Heat Rope

[silent_truth]

Once again, another heating question. Hopefully someone can help me out. I've just finished my first small rack system and I'm debating about whether to use heat rope or heat tape. I am not at all knowledgeable about electrical work. Does heat rope come ready to plug in? Will it create a 90-95 F spot at one end of the Sterlite tubs that I'm using? If not, I will have to learn how to wire the heat tape safely.

Thanks for your time,

-Adam

[Siretsap]

You can buy heat rope at canadian tire, it's much less expensive than heat tape. And it does come pre assembled. You have different wattage on the heat rope so you could esaly get one that will give enough heat for your needs. Just to be sure, buy the one used to melt the ice on the roof of your house. Do not buy the one to heat the water pipes.

[silent_truth]

Thanks for the quick response! I will go to Canadian Tire this week and look for that item. Here is a quick shot I just took of my rack, which still needs to be built up and have more sterlite tubs put in. It's just a simple set of shoe racks with appropriately sized tubs stuck in, but it works for me. Cost about $35. It's inside an old 4 ft x 2 ft enclosure which I have decided to use for housing this rack. Thanks for all the help!

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Feb/20042174644969228412145.jpg

[vanderkm]

The heat rope that is usually referred to on the reptile forums is not the type available for roof or water pipe use from Canadian Tire. Reptile heat rope is a single strand heated rope available from places like Port Credit Pets. A single strand will heat one end of a sterlite to 90 degrees so we use ours with a dimmer switch. The heat rope is ready to plug in and very easy to work with - just a routered trench under the tubs so you can slide them on top of it. It is more expensive than heat tape but works great - we have been really happy with the convenience of it.

mary v.

[Siretsap]

I know people who have used the canadian tire one for more than 10 years and are very happy with it. You have different wattage on teh wires and they come in different sizes, so it's quite available for most of our needs.

[marisa]

Sirestap- I looked up the product on Canadian Tire...could you tell me how the heat is controlled? I mean, does the cable itself use a thermastat, or does one need to re-wire it to remove it, or anything like that?

I would obviously be using a thermastat of my own, I am just wondering if it uses one.

Marisa

[Siretsap]

there is a model with a rheostat on it, but it doesn't go in the 100 f temps.
What you have to do with the wire is buy a rheostat or temp controler, any one will do that supports your wattage. If you buy the 500 watts wire, then make sure you buy a rheostat that is 500 watts, (zoo med's for example have a 500 watts one). On e-bay, they sold for 16$ us a few days ago, they also have 1000 watts ones for 24S us which is pretty good.

But like any heat tape or heat rope, you must put your sensor in the rubbermaid and watch the temps to adjust to what you desire. The people I know who have been using it for over 10 years have the zoomed 500watts rheostat with it.
Of course you can build your own, but I don't think it's worth the hassle and risks.

[Dom]

I have used both heat tape and heat rope.. personally Heat rope works well and NEEDS to be on a dimmer cause they heat up too much for small tub racks .. imo .. but I personally would not use it again as I find heat tape much more convinient ..

I would defenetly recomend it though .. heat tape and heat rope are both great tools taht work really well ..

Dom

[marisa]

So they run their continually? (sp) That sounds like a long period of good results as well. I will have to check it out.

Marisa

[Lisa]

What's the gap like between the lip of the rubbermaid and the wood of the shoe rack?

[silent_truth]

The gap measures about 1/8" but varies a little because I had to cut the side and back edges in order to make them fit. There is an opening at the tops near the back because the rack is only 12" deep, but this space is covered with some mesh netting which works out well, because it allows for good ventilation. I'm planning on giving it a test run with a couple of my larger geckos before I really put it to use.

[Stockwell]

I don't recommend roof de-icing cable.
It cannot be cut down, because the wattage which is high to start with, is set by the overall resistance of the entire length.
If you cut it,and re-splice it, you remove some of the series resistance and the current goes up proportionately as the resistance becomes less.
If someone does decide to use it, you must use all of it without bunching up all the extra length you don't need as that would create a huge hot spot somewhere on the floor or behind your cage. With the small ones being 30 feet, thats a hell of a lot to deal with if your rack is only small
It must be used on a dimmer, but given the high wattage, if the dimmer fails you could end up with the full wattage under your bins. This is dangerous as it's just thin wire and it concentrates the heat, and doesn't spread it out like flat heat tape does.

The commercially available heat rope for herps, and heat tape are by far better choices than either roof deicer or downspipe defroster, because to start with they are much lower wattage, conserve more energy and represent less fire hazard in the event of dimmer failure.

I have used the deicing stuff years ago and found it also emits a bad smell as it gets hot. It's meant to be used outside, in cold temperatures where the surface plastic would never get so hot

[marisa]

But what about putting it on a rheostat? Doesn't that control the amount of heat? If it was set to say, 85, the would the rope get that much hotter?

Marisa

[Stockwell]

Hello Marisa. You can put it on a dimmer,(thats what you mean by rheostat) in fact you have to, but dimmers tend to fail full on. If it does, you have 300 watts of heat or more depending on what size you buy, plus do you have room for 30 feet or more of cable? What will you do with all that extra length you dont need?
I have actually used these cables run zig zag back and forth over a frame made from copper pipe and placed under ball python tanks.
It's certainly possible,It's just not as easy, safe or economical as heat tape or even heat rope

[marisa]

I see. Thanks for the explanation! :)

Marisa

[Lisa]

Last rack we built used nearly 50' of 4" heat tape, but it was huge.