Apex Temp. Probe Reliability

[Scott07]

Well.... I think I've talked myself into an Apex jr. Earlier this week I discovered my heater controller (inkbird) was starting to drift, and continues to do so. Ive tried cleaning the probe, but that didn't work. Its only been in service about 3 months... and I just don't trust it anymore. I considered replacing it with a ranco controller, but for about a hundred more I can buy an apex jr. instead. Right now i'll largely be using it as a rather expensive heater controller, but may upgrade some features in the future.

So.... how reliable do you generally consider the apex's temp probe to be? I have found plenty of stories of failures... but its always difficult to tell if you're seeing the outlier cases or an actual trend when researching online. Do you trust your apex for temperature regulation (obviously with heater thermostats set up to not cook the tank in the event of a failure)? I can't see any point in me spending over 4x as much as my inkbird controller if I'm not getting something of clearly superior quality. Thanks for any input!

 

[JVan82]

I've had my apex since September 16, never calibrated the sensor, was rather accurate out of the box. I checked it a few months ago and was still the same. I just used 2 different digital thermometers and averaged the 2.

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[slief]

I got my Apex when they were first released around 2010 and am still on my original temp probe. I have a second temp probe on a PM2 module which I bought when the PM2's were first released several years ago and it too is just fine. Prior to that, I had the very first generation Aqua Controller version 1 which I bought new around 1995 and that probe never failed me either. When I got my Apex, I sold my original Aqua Controller to a forum member who used it for years after than. I consider the probes to be very reliable.

 

[Blitzer]

My temp probe has been spot on. My issue has been with the salinity probe. If you're worried, may be a good idea to have a second heater as a backup that's always on, set to two degrees below the primary heater powered by the Apex?

 

[jeremevans]

I have a second heater set lower as a backup. The Apex temp prove gives a low value rating when they fail so it fails off.

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[bif24701]

Perfectly good. Not have any issues in the year I've had it. I confirmed my temp probe with a digital IR temp reader and adjusted as needed. Never had to make any other adjustments. Neptune does say that the temp probe needs calibration when first installed.


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[Scott07]

Thank you all for the opinions and your experience. I just ordered the junior... can't wait to set it up

 

[Blitzer]

Thank you all for the opinions and your experience. I just ordered the junior... can't wait to set it up

Congrats! :beer: