Heater in a water storage bucket?

[Pufferpunk]

I'm making/mixing water in a 33g Brute Rubbermade garbage can in my basement. I'm using cold water. I obviously need to heat the water, before it goes into my tank. Hubby's very wary about putting a fish tank heater in the bucket. Will it melt? How do you guys heat your storage water?

 

[miztic]

i just drop a fishtank heater in, I think I have the exact same brute 33g trashcan, its not even close to hot enough to melt it..
can always use the little suction cups ..

 

[Bryan89]

Don't let the heater tough the edge of the trashcan

 

[Papajin]

Honestly, I just let mine hang over the side of the can without touching the bottom and I've never had any problems. I'm not sure if it would even cause a problem if it WERE right on the bottom, but leaving it hanging in the water column seems to work.

 

[BradL.]

With good circulation there won t be a problem

 

[Pufferpunk]

Do I need to leave the pump circulating all the time? It's pretty powerful--Iwaki 17gpm.

 

[prugs]

I just let the heater hang in the 44gal Brute trash can.
The only time I turn the heater on is prior to a water change & then I turn on the mixing pump also.
Haven't had a problem yet with the 300watt Rena heater.

I'm more worried about my sump heater sitting on the bottom of the glass tank. But that hasn't been a problem either.

 

[ppurcell]

I'm not sure what the melting point for the container is, but it is probably over 200 degrees and the water itself is a great big heatsink which will distribute the heat provided you have good water circulation. So I would think that you would have a very hard time creating a hot spot anywhere near a high enough temperature to damage the mixing container. I would suspect that even if the heater were to become stuck in the on state that it wouldn't be a problem. I have a won titanium sitting on the bottom of my mixing container and it doesn't seem to be causing any problems.

I run my circulation pump continuously which is adding heat to the water, so my heater hardly ever comes on anyway.

 

[jcm1229]

I keep my rubble in a small sterilite and have a heater sitting on the bottom - no problems.

I use a smaller pump for mixing.

 

[revenge53142]

i have the exact same mixing container
you can put whatever heater you want in it

the water will boil long before the heater damages a brute

 

[Pufferpunk]

Does everyone fill their bucket w/cold water & then heat it? I just went to take a shower & there's very little hot water.

 

[miztic]

The water from my RO unit is really cold, i usually don't heat it untill i start mixing the salt in, thats when i turn on the pump and heater..

 

[Papajin]

Same here. I use RO/DI so my water is always cold (specially in the winter).

 

[Fuppets]

Only use cold water for you tank. I just leave a 150 watt heater laying on the bottom of my 44 gal brute. I use a aquaclear 50 powerhead for water movement. never a problem. I fill the can up to the line where the diamater changes and plug in the heater and powerhead. A day later it's warm and then I add salt.

 

[BreadmanMike]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8503605#post8503605 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
Does everyone fill their bucket w/cold water & then heat it? I just went to take a shower & there's very little hot water.

Are you using tap water?

 

[Pufferpunk]

No, I've been filling that bucket w/RODI water for hours...

 

[ostrow]

I used a 150watt heater on a 44gal Rubbermaid Brute. The cord dangled over the side. The bottom tip of the heater must have touche the side of the can because it melted right into the can. I now have a melted heater on the inside of the can (I cut the cord, obviously). I had to use a whole wad of aquamend, on the inside and outside, to seal the spot.

So, it can melt the container. I now no longer heat the water. But my fishroom is warm enough to warm the water enough to not make much of a dent in tank temp when I swap out 10 or 20%

 

[Pufferpunk]

Thanks for that info. I will be sure to mount the heater, so it's not touching the sides. Hubby says we should insulate the bucket too.

 

[revenge53142]

i have used a tronic and a rena and i have
always just thrown them in
nothing crazy ever happens
maybe i just live a very hap hazardous
lifestyle
i have never touched an heater in a tank and been burned
so i just figure it cannot melt thick plastic

 

[Rod Buehler]

I have been using heatersd in plastic for years. The only time I have had an issue is when I leave the heater on after emptying the container. If the heater is submerged, there has never been an issue IME.