So Friggen Confused (heating)

[SerpentLust]

Alrighty, while looking into making a hatchling rack, I was looking in the gallery and I like Dom's rack system the best and want to design mine around that. So I PMed him and asked how he heats it and he said Heat Rope, routered into place, etc.

My question is, how do you monitor every single rubbermaid's temps? How do you keep the heat rope from getting too hot? If someone's going to say a Rheostat, how do those work?

I'm all confused lmao

Jenn

[Stockwell]

Hi Jenn, you don't need to monitor every tray. All trays on the same level should be the same temp if they are the same distance from the heat source. Routering simply means a groove was cut so that the heat rope is bebelow or flush with the surface of the shelf. This is best to prevent the tray from bashing into it, and also to prevent ware .
I actually would recommend Flexwatt over Heat rope, as it is flat and distributes the heat over a wider surface. It's not as readily available however,since it's not CSA approved, and often you need to import it yourself.

The term "Rheostat" is often used by herpers to mean "light dimmer"
It's not terribly important to most herpers but being an electronics specialist, I will just quickly state that dimmers are not Rheostats, by definition.
I Rheostat is a variable resistor, and nobody is using those in Herpetoculture. (just a minor technical point)
Dimmers are actually phase controllers, they aren't variable resistors.
They work by controlling the percentage of each cycle of line voltage that is actually applied to the load.
the "load" being your lamp, heat tape, heat rope etc.

Dimmers are actually choppers. So essentially when you are turning them down, you are simply adjusting the chopping rate, so that they are not on for the full cycle of line, and its the same effect as plugging and unplugging very rapidly.
Current only flows for the duration that the load is on, so this of course effects the heat output.

[Sean Day]

If you use heat rope you can router a pattern like this ( VVVVV ) to provide a larger heating area. I have heard heat rope gets very hot but I have only been able to get mine to around 86 - 88 f. with a room temp of 70 - 75.

[mykee]

Aside from all the technical jargon, I'm going to have to agree with Roy regarding heat tape as opposed to heat rope. The fact that it is not CSA approved does not hinder it's use here in Canada. I have yet to hear of one case of it having malfunctioned. I use it, and would highly recommend it. BTW, I also have some available if you'd like some........plug pluggity McPluggerton.