Electrical problem in racks

[hungba]

Hi, I am having an electrical problem in my racks. I have spent days and days trying to figure this out, with the help of a lot of people, but can not find a solution. I have currently switched to whole room heating, but hoping someone will help me find a solution.

I discovered that when the rack heat tape is turned on, that when I pull the tubs out, and I touch the snake with one finger and run it along the snake, as in stroking the snake, I feel a "buzz" in the snake. Sort of like a vibrating mobile phone, but not as much. When I stop moving my finger, the buzz stops. When I touch the snake with my other hand as well, it stops. When I do it while not touching the floor, or when wearing shoes, I don't feel it as much, but still feel it. The tubs are pulled completely away from the heat tape. It is not the scales being bumpy. I can literally feel it and not feel it if I flip the switch of the electricity. I had a friend come over to confirm I was not crazy. Then I discovered this happened in my other rack too. I read online this happens a lot it seems on UK based reptile forums. We also have 220V electricity. On those forums, no solution/explanation is given, but someone just keeps saying "it's normal". The snakes do not seem to be bothered by this, but I don't think it is normal.

Someone suggested it may be electromagnetic induction, although I am not sure.

The racks are made of MELAMINE/wood, and tubs are plastic. Nothing that conducts electricity is touching the snakes at all.

I have tried the following with no success:

- Removing all foil tape, replacing it with painter's/masking tape.
- Plugging into another outlet in the house.
- replacing all extension cords
- getting brand new flexwatt and replacing everything
- removed dimmer switch that was there in addition to the thermostat.
- tried 5 different thermostats, 3 brand new.
- Tried plugging directly with no thermostat (for a test, not leaving it there).
- Bought commercial, ready made heat pads (like those made by zoo med, but not their brand), and tried it under the tubs, with the rack heat switched OFF. Tried 3 different brands. Same thing!
- Put brand new heat cable in the back instead for back heat.
- moved the rack to a different position in the house
- added surge protector
- turned off electrical appliances nearby the rack
- Wired an individual piece of brand new flexwatt, bought from a different store, and put it in the front of the tub to test.
- Checked all plugs and wiring connections associated with the racks.
- rewired brand new heat tape with higher rated electrical wires.

All to no avail. I have talked to many people and people have come to my house to check the racks and no one can find anything wrong with it, although they felt the problem as well. Basically, other than the space heater heating the entire room to a certain temperature, any heat tape, heat mats, heat cable, whether connected to the current wiring of the rack or not, I turn on and put under/behind the tubs are causing this.

The only thing I have not tried was to ground the flexwatt/rack. However, there is nothing to ground! Foil tape has been removed, the rack is melamine and tubs are plastic! Flexwatt only has two connections with nowhere to attach ground wire!

Some people suggested that there is something wrong with the electricity wiring in the building. All appliances, computers, etc. work normally. I do hope it is the cause though, because I am moving house in a month.

I have spend my entire Christmas holidays and a LOT of money trying to solve this to no avail. If anyone has any suggestions, ideas anything, please help me. In the meantime I am heating the room to an acceptable temperature with a space heater and fans to even out the temperature.