# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Has anyone ever built a heater canister?



## eruji (Feb 1, 2003)

I was looking at the Pentair AF-92
AF-92

and really the only thing that i would need is that O-ring connector to seal the heater,and a way to connect it to a 2" pvc pipe. Has anyone built thier own heater canister?


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## eruji (Feb 1, 2003)

I was looking at the Pentair AF-92
AF-92

and really the only thing that i would need is that O-ring connector to seal the heater,and a way to connect it to a 2" pvc pipe. Has anyone built thier own heater canister?


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## imported_Platy (Feb 4, 2003)

Hi There,

Havent Built one but it doesnt seem like it would be that hard.

You could go the way they have - use pvc pipe - connect 2 inch to a T at the bottom, where the water flows... glueing the heater in the top with say a 1/2 inch non-threaded end. - making sure the glass of the heater did not touch the pvc so there is no chance of a melt down...

Or - You could use one of those nifty all submersible heaters, suspending it in the center of the 2 inch pvc some how, with plastic clips perhaps? and just seal it in there, with only the power cord comming out. You could cut the cord, push it through a drilled whole in the side of the pvc, seal the whole and put a new plug on the wire.

Hmm I may do some testing on this.









Any Thoughts?

ImaNewbie


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## PPulcher (Feb 4, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Platy:
> 
> Or - You could use one of those nifty all submersible heaters, suspending it in the center of the 2 inch pvc some how, with plastic clips perhaps? and just seal it in there, with only the power cord comming out. You could cut the cord, push it through a drilled whole in the side of the pvc, seal the whole and put a new plug on the wire.


How are you going to adjust the temperature with the unit totally sealed in the tube?

Cheers,

Andrew


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## eruji (Feb 1, 2003)

Well i was doing some searching on heating canisters and ran across this site:
diy substrate heater

Compression fitting, i think that will work.


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## imported_Platy (Feb 4, 2003)

I would use the compression fittings - yea those would allow you to go in and reset the temperate of the heater... and if you get a good enough heater they will have a temperate gauge on the heater, so you dont have to worry about hit and miss readings.

ImaNewbie -
125 Gal - 3.07wpg - 99% flourite - Pressurized Co2 - Uv Sterilization when needed - Densly Planted


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## Brucifer (Feb 3, 2003)

There are titanium heaters that have the temperature controller separate from the heating element. The heating element sits in the tank, but the controller doesn't. I have a Won Brothers Pro Heat II, which is like that.

One of these days, I'm going to stick the thing in a PVC pipe. The design would be very much like a DIY external inline CO2 reactor (see Ghazanfar Ghori's reactor plans), except it would obviously have a heater in it rather than bio balls or something.

The heater would be held in place by its suction cups. I would epoxy the suction cups to the curved surface of the pipe though. I want to make sure those suction cups never slip so the heater never comes into direct contact with the pipe.

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20 gal; 50/50 Flourite/Tahitian Moon sand; AH Supply 1x55 W kit in custom canopy; pressurized CO2 w/ Mini Vortex reactor; Fluval 204 w/ FilterMax III prefilter; Pro Heat II


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## imported_Platy (Feb 4, 2003)

Let us know if you do









I just replied with my ideas, I really have no use for one, as my problem is keeping it cooler then hotter....










Dustin

ImaNewbie -
125 Gal - 3.07wpg - 99% flourite - Pressurized Co2 - Uv Sterilization when needed - Densly Planted


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## imported_Platy (Feb 4, 2003)

Found one at ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20758&item=2315180302&rd=1

Might not be worth DIY for that cheap.

Any Thoughts / comments / history on this product?

Thanks

Dustin

125 Gal - 3.07wpg - 99% flourite - Pressurized Co2 - Uv Sterilization when needed - Densly Planted


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## Jack11 (Mar 30, 2004)

> quote:
> 
> Originally posted by Platy:
> I would use the compression fittings - yea those would allow you to go in and reset the temperate of the heater... and if you get a good enough heater they will have a temperate gauge on the heater, so you dont have to worry about hit and miss readings.


Anyone ever try this? Where would you find the compression fittings? Seems like a great diy alternative to the in-line heaters on the market (especially the Rainbow/Lifeguard models). You could even use clear pvc and read the temp setting if it wasn't externally controlled. Anyone?

Ah Hah! You're supposed to put the plants IN the water...


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

I haven't done it yet, but I've been thinking about building hang-on units for my 10-gallon tanks that incorporate a two-stage filter, CO2 reactor and heater. As far as I've gotten with the idea, the heater would be sealed in with the contol outside the assembly, just as is shown on the link that eruji showed earlier.

Roger Miller


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