1/2 heat

I have some sterilite 28qt tubs and am tryng to decide which to go with. Should I do a single row of 4", 2 rows of 4" side by side, or 1 row of 11" heat tape? The tubs are 23 inches in length.

Enough to cover 1/4 of the bottom of the tub. Some people go with 1/3, it really depends. 1/2 is much too much.

So do you think that a single row of 4" would be enough?

I'm not sure if the different widths have an easier time getting hot, but I can't get the temps in my tub high enough just using 4" flexwatt. I can set my helix to 100 and the probe right on the tape only gets to 94. The temps inside the tubs only get to 84.

I've ordered some 11" stuff so I can try it out.

I currently have some zoo med UTH's under my tubs and without hooking up the tstat they get the area above them to about 94. If I hook up the tstat I can't get it that hot. Maybe there is something wrong with my helix. I should note that I couldn't get it hot enough using a ranco tstat either.

Heating is SOO much fun!

using tubs without a rack are hard to get the heat right.
especially with tubs that dont have a flat bottom.
perhaps try covering part of the sides of the tub with some alum duct tape

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Originally Posted by RyanGSP

So do you think that a single row of 4" would be enough?

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For a 28 quart tub in an enclosed rack, 4" is sufficient. We have at least a dozen 32 quart Boaphile Rhino Raxx in use and that's all they have and it works fine.

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Originally Posted by wax32

I'm not sure if the different widths have an easier time getting hot, but I can't get the temps in my tub high enough just using 4" flexwatt. I can set my helix to 100 and the probe right on the tape only gets to 94. The temps inside the tubs only get to 84.

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Wax, I recently had a t-stat fail on one of my 32 quart Boaphile RR and the heat was running non-stop. The temp was over 130 degress inside the tub. Based on that experience, I think you should be able to get the temps up high enough inside your tubs with one strip of 4" flexwatt. Good luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Louis Kirkland

Wax, I recently had a t-stat fail on one of my 32 quart Boaphile RR and the heat was running non-stop. The temp was over 130 degress inside the tub. Based on that experience, I think you should be able to get the temps up high enough inside your tubs with one strip of 4" flexwatt. Good luck.

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I'm beginning to think it's because my tubs aren't in an enclosed rack. My "rack" is one of those shelving units from lowes, the shelves aren't solid so heat goes downward too.

You can see the shelf under the tub...
http://www.wax32.com/balls/gear/121808_0207.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wax32

I'm beginning to think it's because my tubs aren't in an enclosed rack. My "rack" is one of those shelving units from lowes, the shelves aren't solid so heat goes downward too.

You can see the shelf under the tub...
http://www.wax32.com/balls/gear/121808_0207.jpg

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I'm sure you're right that the tub not being in an enclosed rack is a contributing factor to your problem. The fact that the tub is sitting on a wire shelf is probably your biggest problem. If you placed something solid (i.e., a sheet of wood, metal, plastic, etc.) underneath the tub it would probably help considerably. If you added a section of Reflectix insulation beneath the flexwatt that should improve things even more.