Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know there is an enclosures forum but this one obviously gets a lot more traffic and I think that this is something I should share with all keepers using any type of heating elements, in our case, heat tape/flexwatt

I am NO expert, AND I ABSOLUTELY MIGHT BE WRONG HERE. Fire safety is definitely an issue I run into a lot. (anyone who builds their own incubators, etc. or has expensive animals, equipment and lets not forget family and homes has had this concern) Aside from the basic precautions with using these tools, which I hope we all know, this is just me adding something I picked up along the way.

All my racks and incubators of course use thermostats, but in addition I use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, GFCI. Instead of me explaining what it is just read this:

"The GFCI circuit breaker provides protection against overloads, short circuits, and ground faults. It detects very low levels of electrical current leaks (ground faults), and acts quickly to shut off power, preventing serious shock.

Most GFCI protectors have a spring-loaded breaker button. When the GFCI senses a problem, the breaker button is “tripped.” The breaker button needs to be manually reset in order for the power to be re-established to the outlet. The breaker button will trip again if the electrical problem still persists. Continuously tripping breakers indicate that there is an electrical problem. Call an electrician if the GFCI continues to indicate there is a problem."

-taken from the Pond Shoppe
-http://www.thepondshoppe.com/pond-maintenance/gfci-tripping.aspx

I use a portable one you can buy at home depot for like 10 bucks.
Basically, if you come home to find your GFCI tripped and your equipment off...something could be wrong. Fluctuations are normal but if it KEEPS on tripping you know you have a problem with your gear and you know before it gets hazardous.

I think I'm correct in all this, and I hope it gives you peace of mind.

later guys

I think you're pretty much on track there. There does need to be a an electrical path to ground to trip the device. So you could have a malfunction in your electrical device or heating element between the hot and neutral lines that can cause extreme heating and fire without ever involving an electrical path to ground, thus never tripping the GFCI. Since most of our racks are made of plastic or wood products, they are natural electrical insulators and will not provide a path to ground. Also our thermostats and heat cable. tape, etc. only use a 2-prong plug, so no ground there either. The GFCI is a great safety device, but to really get the most out of its capabilities you would want to design your incubator, racks, and cages with grounded chassis and components in a way that would provide a ground path in the event of a catastrophic electrical malfunction.
- Paul

Ah nice to hear from someone who seems to know what's up. I actually use an ARS rack that is almost entirely metal and each individual heating element is grounded so I THINK it plays a role in my situation.

I, like most I think, build my own incubators and cannot avoid having to do at least some electrical work. I am very handy but definitely not and electrition. I would really like to pick your brain a bit so I might be a bit more knowledgeable and, therefore, safer.