pipe heat cable

[Khrysty]

Does anybody use pipe heat cable (the stuff you use to keep your pipes from freezing--found in hardware stores, etc) to heat their racks? Can this be done? Do they get as hot as "reptile" heat cable? Hotter?

 

[thegeckoguy23]

if i were you i would just go the safe way and use some reptile heat cable

 

[Khrysty]

if i were you i would just go the safe way and use some reptile heat cable

Problem is, I'd need 51 (or more) feet of it. They don't sell reptile heat cable in lengths that long, but they do sell pipe heat cable that long (and longer).

 

[latshki]

you will need to re wire it when you get it as they usually only go just above freezing
I think rob uses it (ElapidSVT)

 

[Khrysty]

you will need to re wire it when you get it as they usually only go just above freezing
I think rob uses it (ElapidSVT)

Rewire the attatched thermostat, you mean?

 

[latshki]

yus

 

[Khrysty]

Interesting...

I'll PM Rob and ask how he did it.

 

[Landen]

I've got a 50 ft heat cable... they do make them, just hard to find

 

[Tony C]

Zoo Med 52' Heat Cable

 

[Landen]

Zoo Med 52' Heat Cable

and no longer hard to find... good job there tony c

 

[ElapidSVT]

i've used the ezheat pipe heating cable in my racks for the past 15 years. when i built the racks there weren't a lot of choices and the hardware stuff was much cheaper than anything available for herps at that time. no rewiring was necessary. the only adjustment was to smash the black dot with a ball peen hammer to disable the thermostat that's built in to the cord.

looks like the zoo med stuff is cheaper than the hardware store version these days, at least at local retail pricing.

the pipe heating cable has the capability to get much warmer than the zoo med stuff...zoo med = 3W/foot and easyheat= 7W/foot

HTH!
rob

 

[kcexotics]

I use it, you HAVE to wire it to a dimmer or reostat.You also have to do a litte mod on them.Toward the plug there is an orange lump with a black plasitc cap,cut the black plastic away.You will see a little metal piece the size of a quarter.Peal this cap off easier said than done.Thats all you need to do once the cap is removed the contacts always touch,some people like to drop some souder in the contacts but you don't really need it.Careful when you pry of the cap if you remove the chip that sits in the orange lump you will not be able to put it back.If you do screw it up all you have to do is shove a small piece of wire the chip sat.If you have any problems setting it up, let me know and I will post some pics.

 

[thegeckoguy23]

Problem is, I'd need 51 (or more) feet of it. They don't sell reptile heat cable in lengths that long, but they do sell pipe heat cable that long (and longer).

ROB uses it he hooks it up to a rheostat im pretty sure ask him he is on the chat room during the night