I have a Jager 50 Watt heater in my 10 gallon tank. There is an orange light that I'm assuming shows that the heater is on. However, a lot of the time the light is off, and then in a few minutes it goes back on. Sometimes when its off, I feel the water and the temp seems cool. Cooler than the normal 75 degrees. And ocasionally I have to pull out the button and push it back in, and fool around with it to get the light back on. I was wondering if some heaters have an internal thermometer or timer so they don't overheat.
Heater Issues
- Thread starter hendrixpujols11
- Start date
Do you have a thermometer in the tank to check the temperature (one of the internal glass ones is better than the strip ones that go outside the tank, and it is preferable to place it at the opposite end of the tank from the heater)? Does it stay at a steady 75 (or whatever you have the heater set to)? If so, don't worry about it. Fingers aren't a great judge of water temperature.
The heater light will be on when it's heating the water. When it reaches the temperature that you set, it goes off...until the temp drops again and it has to kick on.
Heaters all have thermostats or else they would just overheat a tank. When they are near the set point (be it 75 degrees or so) they often flash on and off a lot. They won't stay on completely until they drop a few degrees.
Water at 75 degrees will still feel cool to the touch to people as our body temps are so much higher.
Water at 75 degrees will still feel cool to the touch to people as our body temps are so much higher.
it sort of jumps around but between about a 3 degree range. its an outside strip. Pretty crappy. Gets lost and does not stick on.
Check with a thermometer. If the temp isn't stable, get a more powerful heater. I have 50W in a 5.5G - when I had 25W the temp was way off.
heaters will cycle. they will not always be on the light going on and off is normal. they have an internal thermostat. that will turn the heater on and off as needed. the best way to set them is to get a thermometer and set the heater until your desired temp is achieved. if temp is a few degrees too cool. turn the knob on the heater just a little bit/till the light kicks on. then wait a few hours and see where the temp is at. if still too low turn up a little more too high turn down a little more. Just make sure not too make any big adjustments just turn a little at a time if fish are in the tank. if the tank is empty then you can adjust w/ bigger moves
Definitely pick up an internal glass thermometer. Those stick on ones are no good and effected by drafts and such in the house.
that and they leave an annoying glue spot when they come off, if they don't fall off to begin with.
You can't go by the dial on a heater either. I've never had one that's been accurate to the scale they put on them.
Spend the $7 on a digital, they tend to be fairly accurate, show you tenths of a degree. Even if not accurate, they'll be fairly close tot he desired temp.
It's normal for a heater to cycle on and off even if the water isn't up to the desired temperature. Heaters have a tendency to heat themselves first, hence why you'll see them turn on and off dozens of times when the temp is below settings.
Spend the $7 on a digital, they tend to be fairly accurate, show you tenths of a degree. Even if not accurate, they'll be fairly close tot he desired temp.
It's normal for a heater to cycle on and off even if the water isn't up to the desired temperature. Heaters have a tendency to heat themselves first, hence why you'll see them turn on and off dozens of times when the temp is below settings.