Possible bad heater

[snowmansnow]

I was doing NC a water change recently and the top of my heater was out of the water. It has a thermostat controller and it showed power but NOT heating.

What got my attention was it was sizzling in the water like it was on.

Is it leaking voltage ?
I took it off line of course


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[Adam]

Without using a multimeter its impossible to tell about the voltage. Well unless you get shocked. lol

I'd just replace it.

 

[snowmansnow]

Without using a multimeter its impossible to tell about the voltage. Well unless you get shocked. lol

I'd just replace it.

What do I do?
Put it in with rodi water.., plug it in and put the probes in to see if it changes?


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[Adam]

What do I do?
Put it in with rodi water.., plug it in and put the probes in to see if it changes?


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That would work. Put the negative lead to the ground in an outlet and the positive in the bucket. With the heater on if you get any voltage its leaking current.

 

[jcook54]

That would work. Put the negative lead to the ground in an outlet and the positive in the bucket. With the heater on if you get any voltage its leaking current.

That's exactly how it's done. I had a large pump go bad and only found out when the + was in the water and the - was grounded on a metal pole. In my case, the + was my right hand and the - was my left but same basic principle.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

I would buy a new heater. Eheim Jager Heaters cost around $30 for a 250 watt heater. Not worth the risk if you believe a heater maybe defective. - just my 1/2 cent

 

[york1]

Just stick your tongue to it 9 volt battery style!

 

[snowmansnow]

I turn this to..,, what?
Looks like Greek ha

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[snowmansnow]

One probe in the ground and one out I get this with meter on first position

When I place the other probe in the bucked w the heater I get this

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[snowmansnow]

I can’t “feel” any shocks or anything


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[jcook54]

Now unplug the heater and see if anything changes. I'm not real good with voltmeters and all of their different settings but when I had a pump go bad, I tested it with the pump plugged in and unplugged and got very different readings. That plus the shock earlier that fine afternoon told me I had a problem.

 

[Adam]

You getting just under a volt in the 1st pic and almost 27v in the 2nd. After you unplug the heater the voltage drops to zero on that 1ish volt then it's leaking current and should be tossed.
The Hz setting is hertz. AC voltage should be 60Hz, if you get that with the heater plugged in I think that would also confirm current leakage. I'm not 100% on that but I think it would hold true unless the heater inverts the ac current to dc.