Ranco Temp Sensor

[DolphinLVR]

I have my heaters in the return section of my sump and I wanted to get your opinion on where I should place the temp sensor!

Should I place it in the Refugium or in the return section?

 

[roscoe]

I have my heaters in the return section of my sump and I wanted to get your opinion on where I should place the temp sensor!

Should I place it in the Refugium or in the return section?

I have my sensor in the 1st chamber where my DT drain into and the heaters are in the chamber right after it.

 

[DolphinLVR]

ok cool! so you would put the sensor in the drain area. The next section I have is the refugium. Would it hurt to have the heaters in the return section?

 

[roscoe]

It should be fine. I suppose it will work any way you place it just as long as they are not in the same chamber. I like to have the sensor in the 1st chamber. So that way it sense the water coming in from the DT 1st.

 

[DolphinLVR]

Thaks for you input Sarang! I am hoping by the morning, I will be able to get this thing fired up and to temp!

One last question, would you set the heaters to the same temp? like 77 and have the Ranco set to 78?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

You need the heaters set higher than the Ranco or they'll never come on. I have my controller set for 78, but have the heaters themselves dialed in to 84 or so as upper limit "safety".

 

[DolphinLVR]

I thought it was supposed to be the other way.

Have the heaters set to tem and have the ranco set higher as the backup

 

[NaTe R]

kurts right set the heaters high and let the ranco take care of turning them off and on.

 

[roscoe]

I have 3 300w heaters on my tank and they are turned up all the way. Each is set 2 degrees apart from each other at 73/75/77. However I don't have all 3 on around this time of the year. I only need to run one of the heaters. If you have it on a ranco just turn it all the way up. Once it reaches the home temp you set on the ranco. The ranco will turn the heater off.

 

[trido]

Trust the ranco, not the heaters.
YOu better off using the $100 commercial grade controller rather than the cheap controller integrated into , in my case, a $30 250 watt heater, or three.

I kept my ranco set for 78 and the heaters at 81. When I recently used the heaters in some holding tanks I had to back them down to the low 70s to keep from killing everything.

Also, the probe right behind the overflows and heaters right in front of the return pump. If you can.

 

[DolphinLVR]

Sweet!!!! Thanks Duane, now i am understanding it!

 

[trido]

If you have it on a ranco just turn it all the way up. Once it reaches the home temp you set on the ranco. The ranco will turn the heater off.

BUT!!! if the ranco ever fails in the on position, the heaters will cook the tank because they are turned al the way up. By having them set for only one or two degrees higher than the desired temp you have (hopefully) one more fail safe to help save your reef during a mechanical failure.

 

[DolphinLVR]

Thats what I plan on doing, set the Ranco for 78 on both heaters and set the heaters to 80

 

[roscoe]

BUT!!! if the ranco ever fails in the on position, the heaters will cook the tank because they are turned al the way up. By having them set for only one or two degrees higher than the desired temp you have (hopefully) one more fail safe to help save your reef during a mechanical failure.

I hear ya... I over looked that part.

 

[trido]

I hear ya... I over looked that part.

Only sharing information I have learned of RF from my friends over the years.


Some of it actually made sense to me.:lol:

 

[DolphinLVR]

Thats why I love this forum and all of you along with it!

Everyone has been great with their advise and of course their patience.....and boy I have learned the patience aspect of it all!

LOL

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Thats what I plan on doing, set the Ranco for 78 on both heaters and set the heaters to 80

You might want to set it a little higher than 80... those heater thermostats aren't that accurate and you might be cutting it too close and it won't turn on. It's something you'll just have to play with since each heater is different. Assuming your heater has a light that turns on to show when it's heating, it's not too hard to tweak things until you get it just right.

 

[DolphinLVR]

I appreciate the advice Kurt!

I will definately play around with the heater controllers. By the way the heaters are finnex 500W

 

[lizardarm]

Yeah, don't crank your heaters all the way up, a few degrees above the Ranco is best. I had my probe in the overflow box, but I can't argue against in the first chamber of the sump either.