Remember that the unit will not work well if covered in deposits or setting in muck at the bottom of the fountain. We recommend occasionally cleaning the fountain and the element. It is helpful but not a necessity to use the stainless heater base for the Farm Innovators 250W De-Icer.

Make sure to clean the slot in front of the black plastic part of the unit. The thermostat senses the water temperature from this area and it will shut off prematurely if the ¼" x 1" slot is full of deposits or other material.

The element should be removed from the fountain in the spring and placed in the fountain in the fall. We've found that this can double the years a submersible heat element will last.

Follow these instructions for performing an air test on a submersible element:

     1. Unplug the unit and remove from fountain.

     2. Place unit into a freezer for 1 hour.

     3. Remove unit from freezer and plug-in. The element should get so hot you can't hold onto it.

          If not, it is not working any longer.

Do not operate units out of water other than to air test.

Read and understand all the instructions that came with your heater. Have a qualified electrician install the properly grounded outlet receptacle according to local code.

NOTE: These instructions are not meant as a substitution for the manufacturer's instructions that came with your heater.