View Single Post
  #14   Report Post  
Posted to uk.d-i-y
James Wilkinson James Wilkinson is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,291
Default How Waterproof are Fish Tank Heaters?

On Thu, 08 Sep 2016 21:32:07 +0100, newshound wrote:

On 9/7/2016 4:58 PM, James Wilkinson wrote:
On Wed, 07 Sep 2016 15:38:53 +0100, newshound
wrote:

On 9/7/2016 3:09 PM, Andrew Mawson wrote:

I am making a cylindrical nickel plating tank as I find that the bucket
I usually use often isn't deep enough - currently need to plate some 27"
shafts. So I've made up a 30" length of 160 mm underground drain with a
stop end at the lower end. Shape is ideal as I can drop a tank bubbler
in the bottom for agitation and the entire length of the shaft will be
agitated. However although I've been using fish tank heaters in a
plastic bucket, and they've survived the occasional 'total immersion',
in this tank they will be well under the surface. It occurs to me that
they might not stand up to this treatment - any opinions?

(I have a fall back plan to slip a suitable diameter plastic tube over
the cable and top 1" of the 'test tube' that they are built in, secured
with a plastic clip but I'd like to avoid it as the plastic tube will be
relatively inflexible and tend to knock over the vessel)

These are the heaters I'm using:


http://tinyurl.com/fish-tank-heater


Andrew


I'd expect them to be OK. Although the ad talks about not lying them on
the floor of an aquarium because of the pressure, I'd be surprised if
they couldn't take a couple of psi, which is all they will see even at
the bottom.

You will have RCD/RCBO protection presumably?


You only need that if there's fish in it.

Plating fluid has high conductivity (of course). You don't want to zap
yourself or the DC supply with mains.


I'll give you the DC supply, but being scared of mains is pathetic.

--
We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.