DIY Heater, build your own 2000 watt heater for $20 ***DONT USE COPPER OR NICKEL ELEMENTS!

[Rob Nash]

submersible virsion... http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/diy-heater-sub... ...this how-to has the link for the stainless elements.

After many variations, this is the simplest heater I've been able to build. I had to come up with this last year while waiting for my $600 heater to be built and delivered. when it finally arrived, I just left it in the box and continued to use the home built unit.

DO NOT USE THE COPPER ELEMENT FROM HOME DEPOT!  YOU MUST ORDER A STAINLESS STEEEL ELEMENT.   ....This is a 2000 watt element from Home Depot, a 1-1/2" to 1" reducer, a 1-1/2" uniseal, and a fitting with net pots to keep the fish off the element. I found that a heavy duty timer works for a thermostat. I run it for 15 mins on the hour to keep my 150 gallon tank toasty. this would be adjusted according to your needs. i have used this on as much as 600 gallons, but would recommend going to the 240 volt, 4000 watt for anything over 400 gallon. Note - the 2" net pots slip right onto a male threaded 1-1/2" nipple.

The top pipe is optional, i like to keep it as tall as the water level will allow. This will create a convective flow of water across the element. Works great!

here is the newer version...

[Kym Roberts-Hardesty]

Thank you guys so much for your quick responses.  Thank God you didn't lose your house Randell!  I know what a controller is, but what is the ground fault circuit interrupter cords or outlets?

[Vlad Jovanovic]

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFCI

http://home.howstuffworks.com/question117.htm

There are also GFCI chords as well...

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&...

Kym roberts-Hardesty said:

Thank you guys so much for your quick responses.  Thank God you didn't lose your house Randell!  I know what a controller is, but what is the ground fault circuit interrupter cords or outlets?

[Kym Roberts-Hardesty]

Thank you John!  Hope you have a great day.

[Craig Mullins]

Yea I have had MANY pumps fail It's amazing the fireball they create even under water... I've even had a timer fail that caught my wall on fire....Def use a GFCI... But make sure you have a backup pump or air stone on another circuit in case you are away or sleeping when you lose power.... or wake up to dead fish... They have a habit of tripping at the worst possible moment....

[Kym Roberts-Hardesty]

Thank you Craig!  Once I saw what it was I understood the importance! 

Craig Mullins said:

Yea I have had MANY pumps fail It's amazing the fireball they create even under water... I've even had a timer fail that caught my wall on fire....Def use a GFCI...

[Ivonne Rangel]

These are amazing! But I'm a girl with no electrical or plowing experience lol!
Can I buy some already built from you ?
Thanks!! :D

[Jeff S]

I use a GFCI on my DIY heater to kick out when the heater leaks. I also put a ground wire in the FT and run directly to ground to help protect the fish. My heater is submersible and I have had problems with water leaking in and shorting the circuit. I'm going to rebuild it and just glue everything together and when it wears out I'll just build another .

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Jeff, you might try something like 3M 5200 instead of pvc cement...it should create both a seal and adhere...but would allow you to take it apart later...it comes in a semi permanent version (I forget the numerical delineation)...

[Jeff S]

Thanks Vlad, I'll give it a try.

[Zach]

I am looking to use this same idea to run tubing around the room of my greenhouse and heat it that way, how small a heater coil can I get? and where?

I use a small plastic tank with a fountain pump and a single fish tank heater right now running under my plants to try to keep temperature up to 65 degrees.

Any advice is welcome.

[Rob Nash]

I'm not sure it would give you the heat your looking for with out costing an arm and a leg.

these will run you about 50/month, if its heating an insulated tank with a lid on it.. if your heating a greenhouse, you should buy an electric heater with a fan etc.

For the record.. by heating the water in the fish tank, I haven't ran a heater in my greenhouse in years.

[Bob Campbell]

Rob, how cold does it get where you live?

Rob Nash said:

For the record.. by heating the water in the fish tank, I haven't ran a heater in my greenhouse in years.