how hot is a heater?

iexiak

Medium Fish
Jan 13, 2008
97
0
0
#1
how hot does a heater actually get? Id like to know for a project that Im working on that needs a heating element.
 

Chris_A

Large Fish
Oct 14, 2008
615
0
0
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
#2
I don't know... but there are alot of factors. I'm sure there's some calculator out there to convert watts into degrees in a given medium with a given heat element. Try here maybe: Engineering ToolBox
There's a lot to sort through on that site but it's awesome once you do find what you're looking for.

Knowing what the project is *might* help?

Chris
 

iexiak

Medium Fish
Jan 13, 2008
97
0
0
#4
Depends on what temperature it gets up to.
thats exactly what i just asked.

it would be pretty easy to calculate if i knew how long the wiring inside was, what its made of, how dense it is, and some other things might be helpful.

i was just hoping that someone had put a thermometer onto their heater or something like that.
 

Monoxide

Large Fish
Dec 19, 2008
224
0
0
#6
Yeah just stick it on the house old one. I kinda think it would be to hot for that. I personally think it be higher then 100 if you got it at 70 f
 

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#8
well I don't know if it would break the glass or not but plug it in out of the water and use a laser thermometer on it. and I know they are pretty cheap. I got one at auto zone for about 30 bucks for when I was seeing how hot my headers and brakes were getting after a race in my truck.
 

PCFishGuy

Medium Fish
Dec 25, 2008
53
0
0
Port Charlotte Fla
#10
how hot does a heater actually get? Id like to know for a project that Im working on that needs a heating element.
simple answer:
hot enough to raise the elements to a cherry red glow so in excess of 500*f

This of course would be in an environment that is shielded from external temperature sinks.

In a non-insulated cup of water deep enough to cover the entire element, in a -10* ambient temp area, maybe 40*f

same environment just now in a 10 gallon tank, and a 75 Watt rated heater, maybe just above 32*, in a larger tank, < 32*f

how hot depends on heating capacity ( wattage ) and what you are trying to heat and how high above ambient temperature you are trying to get to
 

iexiak

Medium Fish
Jan 13, 2008
97
0
0
#13
well I don't know if it would break the glass or not but plug it in out of the water and use a laser thermometer on it. and I know they are pretty cheap. I got one at auto zone for about 30 bucks for when I was seeing how hot my headers and brakes were getting after a race in my truck.
see this is what i was looking for...if you could take your laser thermometer and point it at your heater i would really appreciate that.
 

PCFishGuy

Medium Fish
Dec 25, 2008
53
0
0
Port Charlotte Fla
#14
even the smallest of heaters if allowed to heat unimpeded until they reached thermal shutdown ( prob around 200*c ) will get there hence the reason for thermal fuses in the heaters.

In a heat load environment they will never get there with out some form of assistance. IE removal of the heat sink source IE water, or raising the temperature of the heat sink ambient temp to allow the heater to attain that level.

simply put in water, the heater might attain 20*f above ambient.
in open air with no heat sink, easily reach 200*f

but then how far and how fast is controlled by wattage

if you wish to see what the maximum temp a heater can attain under ANY condition outside of normal
simply buy one and disassemble it, what you are looking for is a device approx 1/16" inch in circumference, and approx 1/4" or so long, it is encased in a metal skin, it may have a colored tip, in the side of this "can" is printed a temp. That is a thermal fuse, and it "blows" to prevent the heater from over heating.


and yes if you take a heater out of the tank allow it to get "hot" then put it back in a tank of room temp. water, the glass tube will break.
 

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