Flex Watt/thermostats question

[SlitherinSisters]

I'm been researching a lot and reading through the posts about flex watt. We get the keys to our house on friday and I plan to build a rack system within the next few weeks. I found the Melamine shelving in the size I want, long enough to hold four 6qt tubs. I plan to get enough flex watt to cover the shelf. I understand all the wiring and what not, but my question is.....

Once I get more snakes and need a second shelf for tubs and step up another flex watt system do I need two thermostats?

And how do you know all of your tubs are heated equally? Or do the flex watts do a really good job of distributing the heat?

[Krazy99CL]

-Depends on how you wire it. 1 plug for six pads? or 6 individual plugs?

*make sure you know the wattage per feet on the flexwatt and is within capacity of your thermostat.

Each level temps are not equal. Lower tubs are cooler than the the upper tubs.

Here is clip from RDR:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ouig7kXAFo
* check parts 1 and 2.

Hope this helps.

[muddoc]

Stephanie,
My best advice to you, would be to not make that rack any wider than three tubs, or you will have sag issues. I have two melamine racks that are 4 tubs wide, and have had them for three years now. They are sagging. As for the flexwatt, as long as you are using the same size (i.e. 3" or 4" flexwatt) and you cut the length equal, the temps should stay relatively close together (normally I have seen them within 2 degrees of each other from the top of the rack to the bottom). I hope that was of some help to you.

[SlitherinSisters]

Thanks for the help!!!! I didn't realize you didn't need a thermostat for all the selves. That's nice to know!

[mooingtricycle]

Thanks for the help!!!! I didn't realize you didn't need a thermostat for all the selves. That's nice to know!

a Tstat for all the shelves?

Not at all. You can also use Back heat too * not just on the shelf itself*, and use strips of flex (there are 3" 4" and 11" commonly used, but i think there is one or two other widths not 100% sure..) cut to fit the back of the rack you are using ( plus a little extra overlapping on the bottom to keep the bottom shelf from getting too cool)

you should only need one thermostat really. But again, depending on the wattage needs of the flex, and the rack itself would make a difference in that. And how you wire it. if each shelf has an indvidual plug, im going to imagine youll have a FUN time setting that up... * meaning dont do that!*


For wiring shelves with individual heat sources, check out Clay's website on how he hooks up his flex towards the bottom of the page. This, to me, is by far the best method in setting up your wiring. and simplest in terms of controlling the temperatures with one Stat.
http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/iri...ris_rack.shtml

[SlitherinSisters]

Thanks again!!! So is that just extention cord wire connecting the flex watts together?

I ordered a thermostat that can handle 500 watts. I'm assuming I could connect quite a few shelves of flex watt to that stat.

[mooingtricycle]

Thanks again!!! So is that just extention cord wire connecting the flex watts together?

I ordered a thermostat that can handle 500 watts. I'm assuming I could connect quite a few shelves of flex watt to that stat.

Just make sure you know the Wattage of the size flex you are getting. and youll be fine.

To my knowledge, these are the most widely available types of flex you can buy.

3" flex is 10 watts per foot.
11" is 20 watts per foot
4" is 8 watts per foot

Anyone can add on to that information, of course.

It seems to be wiring that was purchased from a hardware store. If you arent sure about wiring, you can email clay from his website, to ask him any information you might be interested in knowing. hes really helpful.

[Somed00d]

I found the Melamine shelving in the size I want, long enough to hold four 6qt tubs. I plan to get enough flex watt to cover the shelf.

Once I get more snakes and need a second shelf for tubs and step up another flex watt system do I need two thermostats?


And how do you know all of your tubs are heated equally? Or do the flex watts do a really good job of distributing the heat?

If you do 4 tubs wide make sure you have at least a vertical brace in the middle, I like to put one between each tub but its not totally necessary.

As for a second shelf, you can run the same thermostat as long as each shelf is setup the same. I run 5 levels off one thermostat probe, any higher I like to split it into 2 zones so that the bottom ones dont get too cool.

to check that your tubs are heated equally you should get an IR thermometer to check the temperatures in each tub. With flex-watt it is very consistant so there are not hot/cold spots. Heat tape can vary a few degrees in temps between batches at the factory so I would buy enough heat tape for both shelves at the same time that way you have it from the same batch.

Hope that makes sense I am in a hurry typing lol.

Richard

[Argentra]

Ok...

I have heard time and again that a temp gun is the greatest with a rack, and that you should use it regularly to check temps.
Well, I have a temp gun and I have a rack... but how in the world do you accurately check the temp in the tub with the tub pulled off the heat source??? Makes NO sense to me whatsoever. When you open the tub, you pull it off the heat. So whatever reading you got wouldn't be accurate.

Sorry to pull away from the OP topic...but that has always puzzled me. I want to get good readings on tub temps, and currently use Acurite thermometers in each tub, but can't figure out the temp gun use thing.

As for the original question, you shouldn't have any trouble using one t-stat for Many shelves. The problem would be if you didn't buy all the flexwatt at once. Different batches of the stuff can have different heating power, especially in the 11" width.

My suggestion with any rack would be to build it as large as you want it to be and wire it up with tubs, even if you won't have that many snakes. That way, you have tubs ready to go for future additions and all your flexwatt is the same.