suggestions for adding belly heat

[AdamF]

I have a 24" wide, by 36" deep rack already with back heat. I want to add belly heat, without taking it apart. Any video's or suggestions? Can I simply install belly heat and tap into the existing wiring, or is best to wire the belly heat separately?

[don15681]

I would wire it separate. you also want to protect the heat tape (flexwatt) from your tub sliding across it. the plastic is very thin and can be damage quickly. I was thinking one time of making racks with belly heat. I was thinking of using roof flashing over the heat tape to protect it from the sliding tub. its thin will transfer heat and you can buy it in a few different sizes at lowes or home depot. just something for you to think about.

[AdamF]

I would wire it separate. you also want to protect the heat tape (flexwatt) from your tub sliding across it. the plastic is very thin and can be damage quickly. I was thinking one time of making racks with belly heat. I was thinking of using roof flashing over the heat tape to protect it from the sliding tub. its thin will transfer heat and you can buy it in a few different sizes at lowes or home depot. just something for you to think about.

I have aluminum HVAC tape for that reason, just hard to reach all the way in.
Guess i have to frill holes on outside for wiring

[Coleslaw007]

I am actually in about the same boat, a rack I have is wired with heat cable and I want to modify it to use heat tape as I don't feel that it would produce enough heat for my snakes health.

Where is the best place to order the heart tape? Should you order it pre-cut?

Then do you drill homes into the back/sides to wire it through and then attach the wires individually inside the shelves?

Can anyone give pics on how they did this?


Sorry to hijack your thread, I didn't want to start another so similar and liken the chances of one of us not getting answers and thought maybe my ?'s might help.

Thanks!

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[AdamF]

I am actually in about the same boat, a rack I have is wired with heat cable and I want to modify it to use heat tape as I don't feel that it would produce enough heat for my snakes health.

Where is the best place to order the heart tape? Should you order it pre-cut?

Then do you drill homes into the back/sides to wire it through and then attach the wires individually inside the shelves?

Can anyone give pics on how they did this?


Sorry to hijack your thread, I didn't want to start another so similar and liken the chances of one of us not getting answers and thought maybe my ?'s might help.

Thanks!

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2

Glad you hijacked! Exactly what I was needing answered!

[Coleslaw007]

Lol but darn, we still get answers. Guess I didn't help TOO much lol

[satomi325]

I originally had a back heat rack, but the flexwatt ran 118 degrees to reach 90 tub temps due to it only affecting the ambient temperature. It's dangerous for flexwatt to run over 100 so I added belly heat to my racks. I already had holes pre-drilled into the back of the rack just in case I ever wanted belly heat. Anyway, I just cut my flexwatt and soldered a separate electrical cord to it (x6 since there are 6 shelves on my rack). I covered all of the exposed wires/connections w/electrical tape, then taped the whole piece of flexwatt down to the rack shelf.
I have 6 cords coming out the back of the rack and into a power strip that is attached to the thermostat. I feel much safer using belly heat. The flexwatt runs in the high 90s to reach 90 tub temps.

It's best to wire separately from the back heat because the flexwatt sizes are different and take different watts. If you use belly heat on the same wire as the back heat, they're both going to put out different temperatures.

Where is the best place to order the heart tape? Should you order it pre-cut?

http://reptilebasics.com/
They can cut and pre-wire the pieces for you as long as you include it in the final order instructions.

Then do you drill holes into the back/sides to wire it through and then attach the wires individually inside the shelves?

Yes. I drilled holes in the back of each shelf for the cords to come through. I wired the flexwatt first, then put the cord through the back. It's easier than wiring inside the shelves? (I think that's what you asked??)

[satomi325]

Can anyone give pics on how they did this?

You can see my old back heat is still installed, just disconnected.
And my new belly heat is right on the bottom. Instead of the typical 4'' flexwatt going right across the entire bottom, I used 6'' of 11'' inch flexwatt in a corner.

[Coleslaw007]

I had always been under the impression that you would have say 6 pieces of heat tape and you would have one piece per shelf and on each side of each piece of heat tape you would solder one wire from each side of an extension cord and then solder the other end of each wire to the ends of the heat tape on the next shelf with the bottom piece of heat tape having the part of the cord that you actually plug in?

I really hope that made sense lol.




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[satomi325]

I had always been under the impression that you would have say 6 pieces of heat tape and you would have one piece per shelf and on each side of each piece of heat tape you would solder one wire from each side of an extension cord and then solder the other end of each wire to the ends of the heat tape on the next shelf with the bottom piece of heat tape having the part of the cord that you actually plug in?

I really hope that made sense lol.




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That was a little difficult to read.

Do you mean like this?
http://www.herpcenter.com/reptile-ar...arallel1lg.gif


If so, you can wire up flexwatt like that, but I personally prefer not to do so. If I were ever to stop using a certain shelf, that piece of flexwatt would still be running because it's connected to the rest of the other flexwatt. I would rather turn off unused flexwatt. And it's just easier for me to disconnect one piece of flexwatt w/ it's own individual cord.
It's all just a matter of preference.