burnt tubs?

Hi guys i have a home built snake rack using heat tape and tubs sterlite and flexwatt. but i noticed today that the tubs are melting where they are in contact with the tape. Can anyone recommend better tubs the heat temps are on par and i am using a thermostat

We use sterilite all the time. It is hard to envision 85 to 90 degree heat melting a tub. That would mean the tubs would melt on a hot summer day here in the south. You might want to check those temps again. This time use a different instrument because the one you are using may be wrong.

im using a tempgun ans i also have digital thermometers

It may be possible that the controller you are using allowed the temp to spike and melt the tub then return to normal. Sterilite tubs will not melt unless defective for some reason at 90 degrees. We have many many animals. All of them in sterelites and all of them on flexwatt. If we had ever even seen a sign that a tub was even pretending to get too hot the tubs would have been removed.

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Originally Posted by Donald M

im using a tempgun ans i also have digital thermometers

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So your not using a thermostat to regulate the temperature on the heat tape? Heat tape unregulated goes to 125*+

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Originally Posted by Tidus10

So your not using a thermostat to regulate the temperature on the heat tape? Heat tape unregulated goes to 125*+

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Yes sorry I missed the omission. Flex with out a regulator will climb to a point it will burn the animal and melt the tub. It needs a helix or herpstat to come under proper control.

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Originally Posted by Donald M

Hi guys i have a home built snake rack using heat tape and tubs sterlite and flexwatt. but i noticed today that the tubs are melting where they are in contact with the tape. Can anyone recommend better tubs the heat temps are on par and i am using a thermostat

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What kind and where is the probe?

A thermostat controls temps while a thermometer reads them so the question is do you have one of both?

If your tubs are melting this means either your T-stat does not work or allows heat spike, and in that case if the only thing that happens is your tubs being melted you will be lucky.

If your tubs are melting this means your animals are probably burnt if they were on that side.

Nothing to do with the tubs!

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Originally Posted by Donald M

Hi guys i have a home built snake rack using heat tape and tubs sterlite and flexwatt. but i noticed today that the tubs are melting where they are in contact with the tape. Can anyone recommend better tubs the heat temps are on par and i am using a thermostat

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What type of thermostat are you using?

I have tested my rubbermaid tubs with a wide open 4" inch tape for 2 hours to find the maxed out temps (empty tubs...) and I hit 140 or so and the tubs were hot but not burnt or melting. I'd guess that the tubs should be the least of your worries.

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Originally Posted by tonkatoyman

We use sterilite all the time. It is hard to envision 85 to 90 degree heat melting a tub.

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It's about all I use and there is no way a sterilite tub will melt under those temperatures.
I've tested them to over 120 degrees without melting them... :confused:

Holy moly, I would say something is wrong. If you are using a thermostat/rheostat, which I'm guessing you are if your temps aren't reading well over 100? If you are using a cheap thermostat it's definitely possible that it's not doing a good job keeping control of the temps, but I'm still not totally sure it would burn/melt your plastic. The melting point of most plastics is well over 200 degrees-that's why plastic dishes/tupperware doesn't melt in the microwave when you boil soup and other liquids.

Is it possible that your elements are exposed? I'm wondering if that's what happening since you have burning. I use really cheap tubs, we're talking 98 cents for the hatchlings and I've never had that happen. I also use those tubs over human heat pads to warm up f/t rats. My human heat pad gets up to 160+ at the hottest setting, if you put it on your skin you'll get a first degree burn! I've never had tubs burn or melt at that temp. The burning makes me think there is electrical issues, when you solder, 500+ degrees, the plastic doesn't burn, it melts.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

What kind and where is the probe?

A thermostat controls temps while a thermometer reads them so the question is do you have one of both?

If your tubs are melting this means either your T-stat does not work or allows heat spike, and in that case if the only thing that happens is your tubs being melted you will be lucky.

If your tubs are melting this means your animals are probably burnt if they were on that side.

Nothing to do with the tubs!

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I am using a ranco from reptile basics and I have the probe center of the flextape on the bottom of the rack and i have the temp set at 90 with a lower to 2degree dropoff and no the snakes arnt burnt i check temps every 5 of so hrs and they arnt acting werid and spend time on both sides mostly on the cool side. Plus i have nice sized bowls in the tubs to assure that they can just get into the water if the heat goes to high which it hasnt of yet accordding to my motioring

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Originally Posted by Donald M

I am using a ranco from reptile basics and I have the probe center of the flextape on the bottom of the rack and i have the temp set at 90 with a lower to 2degree dropoff and no the snakes arnt burnt i check temps every 5 of so hrs and they arnt acting werid and spend time on both sides mostly on the cool side. Plus i have nice sized bowls in the tubs to assure that they can just get into the water if the heat goes to high which it hasnt of yet accordding to my motioring

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Well there is an issue and until you figure it out you need to get your snakes out of there ASAP, if the plastic melts this means the temps are very high and obviously way beyond safe, you could lose your animals even worse your house if something is defective overheat and could possibly catch on fire.

Check each animal one by one, BP even if suffering from a burn would still spend time on the warm side and keep cooking if you let them.

This is a very serious!

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

Is it possible that your elements are exposed? I'm wondering if that's what happening since you have burning. I use really cheap tubs, we're talking 98 cents for the hatchlings and I've never had that happen. I also use those tubs over human heat pads to warm up f/t rats. My human heat pad gets up to 160+ at the hottest setting, if you put it on your skin you'll get a first degree burn! I've never had tubs burn or melt at that temp. The burning makes me think there is electrical issues, when you solder, 500+ degrees, the plastic doesn't burn, it melts.

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If the readings all check out sounds like that could be a reason and or you have the worlds worst TUBS :O .

Can you post pictures of the tubs?

ty for all the help I am currently replacing the the tubs but plz know I am aware of the danger of over heating and I have checked over and over temp on the tape and temp inside the tub on both sides I also have digital thermometers inside the tank that also measure both sides of the tank and hum The thermometers are visible outside the tank so I can constantly watch them. I also check all temps against each other with a temp gun without completely opening the tub so that i get a good read. All temps are safe and stable believe me I have put alot of money in this collection so I am aware. I have my flexwatt covered with foil tape and i have my clamps for the tape inside the clamp covers. The tubs are 24qt and sub is newspaper the hides are dead center so the snake is nowhere near the burn areas because they pulled the hides together. As for the element are you asking is the sliver strips directly in contact with the tubs? IF so the answer is no. If not plz explain what the element being exposed means TY :)

Hi,

Couple of things occur to me.

Have you visually inspected the flexwatt directly under the melted spot on the tubs?

When you put down the foil tape did you remember to seal the ends of the flexwatt with electrical tape?

Even running full power unchecked flexwatt shouldn't be able to reach the temps needed to melt the tubs so something is definately seriously wrong somewhere.

I suspect either rubbed/ damaged flexwatt or shorts from uninsulated conductors.

But at the temps needed to melt (not just deform ) the tubs there is almost certainly a serious fire risk and you want to get it looked at as soon as you can. :worry:


dr del

The flexwatt element is a carbon heat strip it is the black stuff bonded inside the plastic of the flexwatt. Photos might help. My tubs in the rack I have are scratched on the 'runners' and they have black residue from sliding over the eletrical tape here and there and try as I may I can't scrub it off.

The other thought is that the response time of cheaper digital thermometers is slower, just as a thought try pulling out a tub totally and use the ir gun to measure the flexwatt directly. Place the gun directly on the tape at an angle it can reflect and deliver grossly incorrect temps. Make sure to do so during the T-stats 'ON' cycle. Just to be sure.

If it is burnt I just can't come up with anything other than extreme heat at some point a failure in the flexwatt or T-stat.

issue resolved, after monitoring the temps i decided to take the fight to the tap itself, i removed the foil to find the tape pretty badly damaged, lucky i have backup tape i did shot the temp on the damaged tape and it was melting the tubs at 125 degrees i know this because there was fresh melting plastic to the foil. I have extra tape on hand so i am replacing it all and ordering more backup once again ty no harm came to any of the snakes and for some strange reason more luck than anything the temps inside the tubs stayed a safe levels ty 4 ur help i will continue to monitor after im finished

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Originally Posted by Donald M

issue resolved, after monitoring the temps i decided to take the fight to the tap itself, i removed the foil to find the tape pretty badly damaged, lucky i have backup tape i did shot the temp on the damaged tape and it was melting the tubs at 125 degrees i know this because there was fresh melting plastic to the foil. I have extra tape on hand so i am replacing it all and ordering more backup once again ty no harm came to any of the snakes and for some strange reason more luck than anything the temps inside the tubs stayed a safe levels ty 4 ur help i will continue to monitor after im finished

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glad you got it figured out and none of the snakes were harmed.


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