Quote Originally Posted by Twisted_Angel View Post
Thanks for all the replies. I have been reading other threads about RHPs because I am getting ready to place my order, but most of them keep repeating that Radiant Heat Panels do not raise the ambient temperature.

In the winter, the temperatures in the room they must stay in after quarantine can drop below the low 60s. Heating the room is not an option for multiple reasons. Considering the amount of money I am about to drop on these two enclosures, I want everything to work year-round, automatically, without any fuss. If RHPs cannot raise the ambient temperatures in the PVC cages 20+ degrees (if necessary), I need to go with something else. I don't like CHEs for multiple reasons but if I need that instead to deal with the ambient temps, I will have them put in the screen cutouts and find a way to deal with safety/humidity issues. Does anyone have any input?

Again, heating the room is not an option and the ambient temperature in the cages may at times have to be 20+ degrees higher than the rest of the room.
An RHP should do fine. You will probably want to go with a higher wattage one though to play it safe. A RHP is basically a "touch safe" CHE in panel form. If your room gets that cold in winter, you might want to think about a space heater for that room. I use RHPs in my cages now and will be using RHPs in the 3 AP T10s I just ordered as well but I keep my house around 75F so in my quarantine/glass tanks, I just run heat tape on one side and just ambient room temps. Of course its all controlled with Herpstats.

Also you might want to place a flat rock like a piece of slate or flagstone under the RHP off to the side a little to act as a heater too.

RHPs do heat the air, that is their main function really. They heat whatever is under them which in turn heats the air and they also heat the air itself just from their warmth. Generally with my RHPs, I just set the Herpstat probe on the cool side of the cage and set it for 80F/ Then let the warm side get to whatever, which is usually around 86F. Never had a problem in over 3 years. You don't have to give a hot spot of 90F as long as your ambient is around 86F. I'm not really sure where the whole 90F hotspot idea came from as both my boas pretty much hate anything over 88F and my BP only sits on her 88F for a few hours after eating. Rest of the time she spends in her cool side hide.