Using an UTH in a Melamine Enclosure

SidewaysAt100 · 05-27-12, 11:44 PM

I made a nice long post with lots of pictures to find out you`re only allowed a limited number of pictures, so I turned my post into a PDF. Please follow the link to see my PDF of how I got an under tank heater to work for me in a Melamine enclosure. (sorry about the blank pages, they are caused by the pictures being so large.) There is more pictures than explaining, any questions feel free to ask.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/81853433/Us...0Enclosure.pdf

marvelfreak · 05-28-12, 01:53 AM

Very well done.

SidewaysAt100 · 05-28-12, 10:27 AM

Thank you! I also have Put silicon all along the edges of the glass to take away the sharp edges to make it safe for my snake, which I did not show in the PDF.

mykee · 05-28-12, 10:59 AM

Brilliant, but why crap out on the thermostat after putting so much thought and effort into the UTH?

Cam · 05-28-12, 01:16 PM

Looks like a good way to do it - I wouldn't have glued the dowels to the bottom of the tank though... if you ever need to replace your heater you'll make a mess getting it out.

Do you have another heat source in the enclosure, or is the UTH enough?

SidewaysAt100 · 05-28-12, 04:48 PM

I have never had a heater crap out on me, guess I have been lucky, but if I had to replace it I would just cut the silicon with a razor blade, would rather the unit stay where I want it. I see your point though, if someone else doesn't want to silicon it in they don't have to. I also have a 10" reflector dome on the top of the enclosure above the heat pad and a 8.5" reflector dome on the cool side so it doesn't get too cold. The UTH is more for extra heat at night because it gets cold here at night most of the year. I will probably put the UTH on a timer so it comes on during the night, thats all I will probably need the UTH is keeping just the right temperature by itself and won't get any hotter than 33 degrees C. It actually was really easy to put the UTH in, quickest project I have done yet, I do have a nice thermostat, I'm just using it in my snakes current home, but the UTH appears to max out at 33 deg. C and always stay there anyways so I'm going to save my thermostat for the heat light.
Thanks for the feedback.

Cam · 05-29-12, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SidewaysAt100

I have never had a heater crap out on me, guess I have been lucky, but if I had to replace it I would just cut the silicon with a razor blade, would rather the unit stay where I want it.

Yeah I didn't mean to rip on your or anything. I tend to build things in such a way that they will never come apart also. In the last couple of years though I've found myself repairing and repurposing some of the stuff I built 5 years ago, and it's teaching me to use removable fasteners where practical!

I think I will do something very similar to what you've done for the heater when I build my 4x3x2 viv for my coastal jag; currently in the sketching phases.

BigTimer · 05-29-12, 12:31 PM

Thats awesome, I think I might do something like that for my enclosure.

DeesBalls · 05-29-12, 12:36 PM

that looks really good!

all i did was put a slit in the back to slip the heat tape/uth in the cage, then cover with a piece of plexiglass soi can replace if needed, but that looks really nice..!!

only thing i would suggest, is a thermostat....

SidewaysAt100 · 05-29-12, 09:24 PM

No offence taken, didn't really view you as ripping on me, I'm always open to suggestions, thanks for the feedback. Ya that's one thing I totally forgot to mention in my PDF is the use of a thermostat, for a lot of heating pads a thermostat would be defiantly be recommended, they are great, I got lucky not needing anything extra with this UTH which has a built in max temperature, most UTH could use a thermostat as the best option like has been mentioned.

SidewaysAt100 · 06-09-12, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SidewaysAt100

I made a nice long post with lots of pictures to find out you`re only allowed a limited number of pictures, so I turned my post into a PDF. Please follow the link to see my PDF of how I got an under tank heater to work for me in a Melamine enclosure. (sorry about the blank pages, they are caused by the pictures being so large.) There is more pictures than explaining, any questions feel free to ask.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/81853433/Us...0Enclosure.pdf

Please note I couldn't find out how to delete this thread as I have started a new thread called "Using an UTH in a Melamine Enclosure Ver 2" which is an update now that I have had more time to work on the article and I have had feedback. Please find this new thread for the PDF document as the document from this thread has been removed due to being outdated and the old version. My reason for starting a new thread is I wanted the new updated document to be at the top on the first page and not at the bottom or back page eventually.

Thanks

SidewaysAt100 · 06-27-12, 12:58 PM

Using an UTH in a Melamine Enclosure Ver 2

Please follow the link to see my PDF of how I got an under tank heater to work for me in a Melamine enclosure.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/81853433/Us...%20Ver%202.pdf

Thanks for the feedback that helped me improve this article.