Mounting heaters in sump wall

[Willistein]

I'd like to mount my heating elements in the sidewall of my sump using a PVC compression fitting. Anybody have theirs mounted like this? I'm wondering if it's OK to have part of the heater element out of the water. I'm using the 250W Biotherm titanium elements.

 

[tropills]

I had my heaters in my sump at one point, fab-ed a pvc rack to hold them. I now have them located in my DT's overflows. makes servicing them easier IMO having them in the overflows.
your idea should work fine too, how were you going to attach the compression fittings to the sump wall ? having the top portion with the cord exposed will be fine, just not the main tube of the heater,.

 

[jfl14609]

Thats a great Idea never thought about putting them in the overflow. My only thought is does the water in the overflow chamber turn over fast enough to heat properly. I always figured you only really turn over the top few inches

 

[tropills]

Yes Jeff The water is constantly moving in the length your overflow not just the surface.

 

[jfl14609]

Cool I never really took the time to see exactly how water flows through it I just figured that being 30 in deep it would mainly be the surface. Looks like I know where my heaters are going.

 

[Willistein]

I would use a bulkhead and then a compression fitting that is threaded into it. I'd really like to get the electrical end of the heaters out of the water. I've had too many of them fail over the years.

 

[jfl14609]

Any pics of the design Dan? Also let me know if yiu still want that tds meter

 

[Willistein]

Sorry, should have let you know I borrowed Henry's - he was right on the way home.
Here's the only pic I could find from BeanAnimal's site:

You're looking at the side wall of his sump. The only downside would be you'd have to drain the sump to change the heater out.

 

[jfl14609]

i would be afraid of leaks over time

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

fwiw dept.

fwiw dept.

I keep heaters horizontal and as low as possible so they're ALWAYS under water

 

[captain7359]

can you plug the heater in and see if the whole length gets hot? If the first inch or so at the cord is cool then you should be good.

 

[Willistein]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. The coils probably don't start for a couple inches. I don't know, I may just throw them in the sump and be done with it.

 

[acdraindrps]

If it was a glass heater then maybe?

I would think that a titanium heater would melt a compression fitting.

 

[Willistein]

why would a titanium heater melt the fitting? (Assuming they're the same wattage)

It all depends on where the heating elements are inside of the tube. Titanium conducts heat 20 times better than glass, so I would think there would be less possibility of "hot spots."

 

[acdraindrps]

I was thinking that the titanium would heat uniformly, unlike a glass heater that does not conduct as well. This would provide a place to secure the glass with a gasket, but not a titanium.