need help with an aquatic heater for my impulse bought GTF!

[Mitch_s]

guys i just bought 2 Green Tree Frogs today as an impulse by. im having trouble with the Aquatic Heater.
its a H2 Pro Water Pro (premium series) and i dont think its safe to have 3/4 of the heater sitting out of the water.
its getting way way to hot for my liking and it says to be fully submerged but in the diagram the heater is vertical in the water but its not possible for me to do that with the little amount of water i have in the Enclosure.
IM wondering whether i could place the whole heating unit under water safely and have the power lead running out of the water?
im hoping they are designed this way, as it is the only possible way i can do it.
guys i need help asap. i will hopefully be able to find some photos of the unit i have on the internet and ill add them soon.

View attachment 249680

 

[Sinners121]

dont know about your water heater but i used to have all mine completely submerged when i had fish

 

[bk201]

Dont leave it 3/4 out of the water the part out of the water will get too hot, if you lay them down in the water normally they function okay but can give out a bit easier, whatever you do make sure to remember a heater can make a small amount of water disappear in a matter of days or less.

 

[Mitch_s]

but is it safe to have the powercord partly in the water where it joins the heater?

 

[Jande]

Normally all of the glass housing of an aquatic heater should be submerged otherwise it won't ever heat properly. I've pulled apart probably 10+ heaters in the past and on most occasions the thermometer is at the end where the cord is. If this is out of the water, the thermostat is going to be kicking the heat off almost constantly, as the part of the heater with the thermometer is out of the water and most likely overheating. Most of the brands I've seen are prone to exploding if not fully submerged due to overheating as well. If the heater is snug against the glass side of a fish tank they sometimes (rarely thankfully) will crack the fish tank when they explode - just something to be wary of. There is no harm in laying them horizontally in the water as far as I can tell in 10 or so years of keeping fish. The only problem with this is often heaters are too long for smaller bodies of water to be put in horizontal. In that case I'd buy a shorter, smaller heating unit if you can find one.
All the best, hope it works out for you.

Edit to add: In most cases there is a rubber washer in the cap that holds the electrical cord into the unit and yes it is safe if it gets wet. I can't tell you if there is one in yours or whether it's safe to submerge it but I have done so just fine in the past. The ones with suction cups normally have washers in case they fall into the tank. Again, I can't be sure, so just be careful if in doubt.

 

[Mitch_s]

all im worried about is whether or not part of the powercord can also be submerged with the unit

 

[Jande]

Read my edit in post above. Should have just added it but oh well.

 

[Tsubakai]

Some heaters can't be fully submerged but they will be marked with a line or something that says 'do not submerge past this point' or something like that. Most heaters can be fully submerged though and can be either horizontal or vertical. As already outlined above, if its a fully submergible type that is switched on and not fully underwater then it can overheat and break/explode.

What size heater is it and how much water are you trying to heat?

 

[Mitch_s]

its a 200 watt one, and i have a 4 foot enclosure that would be half full and about 3-4 inches deep. its was i was told was the best match by the petshop

 

[Batanga]

Read the box, it will say either "fully submersible" or "partially submersible".
They should also only be use vertically or water can get in them and a shock from one of those will put you right on your @ss