heat tape

why is it i always have issues with my heat tape now it isnt getting hot. its all plugged in and everything is connected but still isnt getting hot. now what to do:rage:

it really won't feel hot to the touch if thats how you're trying to test it. are all of your connections clamped on correctly? you may also want to see if you plug something else in where youre plugging the heat tape in and make sure the outlet works

i have it plugged into my thermostat and its on and its losing temp as i type this out its down from 89 to 82 in about 15 minutes so its not working for some reason i just aint figured it out yet.

When using thermostats, the heat source must be same length,width and wattage. Other wise one piece will be hot while other is luke warm.

So its heating up and then loses its heat and you can't get it back up? if thats the case it may not be your heat tape but your thermostat or the probe placement. is the thermostat probe pretty secure?

i just have a 5 shelf rack with 1 continuous piece of 3 inch heat tape running off a digital thermostat

so its back heat i'm assuming (i'm just trying to think of how its set up). I'd still say check all of your connections, that the tape is clamped properly (though i don't think it would have heated up at all if it weren't clamped on right) and make sure your thermostat is working (i'd maybe test with a light or something that you can visually see plugged into one of the available outlets on the thermostat).

What kind of t-stat is it? And did the tape work before (you said that you're always having issues with it)?

Sorry for all the questions lol. i'm bored and I just want to help.

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Originally Posted by lk_holla

so its back heat i'm assuming (i'm just trying to think of how its set up). I'd still say check all of your connections, that the tape is clamped properly (though i don't think it would have heated up at all if it weren't clamped on right) and make sure your thermostat is working (i'd maybe test with a light or something that you can visually see plugged into one of the available outlets on the thermostat).

What kind of t-stat is it? And did the tape work before (you said that you're always having issues with it)?

Sorry for all the questions lol. i'm bored and I just want to help.

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yea when i first got it from reptile basics he put it together for me and when i built my rack i put it on and as i was moving it one of the clamps came off but i got it put back on and it has worked fine then as i was sitting here i started noticing the humidity wasnt up since there is no water on the side of the tubs. i use a cheaper tstat hydrafarm but it has worked with no problems. it has belly heat. it has worked for the past several months with no problems and all of a sudden it juist quits on me.

Make sure you really have the connections good. One of my heat tapes wasn't working until I clamped the teeth harder into the tape.

hm. i feel like heat tape is typically pretty durable; i've had the same ones for 2 years now and they work fine. but you may just have a lemon :/. like Jessica said, maybe trying to clamp a little tighter and double check your tstat is still working okay, and if that doesn't help then it may be kaput.

how to reclamp the metal part while the plastic part is still on it

I always suggest soldering flexwatt over clips. Last longer and you get a much faster even heating.

Also make sure the differential on thermostat is set to 1 if you can change it.

well i had it already put together when i ordered it off reptilebasics.com when i was moving the rack the cord got hung and it easily came off and i was able to put it back on and it has worked fine for the past couple of months so it wasnt anything they did it was my fault it came off to begin with but i had to move out of my moms house about a month ago and i moved in with my inlaws and in the process of moving it i guess it came loose again now i cant get it to raclamp back on and the temps have dropped from 89 to 77 in a matter of 2 hours so i am freaking out trying to get it to clamp back on and i have to tried to use a pair of vice grips to clamp but no luck so can i take the plastic piece off and clamp it then put the plastic piece back on? :mad:

Yes just UNPLUG IT FIRST!!!

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

Yes just UNPLUG IT FIRST!!!

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yea i noticed that when i was trying to put it back on there a little zap always gets the blood a pumpin.

awww finally the temp starting to rise again :D

WOOT!!!! LOL, be careful!!!