Installing THG Heat Tape Under 3/4" Melamine?

Hey, how's it goin' folks!?
I am in the process of building a few new snake enclosures with 3/4" melamine and I am wondering if the THG Heat Tape will create a properly heated surface if it is installed underneath the 3/4" melamine bottom of the enclosures. I have seen people on Youtube do it that way, which would be much easier (and cheaper) than installing it inside of the enclosure. And, not to mention, it would be MUCH easier to replace if ever need be! I just want to be absolutely certain that it will heat properly before I move forward. I assume that I would definitely have to run my thermostats at a much higher temperature than usual to reach the desired internal temperature, yeah?


Have any of you ever done it this way before and if so, how is it working for you?

~ Aedryan

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

Hey, how's it goin' folks!?
I am in the process of building a few new snake enclosures with 3/4" melamine and I am wondering if the THG Heat Tape will create a properly heated surface if it is installed underneath the 3/4" melamine bottom of the enclosures. I have seen people on Youtube do it that way, which would be much easier (and cheaper) than installing it inside of the enclosure. And, not to mention, it would be MUCH easier to replace if ever need be! I just want to be absolutely certain that it will heat properly before I move forward. I assume that I would definitely have to run my thermostats at a much higher temperature than usual to reach the desired internal temperature, yeah?


Have any of you ever done it this way before and if so, how is it working for you?

~ Aedryan

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So what I was told when I asked this question was yes it is ok on the bottom outside, but it will take forever to heat up, but it will also take forever to cool off.

I ended up going with a PVC rack so I dont have any data on how it performs.

This is 100% just a thought. I've never seen it done, and am not sure if it's practical. But figured I'd bounce it out there and see what you thought...

Would it be possible to put the tape inside, then cover it with a thin Plexi? It could be siliconed to stay in place as well as keep the tape clean and dry.
If the tape ever needed to be replaced the Plexi could just be cut out with a razor knife and re-siliconed.

Again, just a thought with no hands on experience.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

This is 100% just a thought. I've never seen it done, and am not sure if it's practical. But figured I'd bounce it out there and see what you thought...

Would it be possible to put the tape inside, then cover it with a thin Plexi? It could be siliconed to stay in place as well as keep the tape clean and dry.
If the tape ever needed to be replaced the Plexi could just be cut out with a razor knife and re-siliconed.

Again, just a thought with no hands on experience.

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That is the alternative that a lot of people use. Not with plexi-glass, but with laminated bathroom panel board or similar. Personally, I don't want to commit to that if I don't have to, because if the heat tape would ever need to be replaced, it would be a huge pain. And, not to mention, if pi$$ or water managed to seep past the caulking, there would be huge problems. It would also add about $14.00 to the cost of each enclosure and i'm building several. I would LOVE to use PVC, because it is MUCH lighter and easier to work with than melamine, but these are larger enclosures, which require 2 sheets per enclosure. At $80.00 per sheet for PVC, that would get very expensive for multiple enclosures... :( I'm getting melamine for about $32.00 per sheet right now...

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

That is the alternative that a lot of people use. Not with plexi-glass, but with laminated bathroom panel board or similar. Personally, I don't want to commit to that if I don't have to, because if the heat tape would ever need to be replaced, it would be a huge pain. And, not to mention, if pi$$ or water managed to seep past the caulking, there would be huge problems. It would also add about $14.00 to the cost of each enclosure and i'm building several. I would LOVE to use PVC, because it is MUCH lighter and easier to work with than melamine, but these are larger enclosures, which require 2 sheets per enclosure. At $80.00 per sheet for PVC, that would get very expensive for multiple enclosures... :( I'm getting melamine for about $32.00 per sheet right now...

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I hear ya. I've been wanting to build my own stack of PVC display enclosures, but I can't justify the cost per sheet. Not yet anyway.

And again, I'm just thinking here, but my vision was just a simple, thick bead of silicone around the perimeter of the Plexi. (Oh, and I'm thinking of aquarium silicone) I feel like it would...
a) soften the edge of the Plexi by covering sharp edges
B) be water tight
C) would be easy to just cut the silicone with a razor if they needed to be removed. I've cut that material in the past and it actually comes up easy.

Again, just a thought and if I'm repeating myself because I'm not exactly sure how to explain it I apologize, hahaha.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

I hear ya. I've been wanting to build my own stack of PVC display enclosures, but I can't justify the cost per sheet. Not yet anyway.

And again, I'm just thinking here, but my vision was just a simple, thick bead of silicone around the perimeter of the Plexi. (Oh, and I'm thinking of aquarium silicone) I feel like it would...
a) soften the edge of the Plexi by covering sharp edges
B) be water tight
C) would be easy to just cut the silicone with a razor if they needed to be removed. I've cut that material in the past and it actually comes up easy.

Again, just a thought and if I'm repeating myself because I'm not exactly sure how to explain it I apologize, hahaha.

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When this is done do you put plexi across the whole bottom? Or just above the heat tape?

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Originally Posted by sur3fir3

When this is done do you put plexi across the whole bottom? Or just above the heat tape?

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Not too sure since it's just a brainstorm. But I'm guessing just a large enough piece to cover the tape would be sufficient. I'd probably want to cover the whole "hot spot" though I think???

I dunno, but I have a 2'x2'x2' that I would love to do this on

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Originally Posted by sur3fir3

I dunno, but I have a 2'x2'x2' that I would love to do this on

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It seems like it would work to me, but like I said, I've never actually done it.

There are heat mats on the market that are designed to be used in the enclosure. I have several of the Intellitemp brand and they work fine for snakes that aren't too active, though I did have a retic destroy one playing with it:
https://www.bigappleherp.com/collect...tile-heat-mats

If you're looking for something more durable, Kane heat mats are designed for outdoor use in dog houses, or in barns for baby lambs, piglets, goats, etc. so they are very durable. They come in a wide variety of lengths and widths so they are very durable. You can find them on Amazon. The only thing I don't like about them is that they are solid/inflexible; they are rigid plastic.