In line heaters, any thoughts?

[CEReefer]

Hi guys! I am planning my next build, 220g, and I was wondering if an jn-line heather could be the solution to all those “OMG I fried my tank!!” Problems.. I know that having a controller improves safety, having 2 controllers improves it even more, but what if we could remove the problem completely by just placing the heating element out of the water? Does anyone here uses one?

There are several options from what I see (hydor cheap, aqualogic more expensive good for big aquariums starting at 1.5kW)..

 

[flampton]

I used one on my last freshwater tank. A hydor. Did it's job well attached to the canister filter I was running. So I do like them.

My question is why would this prevent overheating if the heater got stuck on? It's going to heat just as well as one in the tank.

 

[Alchameth]

I use a Hydor one on my 75G FW, never used one on saltwater though.

 

[DeniableArc]

I have a 400w in line heater built into my chiller and it does a great job on my rsr 250.

 

[bluprntguy]

My question is why would this prevent overheating if the heater got stuck on? It's going to heat just as well as one in the tank.

I suspect he thinks that since the controls aren’t submerged, that an in-line hater is less likely to fail. I doubt thats actually true, but my hydro inline heater did run for a good three years without needing to be replaced.

 

[joseserrano]

The aqualogic is nice

 

[K7BMG]

If I recall Mr Saltwater Aquarium uses these all the time.
He has mentiond them many times in his build thread videos, he does for customer systems.
I was going to go this route but, the cost was a factor, and they were backordered for months when I built my system. (Before C19)
So I went with titanium units and an Apex.

 

[windemerejack]

I have 2 on my Discus tank Hydor 300w and both are still going strong after 7 years.
Never tried them on a reef tank but that is mainly due to i think they work best connected to an external filter.

 

[CEReefer]

I suspect he thinks that since the controls aren’t submerged, that an in-line hater is less likely to fail. I doubt thats actually true, but my hydro inline heater did run for a good three years without needing to be replaced.

That was the idea. My point is to have more than one failsafe system, the more you have the safer you are. Here is my thoughts process:

- The failsafe I was thinking about, in this sequence, are: thermostat on the heater, inkbird controller, GHL Profilux.
- If you want a thermostat on the heater, that leaves you with only glass heaters as a choice.
- Glass heaters may crack/fall apart. Titanium heaters are much safer structurally, but they don't have a thermostat, also some reports of structural failure are around, and this is very likely due to being submerged in an highly corrosive environment.
- The inline heater is not submerged, so less prone to that effect, especially the thermostat.

So, in conclusion, with the inline heater you can keep all failsafes, and have something that will last longer due to less exposure to harsh environment.

 

[CEReefer]

The aqualogic is nice

It is nice, unfortunately it's kind of hard to determine which one you need, I don't think that the watts/kW per gallon required, are the same as a submerged one. So not sure what I would require, I know that aqualogic has a form you can send them, and they will advise you. But not sure if anyone here used one?

 

[K7BMG]

Inline heaters are submerged like standard heaters so to speak.
The configuration is different but dont get the idea that the heating element and probe are NOT in the water colum.

They are just mounted internally in a convenient all in one package.
The ones I looked at are also made of titanium.

Basically think of them built like a UV unit.

The inline heater can have the same failures as any other current aquarium heating system causing the same potential issues.

That said, I feel they are better built, but have no proof as I have not owned one.

The drawbacks to inline heaters, that are overlooked.
As they are built into the plumbing replacement and maintenance can be more work.

Obviously the plumbing would need to be disassembled to acomplish the task thus shutting down the tank potentially, as most I have seen are built into the return line plumbing.

I was not comfortable with this.
I was going to have a seperate pump and plumbing just for the inline heater to avoid these issues.
So there is the expense of the extra pump, check valve, electricity and not to mention another heator return line going into the tank. For the best and consistant water temp, a U-turn in the sump was not going to cut it.
This would allow more flexibility.
If plumbed into the main return line and the manufacturer discontinued the heater and the replacement was changed dimensionally, longer shorter, then there another potential issue.

Or you could build a plumbing bypass on the return line.
The bypass would require 4 ball valves and two unions.
This will allow the flow to be uninterrupted for maintenance or replacement. This path reduces flow when bypassed and the size issue if the heater needs replaced is a problem.

So these things need to be considered when going with inline heating.
Your welcome as I know you now have much more thinking to do.

 

[CEReefer]

Inline heaters are submerged like standard heaters so to speak.
The configuration is different but dont get the idea that the heating element and probe are NOT in the water colum.

They are just mounted internally in a convenient all in one package.
The ones I looked at are also made of titanium.

Basically think of them built like a UV unit.

The inline heater can have the same failures as any other current aquarium heating system causing the same potential issues.

That said, I feel they are better built, but have no proof as I have not owned one.

The drawbacks to inline heaters, that are overlooked.
As they are built into the plumbing replacement and maintenance can be more work.

Obviously the plumbing would need to be disassembled to acomplish the task thus shutting down the tank potentially, as most I have seen are built into the return line plumbing.

I was not comfortable with this.
I was going to have a seperate pump and plumbing just for the inline heater to avoid these issues.
So there is the expense of the extra pump, check valve, electricity and not to mention another heator return line going into the tank. For the best and consistant water temp, a U-turn in the sump was not going to cut it.
This would allow more flexibility.
If plumbed into the main return line and the manufacturer discontinued the heater and the replacement was changed dimensionally, longer shorter, then there another potential issue.

Or you could build a plumbing bypass on the return line.
The bypass would require 4 ball valves and two unions.
This will allow the flow to be uninterrupted for maintenance or replacement. This path reduces flow when bypassed and the size issue if the heater needs replaced is a problem.

So these things need to be considered when going with inline heating.
Your welcome as I know you now have much more thinking to do.

THank you for your thorough reply, I was going with the return bypass design, with enough room on both ends of the unions, sto that if the length of the heater changes (within reason) I can easily adapt.

Still can't get my head around on how they would have the same problem of the ones that are totally submerged? Looking at the aqualogic, the whole electronic of the heating unit is outside, just the probe is submerged, is like having a titanium pipe with something heating it from the outside, isn't it? Much better than being submerged, in my opinion.

 

[joseserrano]

It is nice, unfortunately it's kind of hard to determine which one you need, I don't think that the watts/kW per gallon required, are the same as a submerged one. So not sure what I would require, I know that aqualogic has a form you can send them, and they will advise you. But not sure if anyone here used one?

Go as big as you can fit and afford. Its will just run less if it’s oversized n

 

[K7BMG]

Keep in mind it is no different than this.

If you look at the PDF for the Evo I attached look at the diagram on page 11 item 6.

The electronic controller on the BRS is not submerged but hung on the wall.
The EVO is attached to the outside of the unit not on the wall.

The probe is on a cable and the BRS is free air so to speak to be placed in the tank or sump.
The EVO is on a cable but put into a bulkhead fitting in the flow tube.

The heater unit on the BRS unit is submerged and is placed inside the tank and the water is in contact with the exterior.
The EVO has the heater coil wrapped around a tube and the flow goes through the tube.
Either way they both just have a titanium skin separating the coil from the water.
If the barrier fails the result is the same.

There is just a sheet of titanium isolating the coil from the water on both them.

Its all the same parts just assembled differently.
None the less the same potential for water to come in contact with the heating element.

Additional but minor concerns I had,
were small leaks and or salt creep at the probe and flow switch locations.
Flow switch is a safety feature so the unit will not operate if the flow shuts down so it will not meltdown.

Now if we are talking about the Cobalt's or Eheim heaters then yes you are 100% correct.
You might as well just drop the end of an extension cord in the tank and watch the fun begin.

But we have to do an apples to apples comparison here.

Now that I have revisited the thought on inline heaters I have come to the conclusion that there's potentially more failure points and potential faults than the separate parts.

What is the heat loss to the exterior of the heating tube?
I am positive there is some insulation but heat will radiate out for some loss.
So would I need a larger heater to do the same job?

Then all the fittings that have to be assembled that are in contact with the water. Unions and gaskets, probe port seals, all will leak eventually and need to be cleaned and replaced.

Anyway in the end its a choice and all pros and cons need to be evaluated.
I do not feel one can go wrong with either solution to be honest.

 

[CEReefer]

Got it, I agree with you on the sheet of titanium separating the electric heating element from the water, but the BRS or any other titanium have 2 point of possible failure, the cap (1) and where the cord gets into the heater (2) that you won't have in an in-line (numbered 1 and 2 in the attached pic).

Your concerns are easily addressable with temp probes, the fittings leak if you don't know what you're doing. If you plumb stuff correctly, and install the heater horizontally in a spot that is not under a "wet" section of your cabinet (or in your fish room), as they suggest, you should be good.

 

[K7BMG]

Got it, I agree with you on the sheet of titanium separating the electric heating element from the water, but the BRS or any other titanium have 2 point of possible failure, the cap (1) and where the cord gets into the heater (2) that you won't have in an in-line (numbered 1 and 2 in the attached pic).

Your concerns are easily addressable with temp probes, the fittings leak if you don't know what you're doing. If you plumb stuff correctly, and install the heater horizontally in a spot that is not under a "wet" section of your cabinet (or in your fish room), as they suggest, you should be good.

Yes I would agree on this with the cord in the water.
The inline does have less risk of this.

I would have to see the inline units heating tube, and see if it has a welded seam as most pipe/tubes are made that way.
Good discussion though.