Do Digital Thermometers Go Bad?

[jap1]

I have a Coralife Digital Thermometer that today is giving me abnormally high readings. Normally the tank runs about 78 degrees. Today it is saying 85.6. The water definately does not feel that hot. In fact, the water feels perfectly normal. Everything seems happy in the tank too. To check it, I pulled the probe out of the water and let it sit in the air for a while. It quickly dove to the same temp as my houses thermostat, which is 74 right now. I'm confused. Do ya'll think my thermometer's gone bad, or has my heater failed on? What would you do to figure out the problem?

[LoneStar]

Yup my old one did. That thing started to slowly rise each day. I ended up taking it out and setting it in the spare bedroom. Over time it gradually rose to 130+ degrees in there....or at least thats what the thermometer said <_<

[jap1]

This has been my 2nd digital thermometer to break within a year. My first was the JBJ thermo that goes inside your tank. That one didn't even last a month. I've used the digital ones because they're normally accurate down to +/- .1 degree, but that doesn't matter too much if its broken. Do you think I should just get one of those cheap-o marineland stick-on LCD thermometers, or should I replace it with another digital? Or do the stick-on thermometers ever fail as well?

[cbianco]

This has been my 2nd digital thermometer to break within a year. My first was the JBJ thermo that goes inside your tank. That one didn't even last a month. I've used the digital ones because they're normally accurate down to +/- .1 degree, but that doesn't matter too much if its broken. Do you think I should just get one of those cheap-o marineland stick-on LCD thermometers, or should I replace it with another digital? Or do the stick-on thermometers ever fail as well?

What about a good ol glass thermometer? Mine seemed to work well before I went digital. I traded the glass one for a digital one to make it easier to read in the dark.

Christopher

[txstateunivreefer]

did you change the batt? id try that however it would cost the same to print out the price off of petsmart.com and go get them to match it and get a new one :)

[cbianco]

did you change the batt?...

I didn't think of that. Would a battery really cause that kind of problem though? Just curious.

Christopher :)

[jap1]

I think I might go grab one of those glass ones. They're only $2.49 at Petsmart.com, although I bet I can get one just as cheap at one of our LFS's.

[HecticDialectics]

I've used the digital ones because they're normally accurate down to +/- .1 degree, but that doesn't matter too much if its broken.

Actually the JBJ is +/- 1 degree and the coralife is +/- 1.5 degrees

virtually all (cheaper) aquarium thermometers are no better than a flaming brown bag of crap at reading temperature :wacko