Radiant heat panel question.

neurotic88 · 05-30-11, 03:29 PM

Hi guys,

Well, I finally received my RHP (it's a pro products rhp) they seemed to be one of the better ones out there.

However I am very concerned, I installed it in my empty enclosure to find that it gets hot enough that I cannot keep my hand on it for more then 2-3 seconds.

The website/instructions clearly say it can't catch fire, burn, damage or injure anything in the enclosure.

If it can burn my hand, it can certainly burn my JPC...

Can someone who is using a RHP please give me some info? is it normally hot to the touch? is that not unsafe for my snake?

The probe is 3 inches below it while Im testing it and is reaching 88.5 degrees which is a fine temp to keep, but safety is my concern at this point.

I held my thermometer probe right against the panel also, and it got up to 140 degrees

I should mention that its obviously mounted securely to the top of my PVCX enclosure.

Thanks!

stephanbakir · 05-30-11, 03:38 PM

Have you though of building a mesh enclosure around the RHP to stop anything from touching it?

neurotic88 · 05-30-11, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

Have you though of building a mesh enclosure around the RHP to stop anything from touching it?

I was under the impression that because they were meant to be 'inside' the enclosure that sort of thing wouldn't be needed.

stephanbakir · 05-30-11, 04:17 PM

It isn't always needed but safety is safety

bighog85 · 05-30-11, 07:58 PM

You don't need to worry about it at all. 140 degrees is not going to burn anything right away. There is no way for the animal to remain in contact with it so there is nothing to worry about. It is not burning your hand, only getting uncomfortable to the point of making you want to move it. I have gotten a bunch of panels from Bob at Pro Products and he does the best work out there, he really knows what he is doing. Don't build anything around it. Just make sure it is hooked up to a good thermostat and your animal will be just fine.

stephanbakir · 05-30-11, 08:11 PM

Snakes are well known for burning themselves on things that are too hot, one of the items most well known for burning herps is hot rocks. They sometimes just don't get off when they start cooking.

neurotic88 · 05-31-11, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bighog85

You don't need to worry about it at all. 140 degrees is not going to burn anything right away. There is no way for the animal to remain in contact with it so there is nothing to worry about. It is not burning your hand, only getting uncomfortable to the point of making you want to move it. I have gotten a bunch of panels from Bob at Pro Products and he does the best work out there, he really knows what he is doing. Don't build anything around it. Just make sure it is hooked up to a good thermostat and your animal will be just fine.

Thanks Hog,

Yeah, Bob certainly sold me on Pro products, he was very professional and seemed to know his stuff!
Another friend of mine told me its not 'really burning me too' I dunno about that.. I can't keep my hand on it. but either way.

The other thing is the snake would have to reach up to touch it, can't lay on it.

About the stat tho, on full blast it seems to heat my enclosure to the exact temp that I want it too, it was sitting at 88-89 (which seems perfect for JCP right?)

That makes me wonder if I need a stat now, because on full it does the job and doesn't heat my tank to like 110 or anything.

A stat cant make a RHP run hotter then without one.. right? maybe silly question, but I have never used a stat before.

I was thinking about the Vivarium Electronics VE300

Lankyrob · 05-31-11, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neurotic88

I was under the impression that because they were meant to be 'inside' the enclosure that sort of thing wouldn't be needed.

Ceramic bulbs are meant to be inside the enclosure too but i would never install one without a guard.

marvelfreak · 05-31-11, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neurotic88

Thanks Hog,

A stat cant make a RHP run hotter then without one.. right? maybe silly question, but I have never used a stat before.

I was thinking about the Vivarium Electronics VE300

All depends on what you set it at. With a stat you can make it run hotter or cooler. You will be able to set it to what ever temp you want. With out one you don't have control over how hot it runs with one you do. In my book that makes them a most have.

neurotic88 · 05-31-11, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Ceramic bulbs are meant to be inside the enclosure too but i would never install one without a guard.

I know what you mean Lanky, *BUT* RHP's are designed to be safe, and unguarded. it's even advertised in this manner, that they do NOT require a guard, nor should they need one.

That's why I was wondering about how hot it should be, that's all.

SnakeManKyle · 05-31-11, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neurotic88

A stat cant make a RHP run hotter then without one.. right?

Correct.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvelfreak

All depends on what you set it at. With a stat you can make it run hotter or cooler. You will be able to set it to what ever temp you want. With out one you don't have control over how hot it runs with one you do. In my book that makes them a most have.

This is incorrect. The RHP, plugged directly into the wall, will achieve maximum temperature. Putting a thermostat between the outlet and the RHP gives you a means of throttling back the electricity and keeping the RHP from achieving max temp. But it can't make it get hotter because it can't push more electricity through the RHP than the outlet is able to provide.

bighog85 · 06-01-11, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neurotic88

Thanks Hog,

Yeah, Bob certainly sold me on Pro products, he was very professional and seemed to know his stuff!
Another friend of mine told me its not 'really burning me too' I dunno about that.. I can't keep my hand on it. but either way.

The other thing is the snake would have to reach up to touch it, can't lay on it.

About the stat tho, on full blast it seems to heat my enclosure to the exact temp that I want it too, it was sitting at 88-89 (which seems perfect for JCP right?)

That makes me wonder if I need a stat now, because on full it does the job and doesn't heat my tank to like 110 or anything.

A stat cant make a RHP run hotter then without one.. right? maybe silly question, but I have never used a stat before.

I was thinking about the Vivarium Electronics VE300

Bob is very good at getting you the exact panel to fit your needs so yes, under ideal conditions you would probably not need a thermostat. The reason it is highly recommended though is because there are situations that are out of your control that can affect the temps in your enclosure. If the room all of a sudden got hotter because of weather or something that can affect the temps everywhere and you want that heater to shut itself off if it gets to warm. It will not make the heater get hotter, only keep it from overheating the enclosure. A good thermostat that I have been using is this one: BAH-1000DC Reptile Thermostat New Model - Incredibly Reliable Digital Chip for Accurate Temperature Control

It is fairly cheap, especially if you buy several at a time and has been foolproof since I have started using them. Some people recommend using two thermostats per cage in case one goes out but as long as you don't have a hugely overkill heating element and you check your temps often, you should be fine.

bighog85 · 06-01-11, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Ceramic bulbs are meant to be inside the enclosure too but i would never install one without a guard.

CHE's achieve MUCH higher temps than a RHP. If you use a temp gun on a CHE you are going to see temps upwards of 500 degrees whereas a RHP will only get into the low to mid 100's. Even if it is uncomfortable, you can hold your hand on a RHP without getting burned for quite some time whereas it is an instant burn on a CHE.