Heat tape on stacked AP's?

toddnbecka · 10-07-17, 12:59 AM

A few weeks ago I picked up 6 used AP 36"x24"x12" enclosures, along with a large piece of heat tape wired and ready to use for each. I'm planning to attach the tape to the bottoms with aluminum foil tape and stack them. Will I need to leave a gap between them to allow air circulation for the heat tape?

Albert Clark · 10-07-17, 07:52 AM

Hey tnb, i dont have any hands on knowledge of AP enclosures but i would think "yes". You can always email Reptile Basics directly from your desktop on questions like this about heat tape and they respond pretty quickly. Just go to their website and access the "Contact Us" icon.

**Andy_G** · 10-07-17, 07:57 AM

Yes, definitely leave a small gap for airflow.

pet_snake_78 · 10-08-17, 03:49 PM

The AP cages stack with a small pin. It doesn't really leave any kind of a gap, though. I actually prefer RHP for AP enclosures over heat tape. The heat tape has to work pretty hard to heat through the materials in cages but it certainly will work. The advantage of heat tape is it doesn't raise the ambient but since I have to cool the entire room most of the year anyway, not a big deal.

MDT · 10-08-17, 06:47 PM

TnB, my T3's are stacked w heat tape, and while they do have the pins, those are more to prevent the cages from slipping/sliding on each other. I actually cut lengths of 1"x 4" material (any size will work) and use them as "runners" on the extreme ends of the cages, allowing for good airflow between the enclosures.

toddnbecka · 10-09-17, 12:05 AM

I put some wooden strips between them, just tall enough to clear the plastic clips on the heat tape connectors. My larger stacked enclosures have rhp's in them, and work great w/out any space between them.