Hello all...I have a quick question about setting up heat tape. I have purchased some 3" heat tape and some foil tape. My question is, can I amplify the heat distribution of the heat tape by taping some heavy guage aluminum foil (say 5" wide) over the heat tape and securing it with the foil tape? I want to make sure this is safe before I do it. BTW...I did purchase thermostats as well to control the heat. Thanks in advance for the advice.
Reptile & Amphibian Forums
Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.
Heat tape question
PerryC.
Jun 23, 2003 05:02 PM
Replies (1)
bazmonkey
Jun 23, 2003 05:27 PM
There's a forum for cage design/construction, but...
Just make sure the contacts to the heat tape are very well insulated before you put any kind of foil on top. Even if you get those little plastic clips, I'd solder the connection for the sake of it, and wrap the whole thing in electrical tape before the foil. Last thing you want is something shorting out/shocking something.
It does work, though, pretty well. I have 1' chunks of 3" heat tape on top of a 14" X 5" slab of plexiglass wrapped in foil tape. It distributes given enough time, and I can move these "plates" around the cages as the weather changes.
You might want to initially check how much heat you get out of whatever you build, and maybe put on a rheostat in addition to the thermostat. You would rather have slower, steady heat than high, strong heat in little bursts of time, especially because it takes time for heat tape to cool off/heat up.
