Problem with first rack

So last week my father and I built my 6 tub 41qt sterilite rack. It's heated by (6) pieces of 12" wide THG heat tape. They are all wired together in a single circuit. The problem is that the tape isn't heating up at all. I've got a herpstat 1 on it and it's like the tape isn't getting power at all. The connections are all good because we tested with the little red/black volt meter. Any ideas?

It has to be a poor connection some where. Did you use the little 'rivets' things they tote? I personally am not confident a martha stewart punch eyelet is going to make a good eletrical connection. When you check conductivity did you check the wire to the opposite end of the bus bar?

Excuse the id10t question you have checked it with a thermometer to be sure it is heating just not hot with your hand?

I bought the eyelet fastener kits with my heat tape. All firmly crimped onto the correct place on the copper strips. All 12 of the connections are good. I didn't have an actual thermometer as my snakes/equipment are at my place and the rack was built and tested at my dad's house. But the Herpstat 1 probe that is well secured to the tape is only reading room temps. There is NO heat coming from this tape. Pops is gonna check it out tonight.

What is the herpstat reading?


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I had to redo one connection on my tape because it was soldered to the plastic instead of the metal. Once I found the faulty connection, everything ran smooth.

Plug the tape directly into the wall to see if it heats up (and check each piece). It's unlikely that the issue is the stat, but never assume.

My Herpstat is set at 92 and is reading just the room temp 68-72. I know all my connections are good. Very solidly crimped into place with the rivets. If I were to test each strip I would almost have to remove the back of the rack, and cut all my connections just wire nut them onto the test cord. We'll see what happens. It was such a pretty rack. Why couldn't it just work right ? :confusd:

Is the herpstat set to cooling or heating?

The THG people recommend soldering first and if you are unable to do so then the rivets. Assuming you have the herpstat set in the default setting and that you have tried directly plugging the tape into the wall and still nothing . This leaves a bad connection somewhere. I guess you mean these 'rivets' http://www.marthastewart.com/286713/...rojects#215353

I would not trust them personally a rivet system sure but not a little eyelet thing. I would suggest soldering the product or re do the rivets with real rivets made of solid copper.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware...=3,41306,41327

It is not wise to have a rack built in such a way that it is not very easy to remove the heat source. Assuming you plan on monthly disinfecting the rack tubs and body you will need to remove it once a moth anyway, the big downside of a rack they are very hard to clean and disinfect.