Safe Heating System for Snake Racks?

[Kesp]

Hi, guys.

I'm new to the forum and don't have a great deal of experience with them. I've searched for similar threads hoping to have my questions answered but I've been unable to find what I'm looking for.

I'm considering building some snake racks to house my collection. I've been looking into available heating elements and heat tape looks like a very good option. However, after doing my research it can get quite hot and so will need to be used with a thermostat. This is no problem, but my concern is the thermostat failing at any point. I live alone and work 8 hours a day, so if the thermostat fails while I'm out I don't want to risk cooking the animals or burning the house down.

If anyone can share their methods with me or any advice that would be much appreciated. Though I'm no stranger to keeping snakes, this will be the first time I've had a snake rack setup so I'm a bit of a newbie on the subject.

[Animallover3541]

Hi, guys.

I'm new to the forum and don't have a great deal of experience with them. I've searched for similar threads hoping to have my questions answered but I've been unable to find what I'm looking for.

I'm considering building some snake racks to house my collection. I've been looking into available heating elements and heat tape looks like a very good option. However, after doing my research it can get quite hot and so will need to be used with a thermostat. This is no problem, but my concern is the thermostat failing at any point. I live alone and work 8 hours a day, so if the thermostat fails while I'm out I don't want to risk cooking the animals or burning the house down.

If anyone can share their methods with me or any advice that would be much appreciated. Though I'm no stranger to keeping snakes, this will be the first time I've had a snake rack setup so I'm a bit of a newbie on the subject.

I am someone who is against racks for a couple different reasons (limited sizes for tubs, limited methods for heating, harder to provide enough hides, etc.). However, if you choose to go with this housing option, you can get a Spyderweb Herpstat that will allow you to monitor temperatures remotely. I just got a regular Herpstat 2 because they had some available on clearance. I haven't set mine up yet but it seems nice and most keepers recommend them. Also, here's their probe placement guide for their products: https://spyderrobotics.com/index.php...666c342f66b3b1

Personally, I really regret not buying a thermostat that disconnects power when it can't get temperature down BEFORE I got my snake, but I was 13 and didn't know. Luckily he never got any burns, but it was so scary having the thermostat probe get pushed aside and then ending up with a hot spot wayyyyy over 100F. I've been using a VE stat the last couple months that I got off of facebook marketplace and I haven't had any issues with it so far either.

[Homebody]

Hi, guys.

I'm new to the forum and don't have a great deal of experience with them. I've searched for similar threads hoping to have my questions answered but I've been unable to find what I'm looking for.

I'm considering building some snake racks to house my collection. I've been looking into available heating elements and heat tape looks like a very good option. However, after doing my research it can get quite hot and so will need to be used with a thermostat. This is no problem, but my concern is the thermostat failing at any point. I live alone and work 8 hours a day, so if the thermostat fails while I'm out I don't want to risk cooking the animals or burning the house down.

If anyone can share their methods with me or any advice that would be much appreciated. Though I'm no stranger to keeping snakes, this will be the first time I've had a snake rack setup so I'm a bit of a newbie on the subject.

From Reptile Basics Thermostat FAQ:

Safety backups - When and why they are needed

No matter how much you spend or what model/brand you get your thermostat CAN FAIL! A number of things can lead to this happening: power surges, children, overloading, rat chewing on a poorly placed probe, bad luck or karma, etc. BE READY, you can use a simple, less expensive thermostat as a back up. Odds of both failing at the same time are much, much less! In many cases this may not be needed, especially with the relay safety backup in the VE thermostats. If careful consideration is given to the maximum heat possible to a given cage or tub you may find it impossible to get to fatal temps. In smaller tubs, like 5-12 quart sizes, you may find that even with low wattage heat tape that your tubs could potentially reach fatal temps easily! With the VE-100 as your backup and either the VE-200 or VE-300 as your primary the units will stack for a very neat, organized appearance.

Most failures we hear about are actually not failures of the thermostat, but failures of the probe. Often a probe can be dislodged with constant moving of tubs in racks or in cages. Some thermostats can not differentiate between normal circumstances and when your heat element is not working properly. The Vivarium Electronics VE-300 model comes with a full set of alarms to de activate the heat ouput and sound a loud buzzer when there is an issue. For example- with most thermostats if the probe is dislodged from the heater the thermostat will simply turn up (or on) the power, never realizing the heat element has surpassed the set point. With the VE-300 and VE-300X2 if the setpoint is not reached for more than 30 continuous minutes the alarm will let you know- and shut off the power output!

[Malum Argenteum]

Herpstats are very, very reliable, though I cannot comment on the 'Spyderweb' web enabled models as I've not used that line. I use Herpstat 2 and 4 models. They have a number of build in safety shutoffs that guard against probes coming loose and probes failing and sending bad signals, and can be set to provide only a percentage of max power (so, if you have 20 watt per foot tape, but want it to max out at only 10 watts, the stat can be set to do that).

Using PVC for the rack adds another layer of safety, since PVC is self-extinguishing (unlike wood or "melamine").

Using real snake tubs (I use tubs from Vision, and recommend them highly) adds yet more safety, since they have smooth bottoms and so don't knock probes loose or wear on the heat tape nearly as much as Sterilite-type tubs (which I do use some of also, and like about 10% as much as the Vision tubs).

" With the VE-300 and VE-300X2 if the setpoint is not reached for more than 30 continuous minutes the alarm will let you know- and shut off the power output!" Yeah, the 300x2 foolishly shuts down both channels so all your snakes freeze. I had that happen once; I don't buy VE thermostats anymore.