Back Heat

[AR29]

Does anyone currently use back heat for their boas and if so, how does it do for your snakes/would you recommend it to others?

I'm currently in the process of planning out setting up 12 new pvc cages that are stackable and I want to use ultratherm heat pads to provide the hot spot. I keep my snake room heated to 78, which keeps the ambient temps consistent all year round, which is why I don't want to use radiant heat panels. The ultratherms have also worked very well for me overall/have been reliable so I'm a fan of them.

My thought is, if I stack them and keep the ultratatherms on the back, it'll make it easier to get in there and manipulate the thermostat probes, etc., if I need to. I've only ever used belly heat tape in racks and have used pads underneath PVC, so I don't have experience with the back heat (I have heard others say positive things about it in racks through).

I appreciate any feedback anyone might have. All of my boas currently have belly heat.

[Malum Argenteum]

Other than replacing dead probes (fairly rare) why would you have to 'manipulate' them? A properly installed probe doesn't need any maintenance.

A probe on the bottom of a PVC enclosure could be accessed from the back, anyway, if it feeds in from the back. AP cages are grooved in from the back for the probe.

[bcr229]

I don't see back heat working well on a stack of PVC enclosures. I do have it in a rack and the heat tape is on the inside of the back wall of the rack so the heat is trapped in the rack. Heat tape attached to the back of an enclosure isn't going to efficiently warm up the enclosure; most of the heat will simply go into the air behind the enclosure.

[Bogertophis]

When I first glanced at this thread, I took "back heat" to be the opposite of "belly heat" (ie. overhead heat). But reading more closely, I have to agree with bcr229's post above. Not efficient.

[AR29]

I appreciate the feedback.

The enclosures I have do not have a recess for heat or probes, which is why i was curious about backheat.

I put pvc feet on the enclosures and was able to install everything well.