than the standard glass heaters.
 
out of interest which way did you have it mounted? I use about 10 of these currently and have only had an issue on one on a tiny open top nano having a hyperactive thermostat switch.

Best Regards,
John
 
Henry said:
I like the Aquael NeoHeater. It's slim, has a relatively accurate thermostat dial, and is a lot less fragile than the standard glass heaters.
Click to expand...
Thanks Henry, I was just browsing Aquael Easy Heaters with interest but didn't realise the NeoHeaters were a different model. It looks like the Neos have extra fancy LEDs. Would you say the NeoHeaters are worth the extra £10? I don't mind paying a bit more for quality as long as its reliable.

JohnC said:
out of interest which way did you have it mounted? I use about 10 of these currently and have only had an issue on one on a tiny open top nano having a hyperactive thermostat switch.
Click to expand...
My Hydor was upright, right way up, connected to the filter outflow. I never operate it dry. I'd just plugged it back in when it started to smell like burning plastic. I haven't dared plug it back in again so no idea if it even still works - I wouldn't trust it.
 
daizeUK said:
Thanks Henry, I was just browsing Aquael Easy Heaters with interest but didn't realise the NeoHeaters were a different model. It looks like the Neos have extra fancy LEDs. Would you say the NeoHeaters are worth the extra £10? I don't mind paying a bit more for quality as long as its reliable.


My Hydor was upright, right way up, connected to the filter outflow. I never operate it dry. I'd just plugged it back in when it started to smell like burning plastic. I haven't dared plug it back in again so no idea if it even still works - I wouldn't trust it.
Click to expand...

i was looking for a thread about dismantling it and having a look and found this...

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/hydor-external-heater-failure.31516/

mine are all pretty old units. i wonder if there is a quality control issue.

also note at the end of that thread the hydor rep sent out a new one.

Best Regards,
John
 
I remember seeing that thread last year and worrying about it. That's one of the reasons I've always tried to look after mine, kept it as clean as I could (really hard to reach inside the unit) and made sure to keep it upright and never run it dry.

I've heard a few people have problems with thermostats sticking in either on/off position but I've never heard anybody else complain about a strong burning plastic smell. Curiosity got the better of me so I plugged the thing back in and the thermostat is still working just fine - it still switches on and off. I can't trust it to use it again though, it smelled like something was about to catch fire.
 
The Neo Heater has the useful feature of telling you if the temperature is above or below what is set on the thermostat, it's also easier to set with your hand in the tank than the twist-dial on the Easy series. I have used the Easy series too, however, and they're still very good.
 
Cheers, I've gone ahead and ordered the Aquael Easy Heater (I figured since I will be hiding it behind plants and I don't fiddle with the temperature much it'll do just fine for me). I also picked up a second one for my other tank to replace the eyesore Interpet heater I've always hated in there! :)
 
OK I've been an idiot. I've just now discovered the melted remains of plastic around a nano-heater that I had stuffed in the cabinet. My guess is that I accidentally plugged the wrong heater back in after a water change and burned the nano-heater dry. What a frickin' moron! The good news is there's nothing wrong with my Hydor after all. I still have an Easy Heater on order that I don't really need, if only I realised my mistake sooner... :facepalm:

Anyway I thought I'd better give an update in case I got anyone else worrying about their Hydor. Shoot me.
 
Embarrassingly, they're already clearly labelled! :oops:
I could really use an extension socket with switches so I don't need to keep pulling plugs out.
 
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