temperature difference

[paulsreef]

What is the actual temp. on your heat tape, to achieve the desired temp. on the inside of the rubbermaid? IE: heat tape temp. 110 degrees equals 95 degrees on the inside of the rubbermaid hot spot.

Thanks, Paul.

[Bartman]

I never thought about that, ill try and get a reading for you.

I know the inside of my rubbermaids are at 88

[Tim_Cranwill]

It depends on...

- The ambient temp in the room
- The size/wattage of tape used
- The type of bin you're using
- How far from the tape the bin is
- How much substrate and what type you use
- The material the heat tape is resting on

There are too many variables to even give you a useful guess.

[mykee]

What Tim said. No one's temps will be the same, due to all the above mentioned factors. My best guess if I had to make one would be 96-maybe 120-ish?

[paulsreef]

The correct thing therefore is to place the probe on the heat tape and keep adjusting it until the hot spots inside the rubbermaids are at the desired temp.. What I wanted to know is what's the highest safe temp. that 3" heat tape could be set at to do the job? If I'm close to a dangerous temp., and the insides of my rubbermaids are still too cool, I'm going to have to change some variables. Thanks, Paul.

[Tim_Cranwill]

Nope. Do the opposite. Place the temp probe where the snake will BE (the hot spot/basking spot). THAT is the temp you want to know and control.

[Jeff_Favelle]

I would listen to Tim. You want the thermometer to be where you want MEASURE the temperature. no?

[paulsreef]

Tim, are you referring to the temp. probe on the thermostat? I usually see racks with the thermostat temp. probe taped onto the heat tape.
Paul.

[marisa]

There is no reason to put the probe on the heat tape. The snakes have no access to the heat tape directly so it doesn't matter what the tape temp is unless you are just curious. The probe should be placed where the snake is so you can get a measurement of what temp they have access to. Same as thermastat probe. You don't want to control the heat tape heat, but the hot spot heat. So the probe would go where the snakes hot spot is.

:D

Marisa

[paulsreef]

O.K., I positively, absolutely, definitely, morally, sincerely, truely,understand it now.

Paul.

[Tim_Cranwill]

;)

[Justcage]

I disagree, if you ahve the thermostat probe in the cage when using flexwatt and the snake goes to the bathroom on the probe it will lower the probe temp in that one ares by about 10-20 degrees. Measuring the temp of the cage with a thermometer in the cage is best. That way if it does go it will not cause a temp spike....

[Tim_Cranwill]

I use a dummy cage in my racks. The probe is set up in an enclosure identical to the other 29 boxes with the exception of the snake.

In a situation where the probe IS in a cage with a snake, just secure it with cable ties, a glue gun, calking... whatever you have/need to make the probe stay where it should (not tape).

I don't see a pile of snake poo making a huge difference unless the entire probe is covered. But given that the probe will likely be under the substrate, again, there shouldn't be much of an issue. Afterall, a hurricane could blow my house down and move the probe to another part of the city, right? ;) j/k :)

[Jeff_Favelle]

Poo isn't an insulator, so eventually it will become the same temp as the air around it, or, by conduction of the stuff around it. I don't see why that would be a problem. Plus, it should be cleaned within a day anyways, shouldn't it??

[Justcage]

If your snake pees where the probe is it will lower the temps. I use disposable cage lines as a substrate so there is not much between the cage floor and the paper. Eventually is not an option when it cones to my snakes and the posibillity of a heating problem. Using a glue gun or caulk will insulate the probe and give it a false reading. You want something that will conduct the heat not keep t from the probe. Foil tape is the bet bet on that one....

[Jeff_Favelle]

Tape inside of a cage is NOT an option.

The R-value of the glue in a hot glue gun is very very very low, therefore it is not a good insulator, thefore it won't shield the temperature probe from anything, except wear and tear.

[paulsreef]

I like the idea of an empty rubbermaid that just holds the probe. Nothing to disturb it or the wear and tear of routine maintenance.

Paul.