Product Recall: Hydor Theo 300 400 Watt Heaters

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jennm

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I haven't seen this posted on this forum anywhere. I was on Hydor's website today and saw this:

http://www.hydor.com/news">http://www.hydor.com/news</a>

[QUOTE=]PRODUCT RECALL - THEO 300W and 400W AQUARIUM HEATER


Bassano del Grappa, January 2010

Hydor Srl, asks all customers who have bought Theo 300W aquarium heater with batch numbers 928 - 929 – 938 (June - October 2009) and Theo 400W aquarium heater with batch numbers 926 - 931 – 938 to stop using the product immediately and take it to the store where purchased. After routine life tests, it was discovered that a supply of the special glass tubes used to produced the mentioned batches was faulty. The defect could cause irregular functioning of the heating element that could burn or cause the glass to crack. Up to now only 4 cases were reported (2 in USA and 2 in Italy).

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.


For any further information, please contact us by either the contact form on this website, writing to us at [IMG]mailto:hydorusa.office@hydor.com">hydorusa.office@hydor.com</a>, sending us a fax at 916-920-5522 or calling us at 916-920-5222, we will get back to you with detailed instructions on how to have your heater exchanged.
NOTE: If you have a Theo heater from one of the faulty batches with a holepunch on the bottom of the sales box and/or on the red label attached to the electric cord, please consider it ok as it has been re-tested and approved for safety.

Example of where the batch number is located.[/QUOTE]

[IMG]http://www.hydor.com/uploads/assets/batch2.jpg alt="" />


I haven't sold any of these (I don't carry them) but if you have one, you should follow the instructions in the recall notice.

Jenn
 
AAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I already went office space on the 2 I had.
 
JennM;465442 wrote: Check the lot number - better safe than sorry.

Jenn
Click to expand...

Will do, it said to stop using and take it to where you bought it. then it says to call or email so they can tell you how to replace....obviously i dont have the receipt or box - so i cant just walk in to petsmart (bought it pre-ARC membership) and demand replacement...they will laugh me out of the store! i did buy it in that specific timeframe so i bet its affected.
 
You can try. They should be aware of the recall. If they won't take it back, call Hydor I guess.

I haven't carried them so I haven't had to contend with that. Frankly I'm surprised that not one of my distributors has circulated a recall notice - I deal with several that sell Hydor products. I just stumbled upon it when I went to their website to research something.

Jenn
 
Wish I could trade out for a different type - I have to keep mine in my overflow since it is too long for my sump sections. my heat is dead on all the time but have always used this model with controllers. Its amazing my 300w can keep my 210 plus sump at temp all the time..



JennM;465449 wrote: You can try. They should be aware of the recall. If they won't take it back, call Hydor I guess.

I haven't carried them so I haven't had to contend with that. Frankly I'm surprised that not one of my distributors has circulated a recall notice - I deal with several that sell Hydor products. I just stumbled upon it when I went to their website to research something.

Jenn
Click to expand...
 
Ask the store - you never know. Just don't swap it for a Stealth ;)
 
IMO Heaters are the weak link in any system. Some brands are more reliable than others, but they all seem to fail sooner or later.

It's a good idea to change them every few years whether you need to or not, and at least inspect/test them regularly. They can cast voltage, short out, if the glass cracks they can do those things but even if they don't crack.

I hate heaters, period.

Jenn
 
JennM;524578 wrote:
I hate heaters, period.

Jenn
Click to expand...

I've grown to be that way too... if somebody will invent a truly reliable heater, they'll make a mint (right up until everybody has one and they stop selling).

Kinda like the old saying "they really could build a car that lasts 30 years, but there wouldn't be any money in that".
 
I don't understand why more people don't run a heating element (no built in thermostat) and use a controller..


as someone pointed out months ago.. the DA Reefkeeper lite is a great full controller that's cheaper than most two stage temperature controllers..


btw, mine was 850 also
 
bratliff;524705 wrote: I run my heaters through my controller but I have their thermostats set to one degree higher than what my controller is set to. It's unlikely my controller would fail, but, just in case, I like having at least one point of redundancy.
Click to expand...

I run mine the same way... but that only protects you against "stuck on". The stupid things still fail to work, or throw voltage.

Even the elements that don't include a thermostat have spotty reliability records... though I do think they have the potential to be the most reliable. My only issue with that format is that you only have one line of defense between you and fish soup: your controller. With "standard" heaters you have a backup (the heater's own thermostat) if your DC8/PC4/whatever malfunctions.
 
cr500_af;524709 wrote: I run mine the same way... but that only protects you against "stuck on". The stupid things still fail to work, or throw voltage.

Even the elements that don't include a thermostat have spotty reliability records... though I do think they have the potential to be the most reliable. My only issue with that format is that you only have one line of defense between you and fish soup: your controller. With "standard" heaters you have a backup (the heater's own thermostat) if your DC8/PC4/whatever malfunctions.
Click to expand...

yes...

The potential for all controllers to fail is ever present, it happens, of course..

I trust the one that doesn't have a dial that is "made to be submerged" ...

full feature controller fail rates are MUCH lower (and taking into consideration the frequency that they happen, it's probably a safe bet that by the time your controller rolls around to actually failing, the thermostat on the heater has probably been long since inoperable..

I'm just suggesting that the redundancy isnt' really a "backup" given the trend that your "backup" system is less reliable than your primary system..

to be a true backup, you should have it set the other way.. (thermostat on the unit set to a lower temperature than your controller which if needed will come in and cut the system off)
 
Rbredding;524849 wrote: yes...

to be a true backup, you should have it set the other way.. (thermostat on the unit set to a lower temperature than your controller which if needed will come in and cut the system off)
Click to expand...

Great point.
 
JennM;465404 wrote: I haven't seen this posted on this forum anywhere. I was on Hydor's website today and saw this:

http://www.hydor.com/news">http://www.hydor.com/news</a>



[IMG]http://www.hydor.com/uploads/assets/batch2.jpg alt="" />


I haven't sold any of these (I don't carry them) but if you have one, you should follow the instructions in the recall notice.

Jenn
Click to expand...

Thanks Jenn. I was running the 400W until last week when I noticed the temperature of the tank shooting up about 5 degrees more than the set temperature. I look the heater off and everything is ok now.. I guess I will take this one back
 
I actually posted this thread months ago. I recently posted a link to it when Tex's heater fried his tank :(

Jenn
 
Hydor customer service emailed me today asking me to ship the product back to them. They will be sending a replacememt unit.
 
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