Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been searching and reading all over the place, but I still can't figure out what exactly is so special about these things. Can anyone put into layman's terms how something like the Pro-products panels are better heat sources than, say, Flexwatt, or the much cheaper "panels" that Big Apple sells?

Much appreciated.
-Imp

RHP's are nice because they heat the air with very little energy and do so without reaching surface temperatures that are dangerous to reptiles or their keepers. They can go right inside a cage. In fact, they should.

Comparing them to heat tape or any other under-tank heat source really is not fair. But in general I'd say it's never wrong to heat a cage with overhead heat. I do believe it's less than ideal to use under-tank sources in many instances - especially for species with high temp requirements that are kept in cages in cool rooms.

Compared to the Big Apple product, the Helix, Enerjoys, and Pro Product are all insulated in a way that directs heat down and into the cage.

Whether you can do this with the BA product or how much it would cost to do so is something I can't answer.

I believe RHP's are one of the most versatile forms of heat. The one exception might be for lizards with high basking temperature requirements. For those I still prefer ceramic heat emitters.
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Current snakes:

0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

7.6 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

0.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

I wasn't really asking about under tank stuff, sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm just trying to figure out what is special about how these panels work. I know they are supposed to direct heat downwards or something, but I have no idea how that works. I mean, I presume they have a heating element much like all the other stuff. I just don't get how they are supposed to work differently.

-Imp

a radiant heat panel has basically a bunch of reflective material with insulation on the inside which you never see. They pull many more watts than a UTH does, but never reach dangerous temperatures, as chris already said. I can leave mine on full blast and put my hand right up to it and get no burn whatsoever.

You may also want to call up Bob at Pro Products, he'll be more than happy i'm sure to give you the whole long speel on why they're so great, and he can explain a lot better than I can.
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-Chris

0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat
1.0 Black Rat
0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty
1.0 Green Tree Python
0.1 Texas Bairds Rat

The educated are the few. The uneducated are the masses.

North American Rat / Corn Snake Care Sheet

Sorry, I mentioned undertank sources since you asked for comparisons to flexwatt.

I know they are supposed to direct heat downwards or something, but I have no idea how that works.

The reason why RHP's work is that they take full advantage of radiant heat blockers. There is a wealth of information on the web about radiant heat but it can get a bit overwhelming to read all of it.

I'll try to summarize.

Heat moves in three primary ways 1) convection (heated air), 2) conduction (heat passing through objects), and 3) radiation (non-visible light energy).

Radiant energy is what's given off by all types of reptile heaters. Radiant energy does not rise as we normally think of heat doing. It travels parallel from its source and continues to travel until it is reflected or absorbed - just like visible light.

Radiant energy tends to pass through typical insulative barriers pretty well. But it can be reflected like light.

RHP's have reflective layers that direct this energy back into our cages.

There's also the issue of air space. If there is not the appropriate air space on either side of the reflective layer the heat will move conductively right through the reflective layer. More air space is better than too little, but it's the goal of manufacturers to find the ideal air space that allows for efficiency without the RHP being too thick.

The air space issue is probably why Helix RHP's are known for having to reach a higher surface temperature in order to heat a cage the same as a comparable Pro Products RHP.
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Current snakes:

0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

7.6 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

0.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)

Great info Chris. Keep up the good work.

Mark

>>Heat moves in three primary ways 1) convection (heated air), 2) conduction (heat passing through objects), and 3) radiation (non-visible light energy).
>>
>>Radiant energy is what's given off by all types of reptile heaters. Radiant energy does not rise as we normally think of heat doing. It travels parallel from its source and continues to travel until it is reflected or absorbed - just like visible light.
>>
>>Radiant energy tends to pass through typical insulative barriers pretty well. But it can be reflected like light.
>>
>>RHP's have reflective layers that direct this energy back into our cages.
>>
>>There's also the issue of air space. If there is not the appropriate air space on either side of the reflective layer the heat will move conductively right through the reflective layer. More air space is better than too little, but it's the goal of manufacturers to find the ideal air space that allows for efficiency without the RHP being too thick.
>>
>>The air space issue is probably why Helix RHP's are known for having to reach a higher surface temperature in order to heat a cage the same as a comparable Pro Products RHP.
>>-----
>>Current snakes:
>>
>>0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)
>>
>>1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)
>>
>>7.6 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)
>>
>>0.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black & Tan)