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Thread: Heater program questions

  1. #1
    Regular Vistor
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    Colorado
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    21

    Heater program questions

    I have an 8-gallon tank and a 75w eheim heater plugged into my apex jr. This is my program and the outlet is set to auto:

    Fallback ON
    If Temp < 78.8 Then ON
    If Temp > 79.0 Then OFF
    If Temp < 68.0 Then OFF

    I have noticed that my heater's internal thermostat tends to keep my tank closer to a single temperature than it seems my apex is able to. I know that apex advises setting the heater above the off temp, but I am wondering about doing things a little differently. Can I set my heaters thermo to the desired temp and then set the outlets off temp above this? That way I get the benefits of the controller but keep the temp in a tighter range/ reduce wear on the outlet? This way the outlet is essentially just on all the time (unless the temp drops below room temp or rises above the limit I choose). What do you guys think?

    (P.S. I am aware that the fallback is set to 'on'.)

  2. #2
    Master Control Freak RussM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    California - US Pacific
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    22,463
    That programming should allow about 0.4 degrees variation. What exactly are you seeing?


    That last line is neither needed or desirable in your case. That "temp reading is way too low" statement should only be used if your heater is just a heating element which does not have a thermostat.

    Yes, you can use the heater's built-in thermostat as the primary temp control and just use the Apex as a safety measures if you want.
    Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.

  3. #3
    Regular Vistor
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    Colorado
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    [QUOTE=RussM;65365]That programming should allow about 0.4 degrees variation. What exactly are you seeing?


    That last line is neither needed or desirable in your case. That "temp reading is way too low" statement should only be used if your heater is just a heating element which does not have a thermostat.

    Thanks for the help Russ! I removed the last line, it hadn't occurred to me that even if the probe is broken the built in thermostat should still be functioning. I had it set it to a .5 range and only lowered it to the .2 range about two hours ago, so I'm going to watch the chart for a while before switching back to the heaters thermostat for control.

  4. #4
    Regular Vistor
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    Feb 2015
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    Colorado
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    With the above program my temp. is swinging between 78.4 and 79.6. I have decided that this variation has to do more with owning a sub-10-gallon tank than with the apex program. My house gets down into the low 60's but when the gas heater comes on it shoots up momentarily by as much as like 8 degrees.

  5. #5
    Regular Vistor
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    Feb 2015
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    POrtland, OR
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    Old thread - but - your heater also continues to heat after it's turned off. There will be residual heat coming off of it. So if it fires up and gets the temp up to 79 then it's going to probably bleed off a bit more heat..which might explain why it goes up to 79.6. If you set it lower it would turn off sooner and then maybe even out at 79? But I mean, that's splitting hairs.

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