Comparing Heating Methods

[skaplan86]

I understand the difference between using like a heat lamp and a UTH but what about the different types?

A CHE has the same effect as a lamp without the light? It still zaps humidity right? It doesn't have the UV components (should the animal need it) anything I missed? Are CHE best for ambient temps?

UTH provides belly heat while a lamp will be a bit more spot oriented...

My real question is what is the difference between Flexwatt and a UTH? Can flexwatt be used effectively the same way a UTH could? It seems to me like flexwatt is more versatile than a UTH but also more fragile.

I'm going to be setting up another enclosure for an incoming snake and have the time to really analyze how I'm going to set it up so I thought I might open what i feel is an interesting discussion

[Ginevive]

Flexwatt is pretty tough. It is made of a nice tough plastic. I like it also because it is thinner than a UTH pad. When I used UTHs, they were on rheostat dimmers; they were fine for my snake room, which was heated to a constant temperature. But if temps fluctuate a few degrees in a room, dimmers are not going to allow for that, the way that a proportional thermostat, such as a Helix, will. I am not sure if there's a thermostat that's designed to be both proportional, and also to be used safely with UTHs.

[truthsdeceit]

I have no experince with flexwatt but I can tell you about CHE's and zoomed UTH.

I use UTH on all my tanks and for the 20gal longs that's enough to heat them.
However I keep my red tail in a 40gal breeder and she has a UTH and a CHE. CHE's are like heat lamps but don't emit light, you got that right. BUT in my experince they DON'T zap humidity!!! yay. I originally was using a night bulb in my heat lamp but couldn't keep the humidity above 45%. I switched to a CHE and now it rides at 57% always sometime higher.

[skaplan86]

Interesting... is there any real advantage to having a true UTH over just flexwatt? Flexwatt seems a bit more forgiving and is a lot cheaper

[Argentra]

The main advantage to a UTH is that you don't have to worry about 'batches' having off-wattage. Nor do you have to worry about the wiring be secure and proper. Flexwatt most often comes without wires and if you don't get all that you need at once, another batch of the same size could give you different temperatures on the same thermostat. Flexwatt is fairly sturdy stuff, tho, and it's great when you need a bunch of heat sources (like with a rack).

CHEs are best for ambient temp boosts, since snakes do best with heat from below or overall heat from above as with a radiant heat panel. If you have the CHE far enough above the enclosure, humidity loss isn't as much of an issue but it still can sap the moisture. CHEs are best used with lizards or in rooms that stay pretty cold.

[bigballs]

a CHE and a heat bulb such as a red bulb or daylight bulb pretty much heat up the ambient temperature inside an enclosure and both types do not emit any UVB radiation although unlike the CHE, the bulbs will light up the enclosure in some way. i think mercury vapor bulbs emit heat, light and UVB but they are usually very strong and not necessarily needed/used with snakes.

i think that the UTH would be more spot oriented than a bulb or CHE because they can raise the ambient temperature of the entire enclosure where as UTHs only create a surface temperature for a basking spot and raise only the ambient temperature above it by a few degrees.

i think flexwatt and UTHs are pretty much the same thing and are used the same way with a thermostat.

if you have a room temperature that doesnt fluctuate too much and meets the low end of your snakes needs then just a UTH or flexwatt will do but if the room is too cold then you will need to raise the enclosure's temperature with a bulb or CHE, for example.

hope this helps.

[starmom]

Add a radiant heat panel to heating methods you're looking into
Here's Rich's FAQ on them: http://www.reptilebasics.com/Radiant...FAQ-sp-11.html

[skaplan86]

RHP's look really nice just a bit expensive. I'll probably see if I can get a deal on one at the reptile show I'm going to in January... Between that and some flexwatt, and a therm I should be able to set up a perfect enclosure for the boa I want to get...

[starmom]

If you use a RHP, you don't need flex watt.
I have 3 boas and all of their cages are heated using RHP's only

[simplechamp]

I've noticed that a CHE is much less efficient (puts out less heat per watt) than a regular or infrared lightbulb of equivalent wattage. I bought a 60W CHE to replace a 60W infrared bulb and had to take it back because it simply couldn't do the job, even when moved closer than the bulb was.