Wiring heat tape

[Khrysty]

When I asked my dad for help soldering the extension cord to the heat tape he asked me if the extension cord should or shouldn't be a grounded extension cord. Nothing I can find online specifies, but it looks like no one is using a grounded cord. Is that right? He's worried about possible fires et all...

 

[T-ReXx]

Grounded cords have 3 prongs. Most people don't ground the cords attached directly to the tape for a couple of reasons:
a) attaching a ground complicates the wiring process.
b) Heat tape is always run off of a thermostat or at the very least plugged into a surge protector attached to a dimmer switch. The majority of surge protectors are grounded, and I believe pretty much all decent thermostats are. So attaching a ground directly to the tape is sort of overkill.

 

[Khrysty]

Grounded cords have 3 prongs. Most people don't ground the cords attached directly to the tape for a couple of reasons:
a) attaching a ground complicates the wiring process.
b) Heat tape is always run off of a thermostat or at the very least plugged into a surge protector attached to a dimmer switch. The majority of surge protectors are grounded, and I believe pretty much all decent thermostats are. So attaching a ground directly to the tape is sort of overkill.

I'm using a BAH-1000 thermostat from Big Apple Herp with the heat tape. The thermostat itself is grounded and only has room for a two-pronged plug anyway, so I guess that answers that. Thanks!

 

[trizzypballr]

I suggest also looking into other safety measures also. Make sure to have a smoke detector in the room that the rack is in also. I just had a house fire back in April, a manufactered rack that I had purchased had actually caught fire. It was ran by a johnsons thermostat. Im still scratching my head on how it was possible, but the fire investigators told me that it is very possible that a connection came loose, and allowed electric to arc, starting the fire. The more precautions the better...

 

[Keith N]

If you are storing them in a bedroom look at the breaker box. Most new houses bedrooms are wire with an Arc Fault Circuit Interupter. The concept was that more houses catch fire by a lampcord short. These breakers will pick that up and shut off hence keeping anything from catching fire. I have been wiring these for quite a while in new houses and if you take receptacle that is hooked up to these and touch the hot and nuetral when the plug is hot you do not get one bit shocked the breaker will shut off before it even has time. You could put one on the room if it does not have it. PM me if you need more info or if your dad has any questions on how to find out or install one.

 

[lpcad]

If you are storing them in a bedroom look at the breaker box. Most new houses bedrooms are wire with an Arc Fault Circuit Interupter. The concept was that more houses catch fire by a lampcord short. These breakers will pick that up and shut off hence keeping anything from catching fire. I have been wiring these for quite a while in new houses and if you take receptacle that is hooked up to these and touch the hot and nuetral when the plug is hot you do not get one bit shocked the breaker will shut off before it even has time. You could put one on the room if it does not have it. PM me if you need more info or if your dad has any questions on how to find out or install one.

Great info!

 

[roger]

When I asked my dad for help soldering the extension cord to the heat tape he asked me if the extension cord should or shouldn't be a grounded extension cord. Nothing I can find online specifies, but it looks like no one is using a grounded cord. Is that right? He's worried about possible fires et all...

you only need grounded cord if your rack is metal

 

[Keith N]

you only need grounded cord if your rack is metal

there would still be now way to get a good ground on the rack as the heat tape itself does not carry a ground. If the rack becomes energized due to a short it would have no way to ground out unless you bolt a ground lug and run a ground wire to to the closest receptacle