TRIED & TESTED
Gabor puts the new Sicce Scuba heater to the test.
GEAR
SICCE SCUBA CONTACTLESS NFC HEATERS
Reviewed by: Gabor Horvath
Test duration: Two months
Price: £35-£55
Info: www.sicce.com
UK distributor: www.alfltd.co.uk
A little bird told me a few months ago that Sicce was planning to come out with something special, so I was prepared to test it as soon as it hit the market. The Sicce Scuba Contactless NFC heater was officially revealed in September and since then it became hot property.
Sicce is the first company ever to introduce NFC (Near Field Communication) tech to its heaters. You’ll likely be familiar with using your mobile phones when paying at the till—it’s the same thing. NFC has both advantages and disadvantages. It’s fast, convenient and easy to use—when it’s working. But to communicate with the NFC connection your phone needs to be around 5cm from the heater.
For some phones this works even through the aquarium glass, but others can only communicate when they are directly above the heater. Luckily setting up the heater doesn’t require keeping it submerged—the chip will communicate with the app even when the heater is unplugged. Just make sure that the heater is cooled down before lifting it out from the water—although it’s made from shatter-resistant high thermal density glass, you don’t want to risk a crack. That said, if you do accidentally lift an operating heater out of the water or it runs dry (say, you don’t turn it off when doing a water change) there’s a built-in automatic safety shut-off system to save the day.
There is also an eco mode available as an optional setting (turned on via the app) which halves the heating power when the temperature is within 1°C below the set temp.
To test one, I used one a 100-litre tank with a good water circulation and a closed lid. As there are no dials on the heater the only way to set the required temp is via the ContrAll app. I’ve used the app for my SDC pumps for many years so I was familiar with it, and had no difficulties adding the heater to the My Devices list.
Once connected you can set and adjust the temperature between 15-35°C, and also read the actual settings. I set mine to 25°C and waited until next day before checking the temp
