flexwatt heat.

[Gio]

My worth:

The short version:

• "Radiant heat energy is emitted from a warm element, such as a floor, wall or overhead panel, and warms people and other objects in rooms rather than directly heating the air."

The long version:

• "Radiant panels heat a room through thermal radiation rather than convection. That is, a radiant heat panel transmits energy as photons in the infrared section of the electromagnetic spectrum. On the other hand, a furnace or boiler transmits energy via thermal excitation of air molecules. Although the example is unrealistic, a radiant heat panel could work in the vacuum of space where other heating systems would not. A radiant ceiling panel does very little to warm the air, but will warm any object in its direct line of sight. Radiant heat panels usually operate between 150 to 170 degrees F, but can go as low as 85 degrees F or as high as 300 degrees F. The ideal temperature is a function of the room size as well as the panel's surface area and wattage."
  

Excellent post Eric!

This (your post) is what Evenstar, I believe was trying to convey in the first place. THEY DO NOT HEAT AIR.

However, the heat they put out can be refracted to heat the air, and there are variables that can make that happen more, or less.

When I purchased my panels, I was told I needed to give specific high/low temps of the room, I was told to insulate under the cages, and I was also encouraged to have a room heater to assist with ambient air temps. The Pro-Products guy wanted the size of the cages and the species being kept, so he could determine the proper panel.

I'm not about to go into all of the how's and why's the panels provide my enclosures with "jungle like" temps, as that's not important and this thread isn't about my caging.

Kali offered several suggestions to assist the OP with temps.

Her information stating that RHP's do not heat air directly is correct. The maker of the panels will also tell you that.

An example of this, is a snake basking in the sun. The outside (air) temp could be 65-70F, yet the area in direct sunlight is 80-90F. The air is cool, the place where direct heat is shining is warm. That is not an ambient temp, as the air is still 65-70 degrees.

Here are some of the how's/why's I said I wasn't going to get into. BTW, I'm not a heating and cooling expert.

I assume my overall enclosure heat is from the RHP heating objects like the cage sides, the substrate, the rocks, branches and other clutter within the cage. Then, because the enclosures are small and tailored to the panels or vice versa, the heat builds up over a period of time and heats the air INDIRECTLY and the ambient temps go up.

This is why when you start using a RHP, getting your temps spot on takes a little while as the generated heat needs to build up.

So in reality Evenstar is exactly right, it's just more easily understood the way Eric Alan posted it.

That said, you CAN heat an entire, quality enclosure with a panel.

I think the advice offered to the OP was very good, and I would not say a room space heater is a bad suggestion. IF there is too much worry about the heating situation and these suggestions don't work, my advice would be not to keep that species of reptile until you can provide the proper environment.

People here try to help, and ALL options are given in some instances because it's not always easy to determine the exact situation another person has.

I have certainly found benefit from being offered several solutions to a problem and then hand picking the one that worked best. Sometimes trial and error is required.

Anyhow, I think Evenstar successfully keeping a HEALTHY collection of 40+ snakes that include lots of BC's, a carpet, some royals and god knows what else says a lot. Chances are she's run into her own heating/cooling crisis over the years and has solved the problems.

Hopefully, the OP is not discouraged by the train wreck this thread has become.

[Eric Alan]

Excellent post Eric!

So in reality Evenstar is exactly right, it's just more easily understood the way Eric Alan posted it.

I can't take the credit for the information, but I can take credit for being the best Google searcher in the West. It's amazing how much information is available at your fingertips if you just take the time to look for it (and have a clue about the information you're looking for before you get started).

Hopefully, the OP is not discouraged by the train wreck this thread has become.

This x 1000%. Information overload can be dangerously overwhelming, but keeping these amazing animals doesn't need to be as complicated as some attempt to make it out to be.

OP - if you were able to wade through all of this information and still have questions, you're still in the right place to ask. Please don't hesitate to do so.

[Evenstar]

I can't take the credit for the information, but I can take credit for being the best Google searcher in the West. It's amazing how much information is available at your fingertips if you just take the time to look for it (and have a clue about the information you're looking for before you get started).

This x 1000%. Information overload can be dangerously overwhelming, but keeping these amazing animals doesn't need to be as complicated as some attempt to make it out to be.

OP - if you were able to wade through all of this information and still have questions, you're still in the right place to ask. Please don't hesitate to do so.

I totally agree with this. I appreciate you outlining everything so clearly and being so helpful with this Eric. Gio is correct - this is exactly what I was trying to convey.

I will add that the idea of a space heater is still an alternative. An RHP, as I said originally, is certainly not a bad idea - not at all. The space heater is simply a different way of doing things and is also not wrong or unnecessary. I do have some concerns that an RHP will provide adequate heating if the room temps are only around 60. That is quite low for boas. But it could work - it all depends on your caging and the wattage of the unit. I would suggest to the OP that if you decide that is the way you want to go, give a shout to Rich at Reptile Basics, or talk to the folks at Pro-Products, to ensure you get the right unit for the job.