Rack temps

[Ascended]

What is the difference from the top to bottom of the racks?
I usually use at least 3 thermostats, bottom, middle and top.

[KMG]

What is the difference from the top to bottom of the racks?
I usually use at least 3 thermostats, bottom, middle and top.

My guess is their heat tape is one continuous piece so it is on one tstat. That is how I mine is.

[Ascended]

My guess is their heat tape is one continuous piece so it is on one tstat. That is how I mine is.

Ahh, I see. Heat tape is hard to come by in the UK. I use individual heat mats. (mini heat tape I guess)
But what about the problem of heat rising?
The top will be always hotter than the bottom in a 7 high rack as stated here. Its just how heat works (shoot your gun at the floor then ceiling, there is a few degrees difference) . Unless you have incredible air circulation with serious fans and brilliant insulation in the racks.
That's why I use 3 thermostats minimum. The various levels are not the same otherwise.
In addition to heat rising - the bottom one has no bottom heat from the tub below, so even more cooler than just the heat rising alone.
Maybe I am being too precise. I guess a few degrees difference may not make that much difference.

[KMG]

Ahh, I see. Heat tape is hard to come by in the UK. I use individual heat mats. (mini heat tape I guess)
But what about the problem of heat rising?
The top will be always hotter than the bottom in a 7 high rack as stated here. Its just how heat works (shoot your gun at the floor then ceiling, there is a few degrees difference) . Unless you have incredible air circulation with serious fans and brilliant insulation in the racks.
That's why I use 3 thermostats minimum. The various levels are not the same otherwise.
In addition to heat rising - the bottom one has no bottom heat from the tub below, so even more cooler than just the heat rising alone.
Maybe I am being too precise. I guess a few degrees difference may not make that much difference.

With a single strip of heat tape in a rack this will always be a variable.

[Ascended]

With a single strip of heat tape in a rack this will always be a variable.

Yes, but is it ok for just one heat strip on one thermostat? or am I being to controlling and over the top spiting them of into 3 ? are a few degrees difference ok? Genuine question. I don't know
Also I believe heat strips can be cut to size, so one at the bottom, one at the top and the rest in the middle, is that possible, or unnecessary?

[KMG]

Yes, but is it ok for just one heat strip on one thermostat? or am I being to controlling? are a few degrees difference ok? Genuine question. I don't know
Also I believe heat strips can be cut to size, so one at the bottom, one at the top and the rest in the middle, is that possible, or unnecessary?

You can set heat tape up many different ways.

If it is one long piece only one tstat can be used.

If you have a piece for each level then each will need a tstat.

In my opinion a small difference on each level is fine. If my "hotspot" is between 83-86 I am happy. Hardly any of my snakes use their hotspot and being so I turned many of them off and will only use them during colder months...if then. None of my hotspots are set higher than 85 or to a temp that gives a 85 degree hotspot.

[Ascended]

You can set heat tape up many different ways.

If it is one long piece only one tstat can be used.

If you have a piece for each level then each will need a tstat.

In my opinion a small difference on each level is fine. If my "hotspot" is between 83-86 I am happy. Hardly any of my snakes use their hotspot and being so I turned many of them off and will only use them during colder months...if then. None of my hotspots are set higher than 85 or to a temp that gives a 85 degree hotspot.

I see, I guess it depends on your local climate and if you have a thermal gradient and if you can achieve decent hot spots its ok.
Its cold here in the UK most of the time, so I get a bigger difference between the floor ant top rack. its harder to maintain a decent hot spot on all levels of a 10 level tub system for me here in the UK.
Hence my 3 thermostat system. (With the cold temperatures the floor is pretty cold and he variation is quite large from top to bottom.)

Your making me think about heating my whole snake room to closer to ideal temperatures. Or even just heating the snake room and not the racks.