Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've wired up the Flexwatt, and I know that it works because it started heating up. However, it keeps going on and off. When I checked it this morning it was cold. I know this is a problem with the connection, and I'm 90% sure that it's due to the metal connectors being too loose. How I am supposed to get them tighter than they already are?

You need to make ABSOLUTELY sure they are crimped tight or they could cause it to acr and become a real fire hazard!

I dont use the crimp connections on flexwatt i simply cut back the ends of the flexwat and solder the 120 wiring directly to it make for a 100% connection and you never have to worry about them doing what you are experincing now . hope this helps .

Also if you choose to solder them ( i reccomend it highly ) make sure you use a electronics solder
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` Those damned metal connectors are worthless. They're not only difficult to install, but they build up oxidation, cause resistance, get hot and start fires. They also make lumps which make the tape hard to situate under a cage.
` I slit through the plastic, or burn through with a soldering iron, and solder the wire directly to the conductive strip. Then, insulate with good electrical tape and silicone, to keep the tape from slipping.
` Just read your previous post. I absolutely would not cut heat tape across the conductors. I cut only where it's marked, "cut here".
` If you haven't used heat tape before, keep this in mind: Many fires are started by improperly installed heat tape. Not just the electrical connections. It is not very tough. It can be creased, crushed, cut and be very dangerous.
` With heat tape/pads/etc., I always use a rheostat between the thermostat and the heat. Set the rheostat to keep the tape at 85 degrees F. when the thermostat is sending power. So, if the thermostat sticks on, you won't have cooked critters. A rheostat can be built with parts from a hardware store for $10.

` Not all cats.
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.................. to put the connectors on too loose,it seems like there shouldn't be a lot of pressure on a thin piece of plastic,but the exact opposite is true.use a vise grips or channel locks and squeeze as hard as you can to flatten the connector,if you look closely the connector works by breaking thru the flexwatt then goes inside the other side of the connector,this happens many times at once causing great resistance so bear down and squeeze hard.the previous poster mentioned the tub hitting the connector (belly heat application) sliding in and out.what i did to prevent this was before squeezing the connector i bent the connector 90 degrees thus allowing the connectors to hug the side wall making it impossible for the tub to make contact.have fun!

I stopped by Lowe's and the electrical guy set one up for me. Apparently the pliers I was using weren't good enough. Oh, and I had the wire in a loop. The guy said to fan it out between the two sides of the connector for better conductivity. I already had the connectors fixed to the inner wall, so it doesn't pose a problem with sliding the tubs in.

Everything seems to be working well now...

....................what you mean by:"fanned out for a better connection".be EXTREMLY CAREFUL that the connection is solid and non movable as arcing could occur causing fire.i have gotten more bad advice at home centers than good.i would suggest that you show your connection to a licensed electrican for a professional opinion.perhaps you may want to consider purchasing a rack.if you haven't had a lot of experience with wiring and connections it's best not to take a chance.if you can post a picture of your connection that would be helpful.

I'll try to explain this as clearly as I can =)

http://arbreptiles.com/cages/flexwire.shtml

If you go down a few pics it says to fold the wire over before putting it in the connector. This guy told me not to fold it over, but to unwind it and spread the wire out once it was in the connector. I didn't do this as clamping down harder seemed to do the trick. I guess I was being too girly the first time around.

I've had 10 feet of 11" flexwatt and have not used it because I am unsure how. At one point I had it wired to a cord, ready to plug in. I wanted to install it on the floor of my wood cage but did not know how to cover it. Someone suggested Expanded PVC but the DIYS stores around here don't know what that is. I also do not know how you make a Rheostat. Can you explain "Exactly" how it's done?

DZ

http://arbreptiles.com/cages/flexwire.shtml

This site is pretty good.

I just bought a rheostat.

Wiring the flexwatt is easier then it looks

IMHO the safest way is to make a solid soldered connection. this illiminates any chance of the clip on connectors becoming loose , being bulky etc. esp in a cage use inside where it would be covered the connectores are going to make for a uneven floor unless you route out the subfloor before covering it.

As to the rheostat itssimply a " light switch" dimmer. you can also use what is sold as a " Lamp Dimmer" it is alread wired so al lyou have to to is plug it into the wall outlet.
Simply cut off the plug end from it , strip back you wires and then cut back the plastic on each side of the copper strips on the flexwatt.You can then "peelL open the laminated plastic exposing the copper elements. Using a soldering iron and electronics solder then solder the wires to the copper elements on the flexwatt. I like to then cover these to prevent elecrtric shoc with "Tool Dip" its a liquid rubber and works very well just paint it over the soldered connections and allow it to dry it will dry as a rubber coated connection and keep it waterpoof as well as shock resistant.

I will make a peice and post a step by step guide in the morning as its almost 2 am and the yes are crossing now .

It wont have a lamp dimmer though becuaeei dont have any and really done need any more right now for my needs .

Here is a link to several different wattage lamp dimmers . these are easy to use if you have " limited " knowledge in electrical wiring and or are not sure you could do it safely in whiring one that requires a elec box and phisically making the connections yourself

Link

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Are there any certain dimmers to stay away from. So far I'm with you on the wiring. (Wiring my basement workshop, gives lotsa confidence). That's exactly how I wired it before minus the dimmer. Now, how to install. I even routed a chanel for the wires to sink into the wood and have some electrical putty to cover the conections. The cord will sink right through the floor. Now, what to cover it with? Since the temps won't get as high can I cover it with linoleum? How reliable is the dimmer? How often should I replace the dimmer to limit the possibility of it burning out?

DZ

Ok a little more about how i personally go about doing a " covered in cage heat" when using flexwatt.

Well you could use the flooring nothing wrong i cant think of off hand .One thing you may want to check to see what the backing is on the floor covering. by this there are different grades of flooring IE: paper backing , cloth woven backing solid vinyl and a foamed backing paper backing i would personally not use because if wet it will mold on the bottom side .

Now Flexwatt is made to require air circulation to it to reduce the heat buildup on it .when i do incage heat on cages i will drill a series of holes in the actual floor area where the flex is going to be laid .This allows heat to be disipated away from building up excess heat.I use like a 1" hole and drill on average 3 per foot of flexwatt this allows air to travel across it and not let heat build up.

so as a short answer yes vinyl flooring will work but you will need to seal it well on the seams and i would reccomend doing a edge glue of the flooring in the event the edge pull up or the sealant comes up from cleaning it wont reach the flexwatt or have leakage out the airholes to it .

For the dimmer the wattages on them run from 150-300 on the lamp dimmers
i would reccomend not going over 80% of the rated wattage on any dimmerso for instance a 150 watt dimmer i wouldnt run over 120watts on it and a 300 wat dimmer i wouldnt run over 240 watts on it . this will increase the life of the dimmer and not build up so much resistance on the dimmer causing it to heat up.If you find that you need more then the 150-300 watt dimmers either buy teo or the appropriate number of dimmers for your needs or spend the money to wire up a higher grade industrial dimmer 600 watts or more . while you can buy $9-12 dimmer that are 600 watts thats what you get a dimmer made for light home use and that will burn out or fail faster then a higher end dimmer which can run in excess of $50.00 for a quaility reliable long lasting dimmer .

sorry i didnt get pics posted yet as i have been unpacking boxes of shop papers all day that were packed in case of flooding here again from the storms. ill try to get them tonight or in the morning. take care if you have anymore questions feel free to email me with them ill help ya anyway i can or atleast email me to let me know its posted here i dont always get to check the forums daily
Alan
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1. Use a real crimp tool (not pliers) for crimping the wire connector onto the wire;
2. When clamping the toothed connector onto the Flexwatt conductor strip, use two flat surfaces between the plier jaws and the connector. Those metal binding plates (like 1/2" wide) found at any hardware store work awesome, and produce a super solid crimp onto the Flexwatt.
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Mark