Tube Heater for Fermentation Fridge Worn Out!?

[Jambo]

Hi all

I built a fermentation fridge last summer and it's been great. However a couple of weeks ago when we had that really cold spell (hardly above 3 degC in a fortnight up here), it seemed to struggle. It is outside in a garage with one 1 ft / 60W tube heater in it, and I couldn't get it above 12 degC.

Although I was a bit surprised, it seemed to make sense so I decided to order another heater and give it 120W to play with. This had the immediate affect of ending winter, but also once I had installed the new heater I realised that it gets a lot hotter to touch than the 'old' heater, making me wonder if I had wrongly diagnosed the issue.

Is it possible that the tube heater after a few months of use isn't getting as hot as it used to? Has anyone seen this before? On one hand they are cheap Chinese rubbish, but on the other hand I would have thought it would be difficult to make heater that breaks. Wonder if it is worth contacting the eBay seller for a new one...

Cheers.

[BenB]

It's worth considering heating cable. 1.5m works out at 60w and it can be taped around the lower edges of the fermentation chamber. IE takes up less space than a tubular heater and costs about half the price of one. And gives a more distributed heat without fans etc....

[gobuchul]

Where do you get this heating cable?

The only stuff I can find on Ebay needs a lot longer length than 1.5m to make 60W. It's more expensive than a greenhouse as well.

[BenB]

Item number 271138232218 is one source.

[BenB]

Double posted. Bizarre!

[gobuchul]

Ben - That looks like really handy stuff!

Thanks.

[BluePanda]

Is the tube heater not guaranteed ?
I got mine from toolstation and it comes with a guarantee. You said it worked fine to begin with, so perhaps you could just replace it. Mine is 60w and keeps temps of 20 degrees easily - granted the fridge is in an unheated garage so temps aren't as low as you are getting.