UTH safety question

[Ashe9]

Hello!
I have a bin enclosure for my bp and use an uth with it. The sticky stuff on my uth sucks so I used foil tape to make sure it stays stuck to the bin. The only way I've gotten it to fully stay is to tape pretty much the whole uth, so the outside of it is completely covered with foil tape. I have the bin raised for some ventilation, but I was wondering if having the entire outside covered is a fire hazard or is unsafe in any way? The uth is regulated with a thermostat.

[KMG]

On those kinds of UTH most put foil on the sticky part and then tape the UTH to the cage bottom. That way you can remove it if needed. Sticking it using the adhesive included can make you bend and break the internals if you need to remove it. Being taped on and foil on the adhesive keeps you from doing that.

All that said you should be fine. Foil tape will not insulate it and having it raised a bit is a good thing to do.

[Bogertophis]

You need to follow the instructions for the brand & type UTH that you're using- they're not all the same. What I use (Flexwatt) says no use of foil or on metal shelves (presumably because there isn't much insulation over the electrical pathway & they don't want anyone or anything to get a shock). Also, mine (Flexwatt) is not self-stick so I hold it in place with a little tape at the edges, but not over the embedded wires.

I don't use the kind of UTH that's made to be self-adhesive, but as far as I know, all UTH is supposed to have a small ventilation gap for safety, so for doing that & also for having yours connected to a t-stat. I've seen other posts here that some use foil tape to fasten their UTH, but I can't say for sure about how you've covered the UTH to hold it on- it's not that foil tape is insulating though (it shouldn't make the UTH over-heat) & it conducts heat very well. (It's just that foil tape conducts electricity rather well, so if your UTH ever got damaged or cracked it could be a problem.)

[Neko_snake]

I think you'd be better off using a strip or 2 of heat resistant tape rather than the foil tape. All the UTH that I know of need ventilation underneath so you shouldn't cover all of it. If you can get the foil tape to stick in one sheet, that would work as well just make sure it's well vented.

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[KMG]

I think you'd be better off using a strip or 2 of heat resistant tape rather than the foil tape. All the UTH that I know of need ventilation underneath so you shouldn't cover all of it. If you can get the foil tape to stick in one sheet, that would work as well just make sure it's well vented.

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Aluminum duct tape is heat resistant. It is why we use it. Sticks well and doesn't get brittle like some other tapes.

I think some things need to be bought in a name brand. Qtips, ketchup, and tapes are on my list.

"Foil or Metal Tape
If you’re tackling an HVAC job at home, aluminum foil tape should be your go-to. Foil tape is flame resistant, holds up in extreme temperatures, and sticks strong in high humidity. If you’d rather not mess with duct mastic to seal up your HVAC system, aluminum foil tape is a solid alternative."

https://murraylampert.com/battle-of-...-vs-foil-tape/

[Neko_snake]

Aluminum duct tape is heat resistant. It is why we use it. Sticks well and doesn't get brittle like some other tapes.

I think some things need to be bought in a name brand. Qtips, ketchup, and tapes are on my list.

"Foil or Metal Tape
If you’re tackling an HVAC job at home, aluminum foil tape should be your go-to. Foil tape is flame resistant, holds up in extreme temperatures, and sticks strong in high humidity. If you’d rather not mess with duct mastic to seal up your HVAC system, aluminum foil tape is a solid alternative."

https://murraylampert.com/battle-of-...-vs-foil-tape/

True but going off the original post it sounded like the foil tape wasn't sticking well enough. That's the only reason I suggested another kind of heat resistant tape. If they can get the foil tape to stick then go for it and use it. But either way I just think you should use less tape so the UTH can properly ventilate.

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