Aquarium Heater Failures: How to Protect Your Reef Tank from Disaster
Aquarium heaters are vital for maintaining the stable temperatures that reef tanks require. However, they can also be a hidden vulnerability in your system. In the latest episode of BRStv's "The Breaking Point" series, the team delves into the reasons behind heater failures and provides actionable advice to protect your aquatic investment.
Understanding Heater Failures
Any mechanical or electrical component of your aquarium will eventually wear out over time. Because heaters are such a vital part of keeping the environment stable, they are one of the most notorious pieces of gear in terms of causing problems. Why do heaters break you ask?
- Mechanical Failures: Over time, heaters can suffer from wear and tear, leading to malfunctions.
- Thermostat Issues: Faulty thermostats can cause heaters to overheat or not heat at all.
- Electrical Problems: Power surges or faulty wiring can lead to heater failure.
Heaters turn on and off many times throughout the day, which means the relays and switches are under heavy use. The most common failure is a broken relay or switch, which causes the heater to either stay powered ON or it will stick OFF, causing temperatures to fluctuate outside of the acceptable range.
Although less common, you might also encounter a faulty thermostat, which just means the "controlling" part of your heater system is not monitoring the water temperature correctly. Again, the same result of water heating up or getting too cold is what threatens your fish and coral.
Electrical problems are the least common cause of failure, but also the most dangerous. There are a variety of situations that can lead to electrical issues, including water finding its way inside your heating element from cracked or damaged seals, water dripping onto a surge protector or wall socket, and even just faulty or careless wiring that ultimately shorts out and winds up causing a disaster. Not only will your heater stop working, but you are also looking at a fire hazard and the potential risk of electrical shock.
Preventative Measures
With just a bit of preparation, you can rid yourself of heater woes. Regardless of what type of heater you decide on getting, I recommend always keeping a back up. Something like the Eheim Jager is great because it is affordable and doesn't require a separate controller to operate. In the event your primary heater system fails, you can use the Jager to temporarily keep your temperatures stable until you can repair or replace the failed components of your primary temperature control system.
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Use a Reliable Heater Brand: Invest in heaters known for durability and reliability.
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Implement Redundancy: Use multiple heaters to ensure that if one fails, the back up heater can maintain the temperature. Keep a spare heater on-hand at all times.
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Regular Maintenance: Periodically check and clean your heaters to ensure they function correctly.
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Monitoring and Alerts:
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Temperature Controllers: Devices that monitor and regulate heater output can prevent overheating.
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Alarms and Alerts: Systems that notify you of temperature fluctuations can help you respond promptly to issues.
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