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	Possible Heater Malfunction
Cichlid Keeper Big Fish Posts: 368 Kudos: 466 Votes: 304 Registered: 17-Aug-2003	Hi everyone, I have a possible serious problem. Just came home from work to find the temperature of my 55 gallon cichlid tank at 92 degrees and the heater (set at 78 degrees) on. Not sure if the heater has possibly malfunctioned are what. Anyway I've unplugged the heater.Is there any other measure that I also need to take?
Posted 28-Dec-2006 00:56
FRANK Moderator Posts: 5108 Kudos: 5263 Votes: 1690 Registered: 28-Dec-2002	Hi, Your thread title says it all. What you do about it depends upon how much electricity/electronics you know and tools at hand. The contacts have stuck together and removing the components from the Pyrex glass tube is easy. Needless to say you unplug the unit, dry it off, and sit at a workbench or kitchen table. Remove the glass tube and you will see a set of contacts, two metal strips with a plastic, pointed, screw between the contacts. The shaft of that plastic part extends up into the temperature adjustment knob. Back the screw out so that the contacts come together and then rub an emery board back and forth between the contacts, gently, to remove the corrosion. Then screw the point down in between the contacts so that the just touch. Reassemble the heater and set it in the tank, unplugged. Check the temperature of the tank water and plug the heater into the outlet. Then adjust the screw to make the heater come on if the water is too cool. It the water is too hot, then back the screw out till the light inside the heater goes out. The half hour time with the heater unplugged, sitting in the tank, allows the heater and the thermostat in the heater to adjust to the tank temperature. Make your adjustments every hour till you get the temperature where you want it. OR, toss the heater away, and buy a new one, using the 5 watts/gallon rule of thumb. In other words, a 10G tank would take a 50 Watt heater. Frank -->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--
Posted 28-Dec-2006 02:51
Cichlid Keeper Big Fish Posts: 368 Kudos: 466 Votes: 304 Registered: 17-Aug-2003	Thanks for your help Frank. At this point I think I'll probably just take the easy way out and trash it and buy a new one.
Posted 28-Dec-2006 07:07


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