Fully Enclosed Snake Racks?

[greg.s]

ok guys if you look above i made this rough sketch for what i was thinking to enclose a snake rack with 2x4s and pallet boards. I was thinking a panel type or oil based heater for the section that has the heater but i am concerned about fire.

this is not to scale! its a rough draft and i suck at drawing but i hope it helps you help me.

as you can see there is a door to help hold in heat.

i was thinking of building this around the large 5 drawer open side design from animal plastics. (i wouldn't mind a female cause they get huge)

any thoughts, potential hazards or opinions welcome .

Thanks

[KMG]

ok guys if you look above i made this rough sketch for what i was thinking to enclose a snake rack with 2x4s and pallet boards. I was thinking a panel type or oil based heater for the section that has the heater but i am concerned about fire.

this is not to scale! its a rough draft and i suck at drawing but i hope it helps you help me.

as you can see there is a door to help hold in heat.

i was thinking of building this around the large 5 drawer open side design from animal plastics. (i wouldn't mind a female cause they get huge)

any thoughts, potential hazards or opinions welcome .

Thanks

Building a box around the rack would work and I think a RHP on the side like that would be a nice thing to have. I'm in Texas and like it cold. The economy rack I have from Animal Plastics would not work at the temps my house is usually at.

With the RHP on a tstat I would also add some led lights on a timer to give them some kind of cycle. I know it is not needed but I just personally do not like leaving animals without any light. Even at night I have some blue led bulbs in a lamp on a timer to put off some light. It would be a cheap thing to add.

[KMG]

Thinking about it I think if I were you I would reach out ProProducts and tell them what you are planning and get their suggestions on not just the size of RHP you should get but stand offs and such. I am sure if anybody would know it would be them and they could steer you in the right direction. I know they are behind on production so you could talk to them about a timeline too. I have several RHPs and the ProProducts are the thinnest, which I believe would work, and look, best for your application. They are also THE rhp when you start talking to reptile keepers.

https://pro-products.com/pro-heat/

[greg.s]

thanks KMG, I will check that out, do you think the heat panels they have can keep up with temps like this:

summer time 68-73 degrees F

winter 58-66 F

i like it cold to here in Louisiana and don't like to run the heater much.

The LED light isn't a bad idea.

My concerns were if it i needed enough space away from combustibles if i decided to use an oil based heater instead of a heat panel you mount on the wall or a Radiant Heat Panel from a reptile place. it seems if it is marketed for something with scales is cost more vs something else that does the same thing for normal stuff.

also if it would work of course and actually keep in heat.

so

1. not a safety hazard for fire or the animals
2. it actually works.

do yo think i need to put gaps between the pallet board slats (air flow) or should is it ok if i keep them tight or minimally spaced?

thanks

[greg.s]

https://www.acehardware.com/departme...59?store=14373

not sure if something like this is ok for what im trying to do or not as far as safety is concerned, it has a thermostat on it so idk if need a different one to attach to it or not.

[KMG]

For such a small space I wouldn't use an oil filled heater. That's what I use to heat my entire snake room. It's overkill for sure.

ProProducts is made for animals and are the safest out there. Read up on them. They will not burn, are thin, and produce even heat instead of a heated center like some others.

I would have a gap as an air exchange. Or maybe a vent down a side.

[Bleh]

Sounds like you're looking to create a heat box that can achieve a state of thermal equilibrium?

I'm finding this thread quite interesting as I have intentions of building a new system myself soon enough.

I currently have 3 out of 5 in an upcycled chest of drawers converted with glass sliding doors but am considering constructing a unit of ten!

Good luck OP, I'll continue watching this thread with interest.

[bcr229]

For such a small space I wouldn't use an oil filled heater. That's what I use to heat my entire snake room. It's overkill for sure.

I agree. Look for something like a 200-250W "personal heater" that office workers put under their desks/cubes. They're designed for very small spaces and you could run it on its own on/off t-stat.

[sp0420]

I live in Chicago and have no problems with open racks (ars 5040 hybrid w/ herpstat 2) even in January with old single pane glass windows. I find the belly heat with I think 20% ventilation keeps the tubs adequately heated. I might have to bump temps up a couple degrees and then back down in the spring. There's a window next to my racks and in the winter I tape a 1 inch thick piece of Styrofoam insulation to the inside of the window. I've seen someone use that on the sides of their rack on a post here before to keep rack temps up in their basement. You might also consider a pvc rack system that has closed back and sides. However I find those types of racks are inconsistent in Temps on individual levels because usually one piece of heat tape is used to run heat through the entire rack. If you do go diy I would suggest using one strip of heat tape for each level don't just snake one through the entire rack. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Sean

[Jamiekerk]

Been thinking about something similar my self and was thinking. Of making something using the pax wardrobe system, if I get round to it I may draw something up on cad.


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