A heat tape question

[mrcsk8ter44445]

I'm pretty doubtful this would work but I'm just checking before I go spend 20 bucks on a thermostat. I have three 4 ft strips running plugged into a thermostat. Can I plug in a 1ft piece into it and get the same temp??

 

[malt_geckos]

If your thermostat has more that one place to plug something in, I think it will work... but just make sure to not exceed the wattage on the thermostat. ALso, check the 1 ft piece to make sure it's putting it at the correct temp. If not, then you will have to get a seperate thermostat for it.

 

[Leopardbreeder]

No, it is not worth the risks. If you have a rack with 5+ shelves, measure the top and bottom shelf, it can be 5+ degrees cooler. That means that you will have temps from 80*-100*! Its not near the risks, just spend the $20 for a piece of mind. Not to say it wouldn't work like Malorie(Matt?) said.

 

[malt_geckos]

Yeah, it may work, but it's just best to get another cheaper thermostat. We use Helix but it's all personal preference.

 

[Ccrashca069]

I am more into better safe then sorry. I would spend the extra money on what you know will work.

 

[mrcsk8ter44445]

Alright thanks, this is for my roaches so i'll just wait another month to get one

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

OK NO just a flat OUT no, not any way possible at all

you are haive to base this on watts per foot and unless you are a science or biology major or have done studies on 4' of heat tape out put vs 1' of heat tape out put well..... NO

all of your heat tape has to be the same length and watts to be on the same thermostate and even to the point of bing the same size tunbs with the same thickness of substrate

 

[malt_geckos]

Well as long as the circuit is run in parallel (as opposed to series) the wattage would spread itself out evenly, theoretically heating the tape evenly. But I'm still not saying its a good idea. Its a good idea just to wait it out another month like you said, Marc.

Matt

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Well that is not true since there would be 4ft pieces and a 1ft piece the 1ft piece would have a lmuch ower wattage total than the 4ft so it would not be possible to spread the heat evenly on 2 pieces that are not of even wattage no matter how the circuit is run, parallel or series. 4ft of 3" 10 watts is 40 watts and 1ft is 10 watts. That is not going to produce the same amount of heat no matter how you wire it UNLESS you set the 1ft piece at 90 and put a dimmer on the 4ft pieces to lower them to 90 which will add to the cost and wiring.

Now if you had 4ft of 6 watt 3" which would be 24 watts and you had 2 ft of 10 watt 3" which would be 20 watts you could ALMOST get away with it since the wattage would be somewhat close. But as I said unless you have set up and studied that heat tape set up that way and checked it for a period of time I still would not do it.

Now if you had 2 different species that 1 need a higher heat than the other it may work since but then again like I said I still would not do it.

With a 1ft piece of 3" you may plug it in hot and check highest temps over a few days and you may not even need a thermostat, 10 watts is not that much.

 

[malt_geckos]

According to several qualified master electricians I spoke with, wiring the tape in a parallel circuit would allow all pieces of heat tape to work at the full, rated wattages, producing even heating. This is because parallel wiring would allow even flow of power to each piece of heat tape, directly from a regulated source (the thermostat). It doesn't matter that the heat tape segments consume different wattages, the parallel wiring takes care of that. As long as the thermostat does its job of regulating the power, it would be fine.

Matt

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

that is not running a 4ft piece and a 1ft piece which are 2 TOTALLY different lengths that will have 2 different wattages, by parallel some people take that to mean piggy back, running several 4ft pieces on a parallel connetion to use only one plug which is not one total piece scrapped together from junk scraps to make a total of 4ft.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

This was the question, running 3 4ft pieces and 1 1ft piece on the same thermostat

I'm pretty doubtful this would work but I'm just checking before I go spend 20 bucks on a thermostat. I have three 4 ft strips running plugged into a thermostat. Can I plug in a 1ft piece into it and get the same temp??

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

so based on the question the answer is still no, you cannot run 4ft pieces and 1ft pieces on the same thermostat.

 

[malt_geckos]

This is what was described to me by 3 master electricians. This is parallel wiring. According to the people that have done this for a living for at least 20 years, it will work, and produce even heat on each shelf.

Matt

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Sorry, that will not work, I was dumb enough to try that to be cheap when I first started and I ran different lengths (1 10ft, 1 15ft and 1 25ft) on 1 PIGGY back connection and it will not work.

You can wire yours that way and see for yourself and you will see that all of the 40 watts peices will get 40 watts of heat while the 10 watt piece will only get 10 watts when running a piggy back like that.

That is still not what was even asked, avoiding the question does not change the answer either. you cannot plug in 3 4ft pieces with 1 1ft piece I know from personal experience that you cannot piggy back different lengths either. It doesn't take a master electrition to do simple math of wattage per shelf.

My dad has done electrical repair for 35 years and explained to me just as I have why it will nto work, I thought it would to and it doesn't. Even on a PIGGY back the length and watts have to be the same to get the same amount of heat.

 

[malt_geckos]

It will work, but the smaller piece will be maybe a few degrees warmer at the most. It will work, it won't ruin anything. As long as the thermostat can take it. My dad has done electrical his entire life and his dad was a master elcetrician and passed it on to him. So, he says it will work but it will be a few degrees warmer on the shorter strip.

 

[Leopardbreeder]

Stop. C'mon People!

 

[malt_geckos]

Your right Matt, I'm done.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Matt (malt) the SMALLER peice will be cooler not warmer since it would be lower wattage, the wiring will work, yes but, the pieces as you just admitted will not provide the same amount of heat.

So no you cannot plug in 3 4ft pices and 1 1ft piece and get the same amount of heat (temp) on all of the pieces.

Since that is now very clear, Ill stop!

 

[mrcsk8ter44445]

Hey its fine, I have my answer now so lets just not worry about it