New Cool Side Heating idea!

[AdamF]

I have been trying to figure out a way to warm up the cool side of my rack system, in a room with ambient temps between 65 (winter) and 73 (summer)

My rack (which use to be 3 sided, but that wont work anymore), has 12" UTH FW which i will likely set for 92.

The suggestions have been:
-Oil filled heater-dont want to heat a whole room, and use that much electric
-Keep room temp at 80-Since my office and snake room are 1, this too is not practical, and with price of my heating oil...
-Portable heater-Possible, but not fan of those without tstat

So my 17 year old suggested this:

Cover the shelf (including the FW) with sheet metal. Since it will conduct heat, the portion not directly over the FW, will absorb some of that heat! It works! Snakes will now have a cool spot around 77 at the coolest point!

Feedback??

[Andybill]

Hey I was always taught improvise adapt and overcome. If it works well, why not?

[Izzys Keeper]

I have been trying to figure out a way to warm up the cool side of my rack system, in a room with ambient temps between 65 (winter) and 73 (summer)

My rack (which use to be 3 sided, but that wont work anymore), has 12" UTH FW which i will likely set for 92.

The suggestions have been:
-Oil filled heater-dont want to heat a whole room, and use that much electric
-Keep room temp at 80-Since my office and snake room are 1, this too is not practical, and with price of my heating oil...
-Portable heater-Possible, but not fan of those without tstat

So my 17 year old suggested this:

Cover the shelf (including the FW) with sheet metal. Since it will conduct heat, the portion not directly over the FW, will absorb some of that heat! It works! Snakes will now have a cool spot around 77 at the coolest point!

Feedback??

I dont know. I think it will work to some extent but not to the degree you are expecting. Just remember were talking temps lover then our body temperature. By the time the little bit of heat transfers down the metal it probably will dissipate into the air. Like i said it might work for a few inches but i doubt it will transfer all the way down the tub.

Just my thoughts anyway

[kitedemon]

If it works it doesn't matter. i would question what it will do if the temps alter but in theory the t-stat will flutter the temps so that should compensate. What are the ambient air temps? Are they very different from the room?

77 is still low I don't like mine being that cool I shoot for 78-9 if I can and 80º is best.

[Gio]

Hey Kitedemon,

are you suggesting mid tank and cool side stay at the same temp?

I have somewhat of a 3 level temp zone in our tank. 91-93 on the hot side, 81 mid tank and 76-78 on the cool side furthest away. Is it better to just have the mid tank and cool side the same? I'm not really trying to set 3 zones, it just worked out that way.

The snake has been eating well and did make the transition to F/T right away.

I'm a day away from a change in setup. I'll have a Herpstat II hooked up and my heat lamp will move to center tank from the hot side which has an undersized UTH there now. The old UTH will be replaced with a correctly sized UTH and both the light and UTH will be regulated by the stat.

Anyhow, cool side and mid tank same temp??? Or,,,, just a few clicks different??

[kitedemon]

No, but in a rack or tub really 3 zones is next to impossible there is only a 5 or 6 inches of height and there is no way to get more than cool and ambient together. It usually takes height and size to develop a multi zone systems.

[BPLuvr]

So my 17 year old suggested this:

Cover the shelf (including the FW) with sheet metal. Since it will conduct heat, the portion not directly over the FW, will absorb some of that heat! It works! Snakes will now have a cool spot around 77 at the coolest point!

Feedback??

My opinion is it won't. You can try an easy test of it by using something like aluminum foil unless you have the sheet metal available. The reason being is since your cool side will be absorbing heat it means your warm side will need to dissipate some. So to keep 92 on the hot side (you will most likely need a higher setting if using substrate such as aspen or cypress) the FW will either need to run non-stop (if using on-off t-stat) or run very warm 100+ to get the cool side up to 77 in a 65 degree room.

You mention not being able to use 3 sided for a rack? I was going to suggest if it was 3 sided you could mount a piece of FW (controlled by another stat) on the wall of the cool side or two if the warm side was the back and the cool side was the front open area.

I use this Lasko Heater but I do heat the room. If you didn't want to heat the room you could use a Ranco Thermostat with the probe at the front of the rack and plug the heater (any style even oil filled) into the power strip. That should allow you to heat the immediate area around the rack.

[kitedemon]

OP did you say it is working or you think it will work?

[WingedWolfPsion]

I draped a human heating blanket over the rack we have in a cool room. Works great.

We're also planning to cover our racks with thick blue foam board insulation, to help cut back on costs this winter.

[AdamF]

My opinion is it won't. You can try an easy test of it by using something like aluminum foil unless you have the sheet metal available. The reason being is since your cool side will be absorbing heat it means your warm side will need to dissipate some. So to keep 92 on the hot side (you will most likely need a higher setting if using substrate such as aspen or cypress) the FW will either need to run non-stop (if using on-off t-stat) or run very warm 100+ to get the cool side up to 77 in a 65 degree room.

You mention not being able to use 3 sided for a rack? I was going to suggest if it was 3 sided you could mount a piece of FW (controlled by another stat) on the wall of the cool side or two if the warm side was the back and the cool side was the front open area.

I use this Lasko Heater but I do heat the room. If you didn't want to heat the room you could use a Ranco Thermostat with the probe at the front of the rack and plug the heater (any style even oil filled) into the power strip. That should allow you to heat the immediate area around the rack.

Wow! This idea may be even better. And, you must be using google earth on my house, as the rack i bought came with back heat and this exact ranco stat! I may deploy the oil heater later if this does not work, Yes I am using sheet metal, but i use newspaper as substrate.

Of course, this being my first rack job, i messed up the wiring/placement, and could not figure a good way to mount the FW in the front, leave the back heat, and have the tubs slide over the terminals on every removal/install

For 3 years, my Balls have been in the same room at maybe 62 at night, with 50W red heat bulbs for ambient temps, and and UTH set at 92. The lights go off at night, and the cool sides of have down to 71 at night

The snakes are doing very well, eating, pooping, shedding, paring (1st year)

It may be presumptuous to say, but perhaps the 80 degree cool side being a must is not uber critical, and they just find a way to thermo regulate based on conditions....As long as they can find their 90 ish spot