Heat Cable Advice

[Nigel4less]

Hey everybody I decided to strip down the FlexWatt after hearing some nerve-racking stuff, I just feel it is the responsible thing to do. I just had a few questions about Heat Cable:
1) Do you guys use Zoo-Med or is there another brand, that I do not know of?

2) Do I install in directly on-top of the Melamine(Under the tubs), or under the Shelves?

Thanks in Advance guys!

 

[jmlslayer]

i have been wondering that too!

 

[Nigel4less]

Anybody?

 

[ataber]

im building one right now that will use the zoo med stuff, how it will perform is yet to be seen but we'll see. For placing it i am routing groves in the wood to put it in. it would need to go under the tub i would say b/c if you put it under the wood it would be at the top of the tub below which to me would potentially cause problems.

 

[Ultrakd]

COuld you post pics, Please

 

[DAWNoftheLEO]

make a groove using a dremel

 

[Kev132]

Make a groove in the wood with a router or dremel, place the cable in the grove and run over it with some heat spreading tape

abit like this

Oh and i use soil warming cable from a company called parasene, but thats becausei work at a garden centre so get it cheaper

 

[ataber]

good info kev what kind of tape did you use? i used 2 strips of cable per shelf in my current build to make the hot spot bigger but wouldnt mind doing it like yours.

 

[Kev132]

i didnt have any alluminium tape at the time, so i cut strips of tin foil slightly narrower than the duct tape, and kinda made my own alluminium tape hehe...

but typically you would use something like this

http://www.tapes-direct.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=932&zenid=c37e383a7caad24d42955195fafe6e7f

Thats for the 9ltr tubs,

for 18ltr + tubs i use 2 strips

 

[Ccrashca069]

I have the ZooMed heat cables. I have 2 strips under the tubs and that foil tape under the heat cable. It works very well. You just have to remember the first 6 1/2 feet is a cold lead so it will not warm anything up.

 

[Nigel4less]

Thanks guys, anyone have any advice on where to find cheaper dremels, All I`ve been seeing are $89.99 ones.

 

[Nigel4less]

I have the ZooMed heat cables. I have 2 strips under the tubs and that foil tape under the heat cable. It works very well. You just have to remember the first 6 1/2 feet is a cold lead so it will not warm anything up.

So John, you didn't put a groove in it at all just directly under the Foil tape and tubs?

 

[Ccrashca069]

I don't have any groves. If I had a router I would have.I have the foiltape under the cables and then used my staple gun and stapled the cable in place. I guy I got the heat cable from had the groves and foil tape on top. I felt it and it was not warm.

 

[Kev132]

I don't have any groves. If I had a router I would have.I have the foiltape under the cables and then used my staple gun and stapled the cable in place. I guy I got the heat cable from had the groves and foil tape on top. I felt it and it was not warm.

is it possible the stat was off at the time ? i build these for other people too, and just plug the heat cable in with no stat to test for any dead spots, and it certainly gets hot, very quickly

 

[Ccrashca069]

he had a stat and it was on, It is possible something was wrong. He just moved his reptile shop from a store to his home a couple weeks before. I do know that it is working good for me sofar. My temps are more stable now.

 

[Kev132]

he had a stat and it was on, It is possible something was wrong. He just moved his reptile shop from a store to his home a couple weeks before. I do know that it is working good for me sofar. My temps are more stable now.

this is true,

imo it would be better to have the tape underneath the cable as it would reflect the heat upwards to the tubs, however this proves difficult when you include a groove

 

[ataber]

with mine i just have foil tape over 3 sections on each shelf(left end, middle, right end) to hold the cable down in the groove. Im testing the temps right now so we'll see how it turns out.