Radiant Heat Panel Installation

I recently purchased a Reptile Basics 2'x3'x12" cage, RBI 18"x12" heat tape kit, 80 watt RBI RHP, and a Herpstat 6. We are upgrading from our Exo-Terra and can't wait to move our big boy into the new cage.

My question is, where should I mount the RHP?

Should I mount it over the heat tape to maximize the heat gradient from hot to cool side?

Should I mount it in the middle of the cage to equalize the heat dispersion throughout the cage?

Or something else I am not considering. Our thinking was that the 80 watt RHP with the proportional control of the Herpstat would give us sufficient, stable heat.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I don't run heat tape with my RHPs but I assume it works the same way. I found the heat generated from the RHP to be more than sufficient...but it doesnt hurt at all to use the tape as well.

I would mount the rhp over your heat tape on one side of the enclosure. Then take the thermostat probe that is hooked to the rhp and run it into the opposite (cool) side of the enclosure. Let it hang an inch from the bottom of the enclosure and set it to your desired ambient (not hotspot) temp. In a 68-71 -degree room this gives me a 90 degree hotspot under the rhp when I set the desired ambient to 80. Hope this makes sense. Everyone does it differently though.

Proportional will work just fine. I have used a pulse proportional VE-300 for six years flawlessly.

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Originally Posted by KevinK

I don't run heat tape with my RHPs but I assume it works the same way. I found the heat generated from the RHP to be more than sufficient...but it doesnt hurt at all to use the tape as well.

I would mount the rhp over your heat tape on one side of the enclosure. Then take the thermostat probe that is hooked to the rhp and run it into the opposite (cool) side of the enclosure. Let it hang an inch from the bottom of the enclosure and set it to your desired ambient (not hotspot) temp. In a 68-71 -degree room this gives me a 90 degree hotspot under the rhp when I set the desired ambient to 80. Hope this makes sense. Everyone does it differently though.

Proportional will work just fine. I have used a pulse proportional VE-300 for six years flawlessly.

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+1 here. I do something very similar and I use a heat mat as well as a RHP in all my pvc cages.

Only I keep the probe on the same side as the RHP. Make sure I get my hot side where I want it and the cool sides usually settle right in for me at least.

In one of my large enclosures I run a 88 watt RHP on the Cool side & set the Herpstat to 82. (This takes care if thhe ambient. The inside of the Cool Hide is 78-80 and the Hot Hide is UTH set to 91.5 on Herpstat and the inside of Hot Hide floor is 89-90 once regulated.


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