Heat tape and rack questions...

[sorraia]

My husband and I are preparing to get a rack built this week, and I'm finishing up looking at plans and instructions so I can get it all drawn out and then we can start building!

First question: Does there have to be some kind of gap in the back or sides of the rack?
I'm noticing a lot of pictures of racks show an open back or sides. I don't know if this is just how they were built for simplicity, or if this is required for something like ventilation. I do see where a gap of some kind is useful for running wires, and will incorporate this into our design, but if it is not needed for ventilation, I would like to make it otherwise solid and enclosed.

Second question: Is there any one brand of heat tape better than another?
I see flexwatt heat tape recommended a lot (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Flex-Watt-Heat-Tape), but while searching I also found something similar from Reptile Basics (http://www.reptilebasics.com/heat-tape). They look to be the same thing, but I want to make sure before I purchase something and then regret it.

We are planning to build our rack from melamine, and it will be built to accommodate the 41qt tubs we are using while still fitting in the space we have available for it. I'll use a space heater in that room if necessary to get the right ambient temperatures, and then the heat tape under the tubs themselves. We are currently using a hydrofarm thermostat, but are planning to invest in the more expensive proportional thermostats as we get this rack built. I think we'll also invest in additional dimmers or thermostats as back-up, just to be on the safe side.

So my third question: Is there something I'm forgetting or should consider?

[Zombie]

My husband and I are preparing to get a rack built this week, and I'm finishing up looking at plans and instructions so I can get it all drawn out and then we can start building!

First question: Does there have to be some kind of gap in the back or sides of the rack?
I'm noticing a lot of pictures of racks show an open back or sides. I don't know if this is just how they were built for simplicity, or if this is required for something like ventilation. I do see where a gap of some kind is useful for running wires, and will incorporate this into our design, but if it is not needed for ventilation, I would like to make it otherwise solid and enclosed.

Second question: Is there any one brand of heat tape better than another?
I see flexwatt heat tape recommended a lot (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Flex-Watt-Heat-Tape), but while searching I also found something similar from Reptile Basics (http://www.reptilebasics.com/heat-tape). They look to be the same thing, but I want to make sure before I purchase something and then regret it.

We are planning to build our rack from melamine, and it will be built to accommodate the 41qt tubs we are using while still fitting in the space we have available for it. I'll use a space heater in that room if necessary to get the right ambient temperatures, and then the heat tape under the tubs themselves. We are currently using a hydrofarm thermostat, but are planning to invest in the more expensive proportional thermostats as we get this rack built. I think we'll also invest in additional dimmers or thermostats as back-up, just to be on the safe side.

So my third question: Is there something I'm forgetting or should consider?

#1: no, you usually see open sides and back on racks to save money. This style needs room temps warmer. An enclosed sides and back rack will maintain heat better.

#2: Those heat tapes are the same thing. I recommend getting them from reptile basics

#3: I personally wouldn't use a hydrofarm tstat on a rack. It's good for a temporary tstat on a heat pad but not good for racks IMO. Do yourself a favor to avoid future headaches, buy a good tstat like VE, Helix, Herpstat, or even a ranco

[The Serpent Merchant]

#2: Those heat tapes are the same thing. I recommend getting them from reptile basics

They are very similar and both will work great, but you cannot use both on the same rack/thermostat now that Reptile basics uses their own sizes/wattages that are different than other heat tape brands.

I too highly recommend Reptile basics

[sorraia]

Thanks for the replies! If neither one of those heat tapes is better than the other, I'll go with Reptile Basics. That way I can order more hides at the same time. Found out they'll also be at the expo I plan to go to, so maybe I can buy everything at the same time there and save on shipping!

My next still will have to be researching the different thermostats. I definitely don't want to use the hydrofarm on the rack. It works for the UTH set-up I have right now, but I want a good proportional t-stat. These animals deserve the best.

[Zombie]

They are very similar and both will work great, but you cannot use both on the same rack/thermostat now that Reptile basics uses their own sizes/wattages that are different than other heat tape brands.

I too highly recommend Reptile basics

I should have clarified this ^^^

Thanks!

[kitedemon]

Flexwatt is made by a company called calorique their products are carried by reptile basics and big apple and most other firms as well. For the most part they all have the same product it doesn't matter where it comes from.

[kitedemon]

Web site for calorique radient heat products.

http://www.calorique.com/about/index.html

[Reptilebasics]

Thought I would step in here to explain something new we are doing.

For quite some time now I have been selling the CALORIQUE heat tape. There really has not been much of any choice available to us here in the USA other than that. A couple of months back we started to roll out a new choice. I teamed up with the guys at Pro Exotics / The Reptile Report on this awhile back and we have our own new brand. The THG tape I am now selling is a result of this team effort. I have toyed with this project for a couple of years and hundreds of hours of research, samples and tests. After quite a bit of looking around we narrowed it down to a couple of manufacturers that we liked. Both of them had great element but one of them left me pretty nervous about supply capability but the other became a clear winner. They could supply us with a top quality and consistent product, as much of it as we could ever want and in a timely manner. So here we are with a new heat element!

Function on the old and the new are really very similar. We spent (PE and I) quite a bit of time tinkering with the wattage density, the determining factor for actual surface temp of the element if just plugged in without control. While our wattages are a little different than the old product- a little lower- our temp target was between 110-120F in a 72F room without anything on the element. Basically open air on a table. While this can vary a bit we hit it pretty good so the actual wattage number was not that critical, just that it fell into the range we wanted. It will get warmer than that under an insulator, like a tub, and will also vary depending on how much heat the table surface is soaking up. Bottom line though is it falls naturally in a reptile friendly range without being run wide open all the time! USE A THERMOSTAT!!! I don't like hearing about cooked heat tape or animals!!

The new element is made from a slightly different laminate material. As soon as you touch it you can feel the difference. It is slightly more rigid (but still easily turns corners, so it lays flatter on the shelf and stays that way easier. It does not hold the curl from the roll as you get close to the core either- it WANTS to be flat! The copper buss bars on the edges are larger for better electrical contact with the element. It also uses a sliver paste to enhance this contact and provides less resistance between the element "bars" and the copper. This is nice stuff.

Now that real reptile people are involved in the manufacture and design of this type of element some neat things are also possible. THG will be rolling out a new 6" wide element in the next couple of months. Once we get past the holidays we will do our final round of testing on the actual 6" element and it will go into production. This is a big deal for the reptile community, especially BP folks- it offers a great choice for the 41 qt. tub family! The wattage density will be right on with the 4" so while it will not have a higher surface temp it will give you the ability to add more heat to a tub without getting carried away with the 11"/12" element. I have personally wanted this for years . A 20" will be next. Again- all with wattages set up around what we use it for in this hobby, not hi-jacked from something else.

Also soon to show up on the website will be the new connection setup. It is less costly, stronger and lower profile than the good old AMP style alligator clips we have been using forever. No more fat plastic insulators that are over priced. The new THG element also is a bit easier to solder to for the DIY crowd as well. Over the next few weeks we are putting up some DIY soldering instructions and conventional connection instructions as well. Something else I have wanted to get done for awhile but with the new element being worked on I decided to hold off.

As always- No matter where you buy - practice safe heating!!!! Have a safe and happy New Year!

[sorraia]

Excellent information, thank you Rich!!!

[Zombie]

Sounds good Rich! Keep up the good work