How to wire Flexwatt yourself

I put this up on my website and I figured I might as well post it here too since a lot of flexwatt questions get asked! It's complete with PLENTY of pictures :D


So you want to wire flexwatt?

Believe it or not, it's rather simple! I've made an easy guide with lots of pictures to help explain what I'm doing.

Step 1

The supplies: flexwatt, wire stripper/cutter, electrical tape, soldering iron, extension cord, soldering wire, optional=aluminum tape.

Make sure if you are making a rack system that you stay with the same size and wattage of flexwatt. I use 3 inch flexwatt, 3 feet long, and 10 watts/foot. It's important to keep them equal in length, width, and wattage. If you don't, your temperatures will fluctuate quite a bit.

*If you need to cut the flexwatt down to size DO NOT cut the black heat elements that run up and down between the sliver electrical strips.

*you'll probably have to order flexwatt online, I suggest buying it from a business so when you need more you know it's the exact same flexwatt.

*to use flexwatt you MUST use a thermostat or some sort of temperature controlling devise. If you don't you might as well put your snakes in the oven, flexwatt by itself gets far too hot and will cook your snakes.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/008-5.jpg


Step 2

Clip the "female" end of the extension cord off, you won't need it. Then pull the two extension wires apart.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/010-3.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/011-3.jpg


Step 3

Strip the plastic coating off the wire so you expose the copper wire inside. *Do this to both ends of both wires.

*only do this if you are connecting racks, otherwise only cut one end of both wires so you can plug the extension cord into your thermostat.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/012-2.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/013-3.jpg


Step 4

Now you need to wire your flexwatt! To do this you need to first expose the metal strip by melting the plastic covering them. Melt just enough to solder your wires to the strip. Be patient! I had to redo one side because I didn't wait for the soldering iron to heat up-I'm an impatient soul.

Once you've got that done it's time to do some actual soldering!!! It's relatively easy, and it doesn't need to be pretty, it just needs to make a connection and hold your wires on.

*I suggest soldering on something that won't matter if it gets burnt, a soldering iron can reach 550 degrees or more!
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/015-3.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/016-4.jpg


Step 5

Here's where your electrical tape comes in. You need to cover your soldering to prevent getting shocked or starting a fire, and to help hold your soldering in place. You also need to cover the other end of the flexwatt where the two silver electrical strips are exposed.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/020-5.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/019-1.jpg


Step 6

To connect your racks you need to solder your flexwatts together. Do not crisscross your wires, you want the right side of the flexwatt on top wired to the right side of the flexwatt below it, and so on... You can see this in the second picture. The bottom rack flexwatt is connected to the middle rack and also has the plug-in part of the extension cord which is plugged into the thermostat.

*Don't forget to cover your solder with electrical tape!

Step 6.5 (optional)

Cover your flexwatt with aluminum tape. This will help even out the temperatures and hold your flexwatt to the rack. Don't mess up with this tape, you have one shot to get it right, it's STICKY!!!
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...a/Isis/025.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Isis/024-1.jpg

Very useful info there thanks, I bought the clamps when I wired up my racks but the frugel need help too (I am frugel, just lazy LOL)

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Originally Posted by derrabe

Very useful info there thanks, I bought the clamps when I wired up my racks but the frugel need help too (I am frugel, just lazy LOL)

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LOL! I was going to call it "The frugal way" but I didn't want to insult anyone :D I'm very frugal and it's not that hard to do it yourself-surprisingly! I had never soldered in my life before this project!

Just thought I'd add that it's very easy to cut/strip away the plastic from the contact points on one side of the flexwatt if you'd rather not melt it. Call me weird, but I'm not a fan of having melted plastic on my soldering gun. :P

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Originally Posted by m00kfu

Just thought I'd add that it's very easy to cut/strip away the plastic from the contact points on one side of the flexwatt if you'd rather not melt it. Call me weird, but I'm not a fan of having melted plastic on my soldering gun. :P

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Oh jeez, I never thought of that! Oh well, I get lots of plastic on my soldering iron when I put holes in the tubs :D

They say don't cover the flexwatt With tape ! Not saying you did but it looks like you have covered it !

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Originally Posted by Haydenphoto

They say don't cover the flexwatt With tape ! Not saying you did but it looks like you have covered it !

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The only tape I use is electrical tape and aluminum tape, both have a high resistance to heat and won't melt with the amount of heat produced by flexwatt-at least not when controlled. From what I've read using these kinds of tape on flexwatt is safe. The aluminum tape allows the heat to dissipate, the problem with tape is when it traps the heat in one area. I've ran it like that for over a year now, I added a rack last week.

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Originally Posted by Isis

The only tape I use is electrical tape and aluminum tape, both have a high resistance to heat and won't melt with the amount of heat produced by flexwatt-at least not when controlled. From what I've read using these kinds of tape on flexwatt is safe. The aluminum tape allows the heat to dissipate, the problem with tape is when it traps the heat in one area. I've ran it like that for over a year now, I added a rack last week.

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I use the Aluminum tape to but only on the sides ! The flexwatt needs to have air ! When you cover it the heat will have no place to go ! The Aluminum is used for heating and air and will NOT dissipate the heat !