Heat tape problems

[dylanjwicklund]

What an I suppose to clean exactly? And what's tin? I've just never heard those used before

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[PitOnTheProwl]

The buss bars are what you should be soldering to (thick copper strips that are down the sides of the heat tape).

I usually use me soldering iron to remove the plastic off of it.
Tinning is building up a little solder on your iron, I also do it on the buss bars and wire.
Then its just a matter of combining together without overheating your tape and melting the plastic off of the other side.

[Bcycling]

I'm guessing the same. I would suspect that the connection if bad because u didn't remove the plastic.

[dylanjwicklund]

I did peel the plastic back amd Saudered to the copper line but it is hard to get them to stay some times

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[PitOnTheProwl]

I did peel the plastic back amd Saudered to the copper line but it is hard to get them to stay some times

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Then you are not cleaning or heating enough. What solder are you using?
Pull a couple youtube videos on soldering.

[Bcycling]

I scrape the plastic away a bit with a utility knife. Then I use my soldering gun to burn the rest away. You have to be careful not burn the heat tape. When you are down to bare metal it sticks good