New rack w/ back heat... HELP!

So we just built our racks with back heat. They've been set up for almost 8 hours now and I was checking the temps. There's almost a 10 degree difference between the bottom rack and the top one. The top two shelves contain 15 qt racks. Those two don't have much of a difference between them, only a couple degrees.

http://www.acepythons.com/racks.html

There is the setup. How can I get the temps more stable throughout? My Helix thermostat is set at 110* ... on the 41 qt racks it's up to abotu 86* in back but at the bottom two it's only about 76*-77*.

Does it take a couple days for a new rack system's temps to even out?

(I don't want to add inhabitants to this rack if the temps aren't correct, so I'm bumping this)

Also, I let the racks sit overnight and I put a water bowl in the 2nd to bottom one and there was already one in one of the top ones. There is a temp/hygrometer in one of the top ones and it says 85 degrees hot spot and freakin 83 percent humidity. If i solder more holes in the sides, is that going to reduce the humidity, right? BUT won't that also reduce the temp?

I would switch to belly heat, but I really don't want to have to spend another $30 on new flexwatt when I've already spent over $400 building everything (including helix and flexwatt and whatnot). I mean don't get me wrong, I will if I have to!! But, $30 is $30 now days, ya know?

ANY help is GREATLY appreciated!!!!

What is your ambient room temp?

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Originally Posted by iCandiBallPythons

What is your ambient room temp?

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The room temp is 76 in there...it's the warmest room in the house. The air space around the small tubs is very high at 89* and the airspace around the 41qt tubs is 80*

My first suggestion would be to enclose the sides with something more insulating than pegboard. You can get some 1" foamboard at Home Depot/Lowes type stores for pretty cheap.

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Originally Posted by m00kfu

My first suggestion would be to enclose the sides with something more insulating than pegboard. You can get some 1" foamboard at Home Depot/Lowes type stores for pretty cheap.

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I agree. You are losing a lot of heat through the pegboard.

Thanks guys. I'll pick up some more solid board at the store today and see what happens.

Take the plunge and change to belly heat. You won't be sorry.

Jim Smith

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

Take the plunge and change to belly heat. You won't be sorry.

Jim Smith

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I was debatin that :) ... still might if I can't get these temps to stabilize. the bottom ones are just wayyyyy too low :(

I think I missed something somewhere... What is the material on all 3 sides of your rack? Can you please post a pic?

Think about it. Back heat doesn't radiate outward towards the tubs. Heat rises and most of the heat leaves the level you want to heat and escapes towards the next level. So, by the time you get to the top of 5 or 6 tubs, the bottom tub is going to be 10 degrees/or more cooler than the top few tubs. I've never seen how back heat can effectively work on any reptile rack.

Just my opinion,
Jim Smith

Here's my lil page I made to show the setups

http://www.acepythons.com/racks.html

There is pegboard on the sides of the tubs and then the back is a solid wood with the flexwatt taped onto it.

The top racks with the 15 qt tubs are actually working just fine, the temps are ok there. but the 41 qts are just not hot enough. Err well the top two are decent, but the bottom ones just can't seem to get it up there.

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

Think about it. Back heat doesn't radiate outward towards the tubs. Heat rises and most of the heat leaves the level you want to heat and escapes towards the next level. So, by the time you get to the top of 5 or 6 tubs, the bottom tub is going to be 10 degrees/or more cooler than the top few tubs. I've never seen how back heat can effectively work on any reptile rack.

Just my opinion,
Jim Smith

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The rack needs to be properly insulated for back heat to work. I've got racks using both back heat and belly heat, both work equally well for me.

I would deffinately cover the peg board.

Well either way I have to re-do it all anyway because I just read that I made a boo-boo with the flexwatt. I guess on the 11" you aren't supposed to cut through the black part like you can with the 3" and 4"?? So I think if I'm gonna re-do it I'll get the 3" from Big Apple and just do belly heat.

Hi,

You're not supposed to cut any of them through the black part as far as I know - that is the conductive heat element. :weirdface

The only difference with the 11" is that you cannot cut it in less than 12" lengths from what I recall. You might be able to just trim it back to a clear plastic section and reuse it?

You are supposed to cut thought the clear plastic gaps between them - and remember you need to use insulating tape over the ends of the contact strips down the sides before fixing it down with foil tape to prevent shorts and shocks. :gj:


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

You're not supposed to cut any of them through the black part as far as I know - that is the conductive heat element. :weirdface

The only difference with the 11" is that you cannot cut it in less than 12" lengths from what I recall. You might be able to just trim it back to a clear plastic section and reuse it?

You are supposed to cut thought the clear plastic gaps between them - and remember you need to use insulating tape over the ends of the contact strips down the sides before fixing it down with foil tape to prevent shorts and shocks. :gj:


dr del

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Yes I got high temp electrical tape and covered the ends. I've read quite a few places that you can cut the smaller stuff all the way through :O .. hmm, well I will keep in mind next time I'm putting the new stuff on. Gonna order it today. In fact right now :P .. Anyway, thanks for all your help guys! I'll re-do the flexwatt with belly heat and then give an update :)

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Originally Posted by AcePythons

Yes I got high temp electrical tape and covered the ends. I've read quite a few places that you can cut the smaller stuff all the way through :O .. hmm, well I will keep in mind next time I'm putting the new stuff on. Gonna order it today. In fact right now :P .. Anyway, thanks for all your help guys! I'll re-do the flexwatt with belly heat and then give an update :)

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If you cut any of the black lines running through the flextape, it's like cutting a wire. No electricity is going to pass through the cut area. So yes, you can cut the tape at the end of the run. No, you can't cut the tape to notch out the tape to clear a support anywhere in the area you want to heat. You also can't cut the side of the tape to make it thinner.

But with 3 inch tape you just run it to the edge of the shelf , cut it, tape the edge, install the electrical wires on the other end and you have heat.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

If I remember correctly, you can cut the 11" flexwatt anywhere you want. However, each one of the black lines you cut will no longer heat. Because of the way the 11" is designed, when you cut it, the last 3" or so of it will not heat, so it doesn't work very well when you cut it this way. You have to plan ahead so you either need an exactly even number of feet of flexwatt, or you can have the last 3" of it in some place that doesn't need the heat as much (like at the top of the rack).