Would pipe heat cable for houses work for reptiles?

[The Serpent Merchant]

This guy did it, but he took out the t-stat. It sounds like it might be a fire hazard though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPH6tbrnSmM

Google "pipe heat cable for reptile rack" and you get some hits, an for the most part it sounds a bit unsafe.

As an electrical engineer I would like to whole heartedly ask people not to do this, that is not safe. All it would take to start a fire is bump the dimmer up too far.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Everybody keeps reaming me out for only using a heat lamp because "ball pythons need belly heat"


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Heat lamps provide belly heat by heating whatever is under them, that includes the cage floor/substrate. Some people on here seem to think that heat lamps are bad. To be honest there are better heat sources out there, but Your cage design doesn't allow the use of them. Just stick with your heat lamp(s)

[Shera]

As an electrical engineer I would like to whole heartedly ask people not to do this, that is not safe. All it would take to start a fire is bump the dimmer up too far.

Yeah, honestly the guy giving the "tutorial" didn't look like an expert at all!

[dillymann]

Ok thanks for your input it helped out alot!


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[The Serpent Merchant]

Ok thanks for your input it helped out alot!


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No problem. I hope you can get your cage setup and ready to go without too many more headaches.

[dillymann]

It should be smooth sailing from here what would be better for doors sliding or ones that open like on the exo terra enclosures


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[The Serpent Merchant]

It should be smooth sailing from here what would be better for doors sliding or ones that open like on the exo terra enclosures


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Personally I prefer sliding doors. If done properly they can even be lifted out of their tracks to full access into the cage.

But either will work fine.

[Raven01]

We use this cable extensively where I work. It is not suitable for pet use.
I should add that the last underground fire we had was a direct result of pipe heating cables.

Maybe you technically speaking could use this if you have a thermostat like the Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics(set to proportional control) by no means should you use this. It was designed for a specific application and, isn't even great for that.

[dillymann]

Personally I prefer sliding doors. If done properly they can even be lifted out of their tracks to full access into the cage.

But either will work fine.

Im just worried that the space they have to fill is going to be too big


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[dillymann]

We use this cable extensively where I work. It is not suitable for pet use.
I should add that the last underground fire we had was a direct result of pipe heating cables.

Maybe you technically speaking could use this if you have a thermostat like the Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics(set to proportional control) by no means should you use this. It was designed for a specific application and, isn't even great for that.

Ok thanks for the info i thought it may work just because it had the built in t-stat


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