Aluminum Foil Tape Conducting Electricity

Using Duct Tape is a horrible idea. It's not resistant to heat like foil tape. Foil tape is meant to take high temperatures. Duct tape is asking for a huge mess as the adhesive is going to be all gooey and will shift your flexwatt position on the rack.

I use electrical tape to cover all exposed areas on my flexwatt and open wires, then use the foil tape to secure the flex down to the rack. Voila! No 'live' connection between the flex and the foil tape.

Good point, maybe electrical tape is the best solution. But two small pieces of duct tape to secure a probe doesn't create any more of a gooey mess than electrical tape, and I've never had it shift off the flexwatt after about 2 years of use now... Works great for me.

i use liquid electrical tape on the soldered areas, duct tape to hold it down, nothing moving for around 4 years now.

Not that it wouldn't be one heck of a chain of events, but since it was already brought up.... I see the foil being more of a problem on a rack that is not metal. as said before metal racks are normally grounded, therefore if the foil is energized, breaker blows instantly and no one is hurt. On a non conductive rack, if the foil is energized, it could be you or a snake crawling back there that completes the path. Again, don't think I wouldn't worry about it, takes one heck of a chain of events for that to happen.

I use duct tape just because I hate working with foil tape and see nothing wrong with duct tape. Holds my flexwatt and probes on my back heated racks just fine.

Foil tape would only be a problem if you have open circuits on your flexwatt. If you do the issue is not foil tape but with the person whom should never should have been working with wiring in the first place. Flexwatt once wired and complete should be well insulated and there should be no exposed wires anywhere. Foil tape or any other tape will make no difference as long as it is rated to beyond the max possible flexwatt temps.

this is why I'd not suggest duct tape. It is typically rated to 130ºF max. I tested my flexwatt to max at 160-170º I would stick to tapes that are rated to over 200ºF just in case. Overheated burned snakes are horrible and tragic but a burned down house is worse.

I would suggest that visual inspection of flexwatt is critical, I do mine every cleaning. I untapped each section and check it very carefully once a month during the regular cleaning. (it also allows my to disinfect the rack body at the same time) I'd also suggest with flexwatt in particular a fail safe t-stat is an important safety addition to any set up.