Plastic tub warping

[Kerimac]

I got a plastic tote for my new set up and the bottom is warping from the heating mat underneath. Any recommendations on a good plastic tote that will work? Thanks!

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[jmcrook]

No UTH that’s properly regulated by a thermostat should ever become hot enough to warp a plastic tub. Are you not using a thermostat?



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[Kerimac]

I am using a thermostat. The plastic tub is kind of flimsy though. I was wondering what everyone was using. This one is made by Hefty. I just placed an order for a Sterilite one that I saw was recommended by a couple of people on other forums and will use a smaller heat pad. I will keep this one as an extra just to use when I am cleaning. I have the thermostat set on 93.

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[Faith.luu]

When I was using a plastic tub I got the same result. The thicker the plastic the better. I used a flimsy one as well, and go the same result. Definitely not because of how hot it was(the mat itself was even set to 28 degrees and it still did this) The heat mat was also temperature regulated, and I had half an inch of airflow between the plastic and heat mat, and then one inch between the heat mat to the table top. It didn’t warp significantly, but I found that the bottom on one side would cave in slightly(similar to when you put too much weight onto a plastic lid and it bends slightly) Just make sure your tub is made of sturdier/thicker plastic.

If the change is significant, or if certain spots of the bottom of the container is thinner, than that would mean your heat mat is either too hot, or too close to the plastic.

Also, 93 is the maximum it should be, so if your temperature controller fluctuates a degree or 2 up or down, then I would set it to a degree or two lower.

[bcr229]

I am using a thermostat. The plastic tub is kind of flimsy though. I was wondering what everyone was using. This one is made by Hefty. I just placed an order for a Sterilite one that I saw was recommended by a couple of people on other forums and will use a smaller heat pad. I will keep this one as an extra just to use when I am cleaning. I have the thermostat set on 93.

Just because the thermostat is set at 93*F does not mean that the heat tape is 93*F. There can be hot and cool spots on the heat tape, or if you have a lot of air around the probe, have attached tape to it, or it even fell out because you moved the rack or tub, it can cause the probe to falsely read low which makes the appliance overheat.

If you get a temperature gun or IR point thermometer and measure the temperature of the floor of the plastic tub over the heat tape, what does the thermometer say?

[Kerimac]

I have a temp gun as well. You are correct, some spots are reading higher than others. Outside of his hide, it's only reading at 88, inside his hide, it's reading at 91.

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[RickyNY]

Just to be sure. You are not reading temp over substrate, right? Like bcr said, measure over heat tape at the tote's floor. That means you're moving the substrate to the side to reach the bottom plastic.

[Charles8088]

Out of curiosity, which UTH are you using?

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[bcr229]

Just to be sure. You are not reading temp over substrate, right? Like bcr said, measure over heat tape at the tote's floor. That means you're moving the substrate to the side to reach the bottom plastic.

Good point. This also includes newspaper as substrate because if it's not weighted down you can get a very thin air gap between the paper and the tub floor, which means the paper will be cooler than the plastic.

[Kerimac]

I am moving the reptichip and pointing the gun at the plastic. I'm using the 24 watt Zilla heat mat.

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