Back or Belly Heat???

[Herman63]

Hello,

I will be ordering a rack and wondering pros and cons of back or belly heat?

Thank you in advance, Herman

[SlitherinSisters]

Personally, I hate back heat. I have belly heat and back heat racks. If your house/room stays warm enough and is a constant temp back heat is fine, but if the temps fluctuate you will constantly be adjusting the back heat racks. We don't have central AC in our house so the summer is a constant battle of adjusting the back heat racks. The belly heat racks basically never need adjusted even with my fluctuating house temps. I really hate that I have to set the back heat flexwatt so high, we're talking 116 degrees sometimes, that doesn't make me happy. Setting my belly heat temps at 92 and getting the temps I want, that makes me happy. 92 isn't scary, 116 is.

[4theSNAKElady]

I would think that belly heat would be more efficient than back heat, since heat rises. I personally prefer belly heat.

sent from my incubator

[grcforce327]

These terms have been used for a long time now,but why? "Belly heat" refers to the snakes belly,but back heat refers to the back of the rack! It should be called "bottom and back" heat, referring to the rack,or "belly and side" heat if you are referring to the snake!

I prefer bottom heat that heats the belly.

[satomi325]

It depends on your ambient room temps.
Back heat is easier if you can maintain room temps high enough. If your house is cooler, belly heat is more effective and safer.
Back heat uses more power since it's heating up the air compared to belly, which is creating a specific hot spot.


Back heat is only easier if your ambient temps are around 77-80+. Since it's heating up the air, the actual flexwatt is hotter than if you were doing belly heat.
It's not effective if your room temps are low.

I used back heat for a while. I loved it, but the flexwatt had to maintain 120 degrees in order to get a 90 degree hot side and 80 cool side in the tub. My room temp was 70-75. Flexwatt isn't designed to safely run over 100-105 degrees, so I wasn't comfortable with that hazard. I switched the belly heat, and the flexwatt runs at 98 degrees to achieve a 90 degree hot spot and 80 cool side.


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[sho220]

I'd only go back heat for a hatchling rack...

[EAC Reptiles]

I prefer to have belly heat. Belly heat is much more controllable in my opinion. Also with having both kinds of racks, I have noticed that the back heat rack requires a higher thermostat setting to maintain the temp I want in that rack. In my hatchling rack, using sterelite shoebox containers, I have back heat and my thermostat is set to 98. That setting will make my hot side of the tub 89-90. Now on the larger racks that contain belly heat, my thermostat is set to 93 to maintain the 89-90.

This is what has worked for me, and I know most people are going to say to go with belly heat. Keep us posted as to what you purchase.