Why do we only sell heater holders in pairs?

You may have noticed that our heater holders are designed to hold two heaters.  We don’t sell a design that holds only one heater.  Why is that?

Heaters are notorious for breaking and if they get stuck on they can easily overheat and kill your tank.  The on and off switch on heaters is a piece of metal that bends with temperature.  As the temperature changes in your tank the bend in the material will change.  Depending on where you set the temperature is the position in the bend where the material completes the circuit and turns on the heater.  The problem is that connection and wire are fragile.  A simple arc will fuse that connection permanently keeping the heater on.

We have positions for two heaters on our heater holders is to help minimize the risk of a heater that gets stuck on.  The idea is to pick two smaller heaters than combined have enough wattage to heat up your tank to its desired temperature.  However, each heater on its own will not have enough power to overheat the tank if it gets stuck on.  With your powers combined... (just kidding)

It’s always a good idea to check on your heaters a few times a year and especially before the winter season.