How can I tell if the de-icer is not working?
When a de-icer burns out, you may or may not be able to tell from simply looking at it. The first sign of a malfunctioning unit, of course, will be your tank freezing up. However, tank freeze-up may also result from severe temperatures and wind chill, as well as using an undersized unit. To test a de-icer, you can carefully run the unit outside of water. The unit must be colder enough for the thermostat to turn on, so put the de-icer in a freezer for a few minutes first. Then plug the unit in. If the de-icer begins to feel warm in your hands, then it is working OK. Be sure to unplug the de-icer as soon as you feel it warming up to prevent overheating and burn out. If the de-icer fails to heat, then either the thermostat or heating element is bad. De-icers generally do not have field serviceable parts. Your only remedy is to replace the defective de-icer.
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