flexwatt heat.

[TurkeyPython]

I'm planning on getting a dumerils boa in October at the reptile expo and I was wondering if a flexwatt, regulated obviously, only on one side of the vivarium will heat the entire thing or if I'll need another heat source to keep the rest warm. Room temperature will be about 55-60 in winter and 70-76 in summer. I've never used a flexwatt before, only radiant sources(heat lamps and ches), but now I need to stack the cages so I can't use that for the cages with others on top of them, obviously.

[ginja ninja]

Flexwatt won't be able to raise the ambient temps. It's only meant to provide belly heat in a designated area of the enclosure.

What kind of enclosures are you using? If you went with something along the lines of an animal plastics T8 you could use the flexwatt as well as a CHE and still be able to stack the enclosures.

[Evenstar]

I would try to keep them in a warmer room of the house. 60 in winter is too cold and it would be quite difficult to get your temps where they need to be even with additional supplemental heat.

Personally, I would select a room of the house to keep the snakes and put an oil-filled space heater (also on a t-stat) in the room. Keep the room temps at around 75 and your cages should be good with a controlled hot spot alone.

[TurkeyPython]

Flexwatt won't be able to raise the ambient temps. It's only meant to provide belly heat in a designated area of the enclosure.

What kind of enclosures are you using? If you went with something along the lines of an animal plastics T8 you could use the flexwatt as well as a CHE and still be able to stack the enclosures.

That's actually the exact one I'm using. Where would the che go?

Edit: we don't have any extra rooms for the snakes but I try to keep my room warmer for them, it's a bit difficult since my door can't shut all the way and I have two windows and a cat flap and everyone else in the house thinks they're going to melt if it gets above 65. I'll try to get a space heater and minimize heat loss.

[ginja ninja]

I meant to say a radiant heat panel, sorry about that. The panel would attach to the top inside of the T8 i believe. However, I agree w/ Evenstar. Your best and safest bet would be to heat the entire room. If that is not an option though, a radiant heat panel could work.

[TurkeyPython]

I meant to say a radiant heat panel, sorry about that. The panel would attach to the top inside of the T8 i believe. However, I agree w/ Evenstar. Your best and safest bet would be to heat the entire room. If that is not an option though, a radiant heat panel could work.

Okay, that makes more sense. I'd also like my room hotter but everyone else just prefers it colder so, I'm out numbered three to one and no longer allowed to touch the thermostat.

[Evenstar]

Okay, that makes more sense. I'd also like my room hotter but everyone else just prefers it colder so, I'm out numbered three to one and no longer allowed to touch the thermostat.

So add a space heater to that particular room so you don't have to touch the thermostat.

But a Radiant Heat Panel can help too. It is not the best or least expensive option though (see above).

[CryHavoc17]

Just use a radient heat panel instead of flexwatt. Its more expensive for the panel, but probably a whole lot cheaper then using a space heater. I like RHPs a lot. Creates a nice basking spot and ups the ambient temp of the whole cage

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[Evenstar]

Just use a radient heat panel instead of flexwatt. Its more expensive for the panel, but probably a whole lot cheaper then using a space heater. I like RHPs a lot. Creates a nice basking spot and ups the ambient temp of the whole cage

Sent from my SM-G730V using Tapatalk 2

This is not a bad idea, but be aware that, like flexwatt, RHP's do NOT heat the ambient air temperature. They work using radiant heat which is directed downward and heats the surface immediately underneath the unit. So if your ambient temps are too low, an RHP will not help you - with or without flexwatt. The AIR temp will not be affected to a large degree at all. This is why I suggest the space heater for the room - that will adjust the AMBIENT temperature to the appropriate degree.

Additionally, you can buy a ceramic space heater for around $50-60 which will heat the entire room and all the cages within that room will be positively affected by it. A single RHP will run you roughly $65-85 and you'd need one for each cage. A space heater and an RHP both cost pennies to run if regulated by a t-stat. The amount saved off either unit in its operation is negligible.

[Mr. Misha]

This is not a bad idea, but be aware that, like flexwatt, RHP's do NOT heat the ambient air temperature. They work using radiant heat which is directed downward and heats the surface immediately underneath the unit. So if your ambient temps are too low, an RHP will not help you

That's COMPLETELY wrong! Not sure if you ever even had a RHP, but RHPs are made exactly to provide ambient heat for an enclosure.

OP: If you need to raise your ambient temp in you PVC enclosure, RHPs are a great way to go. Just make sure they're hooked up to a thermostat.