rack meltdown! please read

backup tstat or not please check those probes to make sure they are where you wanted them! just this morning i had a probe come off and i was rather lucky. i lost no snakes but i did melt 2 tubs through, toasted my flexawatt and shocked myself!


just everyone take note please check them probes as tape does come off from time to time!

wow man sorry to hear about that. Where was your probe?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nathanledet

wow man sorry to hear about that. Where was your probe?

---

it was on the flexawatt under a strip that rbi uses in their racks

What brand of thermostat were you using and was it proportional or on/off

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

What brand of thermostat were you using and was it proportional or on/off

---

I don't think brand makes a difference...a probe that gets moved will turn any t-stat on 100%..u know that tho :)

on another note...what kind of tape were you using? I've found that electrical tape is not very adhesive and comes undone with little effort. Foil tape, on the other hand, sticks well.

Mine aren't taped. I drilled a hole in the back and tie wrapped the cord. The probe lays against the flexwatt. Works great.

foil tape and you cant just tie it off on a belly heat rack.

i just want everyone to see this and keep it in mind.
i should of probally put this thread under caging

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nathanledet

I don't think brand makes a difference...a probe that gets moved will turn any t-stat on 100%..u know that tho :)

on another note...what kind of tape were you using? I've found that electrical tape is not very adhesive and comes undone with little effort. Foil tape, on the other hand, sticks well.

---

True.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nixer

foil tape

---

interesting. Perhaps I should take a deeper look into my tape methods.

I moved it into the Caging Forum for ya. So sorry that this happened to you, but VERY glad you didn't lose any animals!!!

I use 3/4" laminated MDF board and generally I drill will a 3/8" drill bit (or whatever would be snug for the probe you use) a slot that goes all the way from the rear to the middle of the flex watt. Then I resin the probe in place. It is a pain if you ever have to replace probes, but it is not going anywhere! Also it puts the probe under the flex watt so no chance of a tub hitting it or anything else for that matter.

Yep, I had a similar thing happen but I was there checking things when the darn thing came off. I had been using duct tape, but now I know better and I use Foil tape; that stuff sticks and sticks!

When I make my rack and display cages, I'll have a slot for the probe to sit in against the heat source so I won't have to worry even about foil tape.

Glad no snakes were hurt there!

Foil tape is where it's at if you want no surprises. That said, I still always visually check mine when I clean the tub that shares the space with the probe. :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by starmom

Foil tape is where it's at if you want no surprises. That said, I still always visually check mine when I clean the tub that shares the space with the probe. :gj:

---

other than the fact that i did use foil tape!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nixer

other than the fact that i did use foil tape!

---

Well my curious little mind is asking, How much?

I went back and checked my probe that's secured by foil tape and gave it a real hard tug and it's not moving anywhere. then again, our setups are totally different...the probe in my rack set up is in a 1/2" gap between the tub and the surface the tub sits on...so the tub never ever touches the probe...was your tub being constantly pushed over the tape and probe?

Sorry to hear about your melt down. Glad that your animals are ok!

I use foil tape and it doesn't stick worth a darn.
It's sticky but doesn't stick to my tub for more than a day. I've changed it several times and it doesn't make a bit of difference.

It does keep my probe onto my UTH but not my UTH to my tub.

OK Here's something I just thought of...

When I had a wooden rack, the foil tape was worthless...Now, the shelves in my rack are plastic and the foil tape is relentless... are you guys using foil tape with wood? If so...that makes me wonder.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nathanledet

OK Here's something I just thought of...
When I had a wooden rack, the foil tape was worthless...Now, the shelves in my rack are plastic and the foil tape is relentless... are you guys using foil tape with wood? If so...that makes me wonder.

---

Not me, with a Sterilite tub.

Hi,

Possibly caused by the type of plastic? I know over here some of the tubs I find are made of a plastic that feels kind of greasy almost.

You could try a hot glue gun and see if that sticks any better? Or roughen the surface with fine sandpaper maybe?


dr del

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nathanledet

on another note...what kind of tape were you using? I've found that electrical tape is not very adhesive and comes undone with little effort. Foil tape, on the other hand, sticks well.

---

Agreed! electrical tape is worthless. foil tape rocks though