I know there is alot of threads about heat cable but..

[lindy]

i was wondering if heat cable is safer as far as fire haszard then flexwatt. I only need 12feet of flexwatt or 23feet of cable. the prices are similar so i just wanted the least likely to cause a problem.
I know that flexwatt you have to "put a little more effort" into putting it together. I have no problems with that.
I was also wondering on thermostats, I was hoping to not spend over 40 for one. I saw the bah-1000sc thermostat at bigapleherp.com for $40 and the soomed 500R at lllreptiles for $33, I also noticed the alife1000w for $27 does anyone use any of these to tell me how well they work. I check my geckos multiple times a day.
one more question
do i need to use 3/4 or can i get away with 1/2 inch plywood for 12, 15qt rack?

thank you in advance
ps. I was on here all night and all day today reading the old posts.:main_laugh:

 

[acpart]

Personally I prefer heat cable because it's covered with rubber. I have not used flexwatt. I was thinking of it but heard too many stories (not a huge number but 3 was enough) of it developing hot spots and melting plastic bins.

I use a lot of Alife thermostats and while there are stories of those breaking, mine have been fine for 5 years. They are not precise and I wouldn't use them to regulate an incubator but they've been fine with my tanks.

Aliza

 

[lindy]

heat cable it is so now what

i bought some tape its called flex duct tape, it is silver metallized. it says that its service temperature is -35-210F. so this should work right?

also do i lay the tape down first then put the cable on top then place another layer of heat tape on the cable or? do i just put the tape on the cable afer i lay the cable down?
thank you in advance

 

[acpart]

If your stuff comes in a roll with an adhesive backing that you peel off it's the same stuff I use and it works better than either electrical tape or duct tape. Here's what you do (I don't know if you're heating a tank or a rack, but it's about the same either way): decide how you want to lay the cable. Get a few strips of tape ready to go and as you place the cable in the configuration you want, tack it down with the tape. Then you can put a few more longer pieces of tape over the whole thing to anchor it. There's no need to completely cover the cable with tape. I use the cable on the bottom of my tanks and after I've taped it down, I cover the cable with a piece of aluminum foil and tape that down to better retain the heat and direct it up towards the floor of the tank.

Aliza

 

[lindy]

alright, for some reason i thought you had to cover the rope. so i should put some tape under the cable to get the heat to go up towards the tubs then. yes im building a rack

 

[acpart]

alright, for some reason i thought you had to cover the rope. so i should put some tape under the cable to get the heat to go up towards the tubs then. yes im building a rack

If you're building a rack, I assume the heat cable either goes on the inside back of the rack so the tubs butt up against it or on the floor of the shelves so the tubs sit on top of it. In both cases, you don't need to put any tape or foil to direct the heat. I'm using tanks set on dowel shelves.

Aliza

 

[lindy]

yay so i can take back the tape then.thats an extra $15 i can save towards a thermostat.

 

[acpart]

You do need to anchor the heat cable in some way. It won't stay by itself. Some people who make racks use staples. You may want to find out how they do it.

Aliza

 

[lindy]

alright so i decided i will make dents in the plywood so the cable will sit into channels, my mom has a dremel so i hope that works.
so you sure i dont need to put anything on the wood first before i put the cable down.
I have a small rack and its going to be belly heat
thanks in advance.
also how many holes do you put in the tubs?

 

[OhMyGecko]

Hey can you guys take some pictures of this? I'm just not able to picture it in my head and a few photos would go a long way.