Inkbird issues

[Cherie cook]

Not understanding my Inkbird heater controller....either it's malfunctioning or I am (my guess would be it's probably me). So I have it set for 78 degrees..coming home to see the water temp is 77.2, and the heating light is not on. So I look at the manual online...fool around with it a bit, heating light comes on and it warms the tank back up to 78degrees. Day or so later...same thing...tank temp is low but heater not coming on. Fool with it a little, etc.

 

[lion king]

Have you calibrated the heater itself, if your heater is set below 78 it won't come on when the inkbird turns on. Easy to check if this is the case, plug a light or something into the inkbird to see if the inkbird is triggered when the tank temp is lower. Also there is a variance that you set yourself, as an example I set my variance to .3 degrees C, and my tank temp is set to 27 C. My heater won't turn on until the temp drops to below 26.7

 

[Retro Reefer]

Its probably your heat differential setting.. I use a 1 degree differential so I have my tank temperature set at 78, heat comes on at 77 and goes off at 78 and chiller on at 79 and goes of at 78. Also as lion king said make sure you calibrated the temperature on your inkbird.. another thing to note is make sure your heater is set a couple degrees above your target temperature if has a built in thermostat or it will not come on even if the inkbird applies power to it

 

[WVNed]

If you want the Inkbird to run the heater set the heater ABOVE your target temperature. Then the internal control in the heater will always be on.

 

[Retro Reefer]

If you want the Inkbird to run the heater set the heater ABOVE your target temperature. Then the internal control in the heater will always be on.

Good catch.. thinking backwards :D edited my post

 

[Cherie cook]

Have you calibrated the heater itself, if your heater is set below 78 it won't come on when the inkbird turns on. Easy to check if this is the case, plug a light or something into the inkbird to see if the inkbird is triggered when the tank temp is lower. Also there is a variance that you set yourself, as an example I set my variance to .3 degrees C, and my tank temp is set to 27 C. My heater won't turn on until the temp drops to below 26.7

I don't see any way to calibrate the heater itself...it's a finnex TH 500. In the directions that came with it just says "must be used with a temperature controller". It has no external buttons or switches at all...just a power cord.

 

[Cherie cook]

Its probably your heat differential setting.. I use a 1 degree differential so I have my tank temperature set at 78, heat comes on at 77 and goes off at 78 and chiller on at 79 and goes of at 78. Also as lion king said make sure you calibrated the temperature on your inkbird.. another thing to note is make sure your heater is set a couple degrees above your target temperature if has a built in thermostat or it will not come on even if the inkbird applies power to it

Ok...I think I get it now! So if inkbird is set for 78... it's not going to switch the heater on or off unless the temp moves by a whole degree. So don't expect it to come on at 77.2, lol!