Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm hooking up six 12 inch segments of 4 inch heat tape in parallel. I know that the overall resistence of the circuit is going to decrease. I want to make sure I get enough current through the circuit so that the heat tape segments heat up adequately. Do I need to make sure I use thick electric cord? If so, what size cord? Are the effects of lower resistence so small that it doesn't matter? Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Jack

I have hooked three 3" pieces in series but not parallel. The way I did it was, I put a 3' piece of 14AWG 2 cond power wire on 1 end of a strip. At he other end a short piece, then add another strip, and so on, but make sure it all lays flat side by side the way you want. At the end put another long wire. I soldered all of my wires to my heat tape because it is thinner and conducts better than the clips I had. I taped all exposed wiring and heat tape ends with electrical tape. I stuck the whole thing to the bottom of my enclosure with aluminum tape. Mine works pretty good, but the temps are a little different than say the wider stuff in one piece. Good luck, Derek

This is the proper way to wire heat tape. From source to tape to tape and so on. The main idea is to wire hot to hot and common to common. This is what is called parallel wiring. From what I have been told from manufactures, is that heat tape must not be wired in series. If it is the voltage drop indirectly creates hot zones. If wired in parallel each panel recieves the same inbound voltage.
Hope this helps
Jeremy

-----
"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow Red Tailed Boas -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino Red Tailed Boa -Coming Soon-
1.1 Hypomelenistic Red Tailed Boas
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino Red Tailed Boas
0.1 Suriname Red Tailed Boa
0.1 Anerthrystic Red Tailed Boa
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse

Thank you very much. That would explain my difference in temps. I will change mine this weekend. Derek

6 pieces is only around 60 Watts. That is nothing, meaning that 18 AWG wire is fine everywhere in the circuit. So is 16 AWG of course. Don't worry about resistance. Worry about making good connections (good crimps) to the heat tape connectors and you will be fine.

Marks right 18 AWG will be fine. I personally use 12 AWG but I over build everything. If you can I recommend soldering your wire connections to the heat tape. It much more electrically stable and can still be removed if necessary.
Good Luck
Jeremy
-----
"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow Red Tailed Boas -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino Red Tailed Boa -Coming Soon-
1.1 Hypomelenistic Red Tailed Boas
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino Red Tailed Boas
0.1 Suriname Red Tailed Boa
0.1 Anerthrystic Red Tailed Boa
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse

answered my question and gave me plenty of new ideas. Thanks!!

Something like this

-----

www.MGReptiles.com
Professional Reptile Heating Supplies