Aquarium heaters - sizing and lifespan ?

[Danny 1018]

Is there a general recommendation on sizing in terms of how long it is on in a 24 hour period ?
A 300 watt heater on 7 hours a day or a 200 watt heater on 11 hours a day (75 gallon tank, 77 degrees setting in a 64-66 degrees basement during winter) ?

What are "reliable" heaters these days ? I got back into the hobby last year and have seen people claiming heaters only last a couple years these days. I had Ebo Jagers many years ago and they lasted several years....just too big in glass size.

 

[punman]

I think your example of 300 W / 7 h and 200 W / 11h is a good one and I think in that example either would work fine. The electricity consumption is about the same and the time running is reasonable. A heater 100% on for months on end seems like it would overwork the heater. A 200 W heater in a 10 gallon tank seems unreasonable at the other end of the spectrum because should the heater malfunction and stay on, the fish would be dead before you discovered the problem.

I have 4 Jagers that I bought between 10 and 18 years ago and they are still running fine. I must say though, I have always had more heaters than tanks, so some of those heaters have not been used continuously. The last heater I bought was an Eheim Jager 300 W four years ago; it was the last new heater I had purchased in many years. Some claim the new ones are not as good, but it has been used since date of purchase with no problems.

That being said, I don' t wait until my hot water tank is leaking in the basement before I replace it and don't wait until my car battery fails and strands me on the highway, so maybe I should replace some of these really old heaters before they quit or or won't turn off while I am on a two week vacation.

I did a study of heaters and electricity costs a few years ago and posted it on this forum. You may find it interesting. I will try to quote it here or put in a link. I have not done that before so here it goes:
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/tank-electricity-costs-–-especially-heaters.710490/

 

[jjohnwm]

A heating element is either on or off; it doesn't get overworked, it is simply a resistor that heats when a current is applied. For aquarium use, it's generally preferable to go with the smallest size of heater that can do the job. Such a heater will be on for longer than one which is much larger than needed. Even better would be two small heaters that combine to produce enough heat to achieve the desired temperature. Using a smaller heater or two even smaller ones will not cost any more or less to operate than a single larger heater; it will take the same amount of energy to heat the water the same amount so the cost is the same.

The thermostat is the part that turns the heating element on or off, and it is the most likely part to fail. With a smaller heater, the thermostat is cycling on and off far less frequently than with a larger heater, which quickly heats up the the water and then switches off. The fewer times the thermostat cycles on/off, the longer it will probably last. If it fails in the "on" position, the smaller heater is less likely to cook your fish.

But, for the record...I won't change the hot water tank until it leaks, because it might last many more months or even years before it actually does fail. I monitor the condition of the car battery and always have a lithium-ion booster/starter in the car in case of emergency. And, since an aquarium heater may last a year or a decade...I use the smallest size possible and do indeed wait until it fails before I replace it...but I always have replacements on hand.

If it ain't broke...

 

[duanes]

The thermostat is the part that turns the heating element on or off, and it is the most likely part to fail. With a smaller heater, the thermostat is cycling on and off far less frequently than with a larger heater, which quickly heats up the the water and then switches off. The fewer times the thermostat cycles on/off, the longer it will probably last. If it fails in the "on" position, the smaller heater is less likely to cook your fish.

Agree
I find thermostats are always the first part to malfunction.
And if a heater is too strong it can cook the fish.
I also like to use 2 undersize heaters in order to not easily cook the fish if one fails in the "on "position, or if the other fails off, but if one fails off, the other can take up the slack.

 

[punman]

Thanks to the last two posts. I have heard of people using the two heater approach. I never got into that train of thought but it sounds like there could be some sense in it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Danny 1018]

I think your example of 300 W / 7 h and 200 W / 11h is a good one and I think in that example either would work fine. The electricity consumption is about the same and the time running is reasonable. A heater 100% on for months on end seems like it would overwork the heater. A 200 W heater in a 10 gallon tank seems unreasonable at the other end of the spectrum because should the heater malfunction and stay on, the fish would be dead before you discovered the problem.

I have 4 Jagers that I bought between 10 and 18 years ago and they are still running fine. I must say though, I have always had more heaters than tanks, so some of those heaters have not been used continuously. The last heater I bought was an Eheim Jager 300 W four years ago; it was the last new heater I had purchased in many years. Some claim the new ones are not as good, but it has been used since date of purchase with no problems.

That being said, I don' t wait until my hot water tank is leaking in the basement before I replace it and don't wait until my car battery fails and strands me on the highway, so maybe I should replace some of these really old heaters before they quit or or won't turn off while I am on a two week vacation.

I did a study of heaters and electricity costs a few years ago and posted it on this forum. You may find it interesting. I will try to quote it here or put in a link. I have not done that before so here it goes:
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/tank-electricity-costs-–-especially-heaters.710490/

You are very lucky with a very low rate per kilowatt !!. I pay 21 cents per kilowatt. The 75 gallon tank in my basement has a 300 watt heater that costs $ 13.23 per month to run. It is on 7 hours a day during winter months. With the other equipment added, it cost almost 19 dollars a month. I would like to add a couple more tanks...issue it lack of bandwidth in the basement to handle more electrical load. I also have to use a strong pump to handle a 50 foot run to the laundry sink on the first floor.

 

[Danny 1018]

Agree
I find thermostats are always the first part to malfunction.
And if a heater is too strong it can cook the fish.
I also like to use 2 undersize heaters in order to not easily cook the fish if one fails in the "on "position, or if the other fails off, but if one fails off, the other can take up the slack.

Do you use controllers on any of your tanks ?

 

[duanes]

Do you use controllers on any of your tanks ?

Since I no longer use heaters at all (I now live in Panama, and keep my tanks, and Panamanian fish in tanks outside) it is a moot point for me.
If still in the states, a controller would probably be employed. But I have heard of inconsistencies in reliability with controllers as well ....so for my last years in the states, the undersized heater approach worked well, and.......
because of the inconsistency of any and all cheap commercial heaters, and the harsh environments they create for themselves , I found replacing each undersize heater every year was my best option, economically and as a general safety rule.

 

[punman]

Well Danny 1018, I see you read my article and saw I was paying 6 cents per kilowatt hour. That was five years ago and I now pay 7.9 cents. Still pretty cheap I suppose. The other factor in electrical costs are the "fixed" charges not related much to consumption. I do not add these into my calculation because even if I had zero fish tanks, that fixed charge would be basically the same.

Last month my electrical charges for the whole house (not just the 3 fish tanks) was $37.40 Canadian (7.9 cents /KWH). But my administration fee, distribution charge, transmission charge, local access fee, and tax totaled $77.29, for a total bill of $114.69. So if I take take my total bill for the month and divide by the kilowatt hours, I am I guess in reality paying just over 24 cents per KWH if you look at it that way. Multiply these numbers by 0.73 if you want U.S. dollars.

Maybe that is pretty cheap compared to where you all live, I have no idea what other cities charge; it varies even within my own province and even within my own city depending on who your provider is and whether or not you are on a fixed KW/h rate or floating rate. I will end here as it is getting way above my comprehension. We need to get back to the topic of heaters.

 

[duanes]

Funny, the electric bill in my fish "shed" containing 20 tanks, total just less than 2000 gallons, during winter months in WI for Dec, Jan, Feb, and Mar, due mostly to tank heating average d $400 per month