Multiple smaller heaters (watts) are better than one larger one! Do you agree?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

As far as efficiency I don't think anything beats a heat exchanger. However with submersible heaters I would think more surface area would transfer heat faster.

However I'm sure there is a calculation based on energy used by surface volume to equal result.

Been years since studying it so I may be wrong

I don't know why people keep thinking that heat transfer rate and electrical efficiency are related.

They cannot be, except during the time the heater is warming up, and it all comes back when it is cooling down.

heaters make heat. nothing else. There is no waste. No where else for wasted electricity to go.

It must end up in the water so all are equally efficient in electrical watts into water temp rise.

 

[210 Reef Tank]

I run 2 800w heaters that are controlled by my Apex. Both heaters are in the sump. One is the primary and the other is a backup. I have a 210 gallon reef tank with a 39 gallon trigger sump.

 

[Reefjockey]

One heater, run off my Apex. Approximately 1° range. Isn't this why we invested in the controller in the first place? Recently however, I had received an alarm and my Apex was reading 19.6°F. I replaced the probe as I was beyond confident that it was shot. Does anyone out there know if I can recalibrate the faulty probe as a backup, or do I just trash it?

 

[BillFish Coral Lover]

Why two smaller when you can have two larger heaters to make sure you have a full backup?
I plan to have one heater in my new small/quarantine tank, but two heaters, each rated and capable of heating my new larger tank with one set a couple of degrees below the other as a failsafe.

 

[Kayanarka]

I have one 300 watt heater in my display tank connected to my hydros. I have another 500 watt heater in my sump connected to a completely separate controller as a back up. Both are connected to seperate battery back ups. We have a generator in our travel trailer we can use in case of an extended power outage.

This is in a red sea 425 xl, 120Gallons.

 

[jimo]

I have 2 200W heaters in the sump of my 80 (total) gallon tank. They are programmed so that the "backup" only comes on if the tank drops a degree below its setting. So one heater is now doing all the work (and it's not working very hard). My plan in one year is to throw out the working heater, promote the backup to primary (it's been on very little if at all), and purchase a new backup.

 

[RiptideAquaculture]

I personally prefer one heater and a heater control as a fail safe
with an a #APEX for that second layer of protection

 

[Malcontent]

I have 2 200W heaters in the sump of my 80 (total) gallon tank. They are programmed so that the "backup" only comes on if the tank drops a degree below its setting. So one heater is now doing all the work (and it's not working very hard). My plan in one year is to throw out the working heater, promote the backup to primary (it's been on very little if at all), and purchase a new backup.

I don't recommend that due to how most devices fail.

 

[Rich Klein]

Better to have redundant large heaters on multiple external controllers, plugged into multiple sockets on an Apex.

 

[Sportn]

1. Yes and no (see 2a).
2. I'm running a pair of Schego 300-watt titanium heaters with an Inkbird to heat a total system volume of 200 gallons, and this seems to be really efficient.
2a. I also have a backup 500-watter Hygger titanium heater that can provide enough heating if either or both of the primary heaters fail -or- in an emergency augment the pair of 300-watt heaters to provide 1100-watts of total heating (useful after an extended power outage).

I'm doing similar, (2) 300-watt titanium heaters on BRS controller. They are staggered age so I rotate one out of the system every 2 years. Seems to be working well.

 

[Shooter6]

Yes I feel it's definitely better to go multiple, with stacked temps so, 77,78,79 as an example. But I myself have added an additional stage, as I added a minisplit to my fishroom, so I control the temperature in there, keeping the water temp very stable. I then have a couple heaters that are stacked at 76,77,78.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Where do you think the wasted energy is going?

Heat.

There are NO loses or inefficiencies of a an electric heater when it is fully submerged.

Ever single big of energy going into it comes out as heat to the water, except perhaps super tiny bits of heat up the cord and some lost as light if it has an indicator light on it.'

More efficient heat transfer might get it to the water faster when turned on and cools down faster when off, but it is no more efficient at converted electric energy to a rise in water temperature.

@Randy Holmes-Farley

I didnt speak of losses but rather of faster heat transfer into water column. For that and many other reasons (redundancy, amp load spread among multiple circuits, etc, etc) I said multiple heaters are always better than one.

My old system runs on 4, new will have no fewer than 3.

 

[Cabby James]

It’s always been my belief that one big heater will heat water quicker and work less to heat environment and also save on wattage use

LE

 

[rhostam]

I run 2 800w heaters that are controlled by my Apex. Both heaters are in the sump. One is the primary and the other is a backup. I have a 210 gallon reef tank with a 39 gallon trigger sump.

Do you have both on the same EB832?

Or do you have to two EB832s with one plugged into each?

 

[Cabby James]

Nice to cyber meet you vetteguy I like running only 1 heater also, I use my power heads to blow across my heater in all dif angles to disperse the heat evenly in the reef and of course so there is no detritus built up anywhere that my clean up crew might miss. I live in a highrise building in Ma. on the 8th floor looking east over the Atlantic. The heat rises from the lower floors also the heat in my apt is set to 58 and in 5 years I have never had to turn my heat on! I have never wrote on this forum before but I will more often since my shouler replacement didn't go so well!

 

[SirCrush32]

Multiple everything for the win. Heaters, Tanks, Coral, Fish, Women (before your minds go in the gutter I'm referring to wife and kids) ;Happy and Cars (never can have enough cars).

I will be running multiple heaters for redundancy. Seems like the most logical way to go.

 

[jaganshi066]

This is certainly true.

I am not trying to make clam chowder so I don't worry about how long my heater takes to heat the water. If all is going well my tank should stay at the right temperature but if I see ice cubes floating, I will definitely look for one big heater.

I do like a good clam chowder though haha

 

[lagnew904]

I don't know why people keep thinking that heat transfer rate and electrical efficiency are related.

They cannot be, except during the time the heater is warming up, and it all comes back when it is cooling down.

heaters make heat. nothing else. There is no waste. No where else for wasted electricity to go.

It must end up in the water so all are equally efficient in electrical watts into water temp rise.

While I understand you point I do have to clarify. The heat that these heaters produce is actually all waste. They are resistance heaters which is typically the most inefficient use of electricity.

Without getting into semantics, you could claim the heater is 100% efficient in the case that the wattage being consumed is all used to produce heat. However there are more efficient ways to produce the same amount of thermal energy required such as a heat pump. Just like your central air unit.

 

[KrisReef]

I keep thinking that if heaters are 100% efficient then they should be free to operate. Mine always run at a loss and the leak is through the line cord all the way back to the meter.

On the other hand, the temperature on tropical reefs near the shoreline can very a few degrees over the course of a day because of the imput from that one big heater known as the sun. I think that one big heater is better than the ones we use on our tanks.

 

[ReefRondo]

I cited no as I run 2 high watt ones with dual temp probes on my apex. Heaters are not the area to scrimp on imo.