Has anyone tried building a deep rack with deep heat instead of width heat?

I notice most racks, including the deep ones use side to side (width) heat tape, instead of using heat tape that goes in the center up the depth.

I would think the latter would allow the snakes to sit on more of the tape, instead of some being lost to the sides, it would also help prevent the tub from rubbing over the heat tape and would allow tighter fitting sides on the tub setup. Mind that I am not suggesting this run all the way down the tub's length, but instead sits under it running 1/3 to 1/2 the tub length, so a 3' tub would have 1-1.5' of belly heat tape running under the center of the tub when slid back.

How would you have a cool side?

Jim Smith

There is an entire 1/2 to 2/3 of the tub that doesnt have heat tape under it.

I get what your saying...
but think about this, most racks are heated with one single heat cable, or flexwatt wired in parallel...
it would be kind of hard to do what your saying...

If you're building your own there is a chance you arent just going to use one strip for the entire thing, and instead 1 for each tub (with a CB70). Or am I wrong, do most people just loop their's through their whole setup, I would think that would be difficult with a solid rack like a melamine one.

many people either "loop" the heat tape, or heat cable.
(one big piece)
or wire in parallel... which would make it difficult to have the pad in front, with the cable sticking out pretty far...

in better words...

your tubs would be sitting on top of the heat cable/pad/tape, and the cords powering them... which isnt the best design...

i set each shelf on it own tape so Ican unplugged shelves that a are either not used or don't need heat (like for corns since they in a 86 degree room. )

I consdier such a heating setup but the problem I had would mean a lot of wiring to do.. that being a heave cable running down the back with ewach shelf having a tye in. as well as figuring out were the tape would be attached and to setting up so it would work with different tubs sizes) I think the best wa is along the back bottem of the shelf ( and to prevent direct contact would be to have a small groove cut to fit the heat source you use.) I also consider using a single piece for a rack but I run into the possible problem of the flex rubing between the wood and creating a short after time.
I had one piece burn up from pulling the tub in and out oall the time. and it was a lot easier to replace a single 3-4 foot shelf piece than and entire 24+ strip.( plus my luck I end up putting a screw were the tape have to go lol)

My first rack I built is like that. Surprisingly it works very well despite everything that was against me.

The rack holds 8 15q Tubs or 12 7q Tubs and 5 32q Tubs. It has 9 shelves total.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/9259/dscf6431.jpg


The top 4 shelves can hold either 2 15q Tubs each or 3 7q Tubs each and each has 24" of flexwatt.
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4371/dscf6433w.jpg


The bottom 5 shelves hold the 32q Tubs and each has 12" of Flexwatt.
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/4746/dscf6432c.jpg


Every shelf is plugged into 1 Herpstat set at 91 Degrees. The top shelf reads 93 and the bottom shelf reads 87. Not too bad for my first rack I built LOL.

Hope this helped. :)

the recomended thermal gradient is 90-94 degree to 80 degrees, and we are trying to do that over a span of 40 inches or something like that, put the tape in the middle and your only trying to do it over half that, it would be difficult.