Tube heater

[joe1002]

Popped out to get a beer tonight and noticed my STC was reading 4.5c, not the 20c it is set to. Upon further inspection, my tube heater has stopped working. It has only been used for three brews, I would have expected it to last a bit longer.

Has anyone else had the same problem?

 

[Sean_Mc]

Only time I've heard them brake is when there not installed horizontally

 

[joe1002]

Mine is certainly installed horizontally :thumb:

 

[keith1664]

Is it the heater or the stc? Try plugging it into a socket to see if it warms up.

 

[fuzzy]

That’s a bit of a nightmare in this cold weather.

What about any loose wiring and do you have any fuses in any plugs etc that might have blown.

Hope you get it resolved.

 

[joe1002]

Sorry, I should have said in the first post, the STC is fine, I plugged my phone into he heat socket and it worked fine. I changed the fuse on he heater plug but still not working.

I took the heater apart to see if I could get to the thermal cut out, but I couldn't. Think I'm going to have to resign myself to the fact it's a gonna. I'll see if I can find he receipt and swap it. :thumb:

Thanks for your ideas :

 

[joe1002]

That’s a bit of a nightmare in this cold weather.

Thankfully it was only bottles conditioning, nothing was fermenting in it but yeah it is still a pain.

It was working fine last night as well.

 

[artyb]

pop a 100w light bulb in there..... :thumb:

 

[joe1002]

That did cross my mind. Would it be as effective as a 100w heater though?

 

[kev]

I've run tube heaters vertically for years in my ferment fridge without problems.

K

 

[Dieseljockey]

I've run tube heaters vertically for years in my ferment fridge without problems.

K

On the one I use in my fridge, it states that the tube must be fixed horizontally.

 

[kev]

Anyone know why that is?

K

 

[LeedsBrewer]

funny, exactly the same thing with my tube heater! I got it last week and tested that it worked. On friday i pluged it into my stc and turned it on and nothing happened. I also tried it without the stc. I tried changing the fuse. Nothing. :x

 

[joe1002]

Did you get it from tool station? :wha:

 

[LeedsBrewer]

Nope from Palmer Riley Electrical Distribution Ltd. Via Amazon

I've sent them an email.

 

[Vossy1]

Anyone know why that is?

If you mount the TH vertically it will heat the tube and the thermo will trip more quickly.

I took the heater apart to see if I could get to the thermal cut out, but I couldn't.

Yes you can, where there's a will there's a way :grin: . The 2 newer TH I bought have 3 rivets holding the electrics in at the cap/cable end. The rivets themselves terminate in lugs which the cable assemblies plastic housing sits in. If you push the plastic housing into the tube, rotate it and pull it out at an angle the whole kit and k'boodle will be accessible. It should be a bi metallic strip, I locked mine together with a cable tie and re-assembled.