Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just want to get a feeling for who has used this product. I purchased it from a company who sells a lot of it and they claim they have never heard of this happening. What had happened is for some reason the heat tape got so hot it melted the tape and my Rubbermaid tubs that house my snakes. I had a Rheostat hooked up to it because that is what the company I purchased it from said would work great with it. (The temperatures never exceed 85F and kept this way for 6 months) I don’t know if it shorted out or what. It’s kind of scary though that this stuff can just go up unexpectedly. I wrote the company and they said that basically I should stick it up my you know what. They claim they are not responsible for it. I disagree. I did some research on this stuff and what I found is kind of frightening. First of all, Flex watt is not UL approved. Secondly it is banned in Canada for causing so many fires in homes and there is a multi million dollar suit against Flex watt for damages that their product has caused. I set it up according to the instructions that were sent with the product. What did I do wrong? It sounds like the product is just faulty to begin with. Please add any comments negative or positive. I would like to just get a general Conesus about this issue. Thanks a lot.

Were the tubs sliding directly on the tape? Anything sliding on the tape can wear the tape and damage the element.
-----
Astronomy Picture of the Day

Secondly it is banned in Canada for causing so many fires in homes and there is a multi million dollar suit against Flex watt for damages that their product has caused.

This is True .... but the use in which it was being installed was also a factoring cause to it .The installation were being used in closed / confined ares with no airflow to the Flexwatt which is not a reccomended use or installation procedure for it . In cases where the heat tape cant breath or have air exchange to it it will build up heat i have done my own " unscientific" tests with heat tape mainly 11" as thats what i use on cages i build.When the heat tape is used in a proper manner in which it can have air flowing over or atleast air available to it it will max out at around 110-125 degreeF now that same tape installed in a area in which it has no breathing room or air flow got well over 155 degrees due to heat build up this could cause problems of overheating therefore pose a risk of failure. Also when heat tape is used and is in contact as stated by dangerously where friction is in contact IE tubs sliding in & out over it can cause issues of wearing the laminat cover causing issues. I have been using heat tape for some time on cages etc and have never had a issue. Just like anything man made that is a resistance heat source or ANY heat source failure can occur . Not knowing but looking at the heat tape you picture it appears as if it was in direct contact with a tub sliding over it ?

my honest opinion is it is just as safe as any product that uses electricity . Heat rope that is offered is just as prone to cause issues such as this if you read the specs on it it cautions you to not over lap or let it touch itself as it will build up heat that can be 2-3 times greater then the actual product itself.
-----
Buisnesses come and go everyday, what keeps you here is how you treated the customer the day before....My Boa Can Kick Your Boas _ss!www.cheapcages.com
Visit the new website while the Jungle gets made over.

Good day.

A lot of us Canadians have been hearing for a long time that heat tape is banned. This is simply NOT true. What was banned by Flexwatt corp. in Canada was their Radiant Ceiling Heating Panels (RCHPs), which were burning houses to the ground.

I emailed Calorique and asked if heat tape was UL listed, and it most certainly is. Here's the reply:

"The reptile heat tape products are covered by our UL Component Listing File #E108850. The model numbers are IND-103 for the 3", IND-104 for the 4" and IND-101 for the 11".

Now, heat tape is not CSA approved, but that doesn't make it "banned" or "illegal". Using the RHCPs is most certainly illegal and against building code in Canada. Heat tape is both perfectly legal, AND UL listed.

Just thought I'd clear this up, since there are a lot of Canadians (and Americans) hesitant to use it simply because of this myth.

- Ken LePage
http://www.invictusexotics.com

I actually ?datoed? out a section in the shelves so the tape would sit below the tub. That way it doesn't rub on the heat tape.

Reason i ask this is if they were sterilite tubs , sterilite has two "bottom " configurations . One has a "foot pattern" that is molded that runs all around the bottom & then there are some that have " ball indentions" in spots on the bottom. that could also play a role in how the flexwatt is affected by the tubs. If the tub was a sterilite and has the full pattern then id say it probably wasnt the tub sliding on it . If it have the " feet" style then it could still have rubbed when going across the flexx watt.
-----
Buisnesses come and go everyday, what keeps you here is how you treated the customer the day before....My Boa Can Kick Your Boas _ss!www.cheapcages.com
Visit the new website while the Jungle gets made over.

From the looks of that picture, the product faulted in one section. This can be caused by the wear of weighty boxes rubbing over the heat tape.

Please let us know all the details.. for example, did the heat tape look like that in other spots or just the one.

If you use Flexwatt and keep it controlled to a reasonable temperature, have secure electrical connections and avoid physical wear on the mylar coating, then I would be very surprised that this kind of thing could happen. On the other hand, if the boxes rub right over the heater, then you have an accident waiting to happen.
-----
Mark G

Assorted rosy boas, some annulata. That's it.

The co claims its not their fault but a good lawyer might not agree with that. Have you given that any thought. It is banned in Canada and a few other places because it has caused fires in petstores,breeders were they proved it was installed correctly yet it ignited.
Glad your house didnt go up.
Malays

I had actually run the idea of putting a residential sprinkler system in the snake room. cheap insurance just in case. One of those things you hope you never, ever need. But if it saves the family and/or house, it's worth it.
-----
Astronomy Picture of the Day

Noticed my carefresh bedding, miraculously it did not catch fire.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with it, that is definitely scary to see. I run my heat tape across the back of my racks, simply because I am paranoid about the wear and tear on the mylar coat from the tubs sliding on them, and haven't had a problem yet. Of course, that doesn't mean I never will.

It would surprise me if the product wasn't approved for use with reptiles, since the product itself is called "Reptile Heat Tape". I'll email them back and see if I can get an update on this.
http://www.invictusexotics.com

Thanks for looking that up for me. I just have read some articles that have stated that it is not made for reptiles and never will be because it is made of such a flammable material and that is why it’s not UL listed for reptiles use. This is also why it has been such a controversial product because of all the problems that people have had with whether it be for reptiles or house only use. Either I wish someone would come out with a product that you could trust and not have to worry about your house going up in flames.