RBI Rack Heat Tape Questions

Have you been able to maintain correct ambient temps?

It is rare a rack in a cool room can do so. Radiant heat does not heat air, heat tape is a radiant heat source. You ambient air temp and likely the cool side temp will sit only slightly above the apartment temps. This is usually too cool, so you should be looking at a more flexable caging system if you room temp is below the 74ºF. The tape isn't the issue, 4 inch will hold a 90F hot spot, 11 inch will do so too. The cool end will still not be heated, it will be close to the temp of the room. There is a idea among some vets that cool ambient temps are a factor in thermal burns. We also know ambient air temps are critical to thermal regulation, so much so there are people out there whom just use ambient temps, with no hot spot. This cannot work in reverse.

From a thermodynamics standpoint that doesn't make sense. When heat enters the system via a large heating element it doesn't simply remain at the floor of the tub. Energy will equilibrate to cooler areas and in an insulated system using plastic tubs and pvc it will hold ambient temps great. Again, I have used temp guns and quality thermometers to support this.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

In my last email with RBI they said that they couldn't customize because they would have to change the computer aided drawing specs for the rack. Feels like I'm getting the run-around. Definitely not what I expected from my first experience with this highly touted company. I was going to order from Beeger Boxes but there is a giant mess going on with them currently. Where to go now?

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Why don't you try "C serpents "? I don't know if they customize but they have a similar rack. I believe it's the v70. Talk to Chris. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

From a thermodynamics standpoint that doesn't make sense. When heat enters the system via a large heating element it doesn't simply remain at the floor of the tub. Energy will equilibrate to cooler areas and in an insulated system using plastic tubs and pvc it will hold ambient temps great. Again, I have used temp guns and quality thermometers to support this.

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Then why are you complaining that a company wont stop their production line to build you a one off custom rack?
Either find a custom builder OR build it yourself.
Belly heat is nothing more than that, a warmer spot than the flood area around it.
Sometimes experience gets better results.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

From a thermodynamics standpoint that doesn't make sense. When heat enters the system via a large heating element it doesn't simply remain at the floor of the tub. Energy will equilibrate to cooler areas and in an insulated system using plastic tubs and pvc it will hold ambient temps great. Again, I have used temp guns and quality thermometers to support this.

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It is a radiant heat source. Not a convection. heat enters heats what ever object it points at and that it turn heats the air associated with it. A plastic tub has no mass or density to hold and carry that heat so there is a massive amount of heat loss. The rack have very poor insulation so it too losses heat faster than it can be added with such an inefficient heat source. It is like trying to heat a swimming pool with an aquarium heater. It looses heat faster than it can be added. UTHs do not effect air temps to any significant degree. One or two maybe possibly 3-5 if you add heavy stones and such but generally they don't make a significant difference to air. this is why radiant heat sources are used in rinks they heat the people but don't increase the temperature of the air in a significant way.

Temp guns cannot measure air. My rack runs in a room temp of 68ºF I have 11w flexwatt and hold a stable 90ºf in the tub. the base air temp is only 70ºF, I add 2ºF to the air. that is in a 1/2 inch PVCx fully enclosed rack. Anyone with an enclosure in a cool room and just a UTH and nothing else will say the same thing the air is too cold.

Production line? Come on. This is not Ford motor company churning out racks. Most of these companies maintain a small staff and build orders as they come through. I would gladly build my own rack, like I have in the past, but I don't have time. Im going to order from Beeger Boxes and wait for the shipping.

Also, have you never see a radiator heating element in an older apartment building? As the coils heat up its not transferring heat energy to you via the floor or any physical object. Its heating the AIR. Just like a heat pad heating up a small insulated tub. With the correct size heating element you can maintain ambient temps just fine. Sheesh.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Production line? Come on. This is not Ford motor company churning out racks. Most of these companies maintain a small staff and build orders as they come through. I would gladly build my own rack, like I have in the past, but I don't have time. Im going to order from Beeger Boxes and wait for the shipping.

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Actually those of us that produce products for public sale have many things set in place for production.
I wouldn't change my holster design for anyone, Why? because that's the way I do things.
Its not all about you, why change what works for the company?

That's fine. The main issue I have is that RBI details in their heating information section that 1/4 to 1/3 of the floor space must be covered by a heating element. If you calculate the area of the 41 qt tub floor space and the area that 4" heat tape would cover it works out to around 11% coverage. As I said previously, why recommend one thing, and then refuse to sell a product that comes close to the appropriate dimensions?

I find it hard to believe thay I'm being selfish or narcissistic by wanting a product created to the standards that the company THEMSELVES set.

A radiator and radiant heat are not the same. one is a scientific term the other is type of heater that actually uses convection heating.

Again the same point remains UTH type heaters don't heat air well. If they did they would dramatically change the relative humidity and they don't. Racks primary rely on the room temp for the background temp. There is little provision to add a secondary heater in a off the shelf unit it takes a custom designed and build rack to add something like a tube heater.