• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Rack malfunction....need help

S

spcfitch

New member
Joined
Dec 3, 2002
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
44
Location
East liverpool, OH
Had a malfunction with my rack and not sure where the problem occurred. Last night I checked the temps in the rack as I do every night before I go to bed and the temps were normal. Went downstairs earlier and could smell burning plastic, looked at the rack and all the snakes were at the front of the bins(not normal for these guys). I pulled the first bin out and checked the bottom of it and there was a half dollar sized burn hole. I immediately pulled the plug on the rack and pulled all the bins out of the rack. I didn't see if the thermostat was working properly or if the power strip was working properly or not. The heat tape is warped on the second level which is also where the tub that got burned was and nowhere else. I know the whole rack was way over heated because the 4 tubs that were in it at the time are all warped. How do I find where the problem occurred? Also would it be safe to test the thermostat with the damaged heat tape? Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks
Jacob Fitch
 
If the overheating damaged the heat tape... I would definitely replace that. As long as nothing is over the damaged heat tape.. I would go ahead and test the T-stat using the old heat tape. Wouldn't want to damage the new stuff.

It sounds like the T-stat didnt shut off the heat and maybe stuck wide open. I would also look into replacing the T-stat. I cant see how the power stip could be the probelm. Its only supplying the power. The T stat should be regulating it.
 
Did your thermostat probe get moved? (if it isn't reflecting the temperatures caused by the heat tape, it won't shut the power down). Where is the t'stat in relation to the heat tape?

What kind of thermostat is it? And how much wattage do you have hooked up to it?

Is the heat tape recessed, or covered, to prevent the tub from wearing down the plastic and exposing the heating element?
 
Thanks

Mr. Moore, I believe you hit the nail on the head. After my initial post here, I went back and checked the whole rack over again. It looks as though the electrical tape I used has lost it's "stickiness". Not sure why as there is very little humidity in the rack or any of the tubs since the snakes being housed in it are western hognose. Any tips on how to keep the probe from popping off of the heat tape? I guess I'm lucky though, could have been a lot worse. The rack itself is still good, just need to replace the heat tape and buy some new tubs.

Thanks again
 
Back
Top