Al Brown-Browns Boas-Nightmare Transaction

Anybody have a package they haven't opened yet? is there a manufactured date on it? Maybe in my travels today I will stop by a Home Depot and check it out.

AFAIK there is no "shelf life". It is just plastic coated wires, nothing to go bad or deteriorate until it is put to use.

Any product can be bad off the shelf from manufacturer's defect, and something like heat tape may experience that failure pretty often comparable to other products. Car tires can dry rot on the shelf, for example, but heat tape does not have any components that do something similar, at least as far as I know...

So you're saying that many retailers throw away heat tape that sits around too long; but you are unable/unwilling to state how long that is, or identify any of them so I can ask them myself? If it's such a common practice, why should I have to attend an expo to get information?

Originally Posted by Drew Zaun

Anybody have a package they haven't opened yet? is there a manufactured date on it? Maybe in my travels today I will stop by a Home Depot and check it out.

AFAIK there is no "shelf life". It is just plastic coated wires, nothing to go bad or deteriorate until it is put to use.

Any product can be bad off the shelf from manufacturer's defect, and something like heat tape may experience that failure pretty often comparable to other products. Car tires can dry rot on the shelf, for example, but heat tape does not have any components that do something similar, at least as far as I know...

I have remnants of a roll, I'll check for info when I go to my other house this afternoon. While this line of discussion does seem somewhat offtopic, the reason I brought it up was because negative comments were made about using "old" (not used) heat tape that was sitting on a shelf. While the nature of the first few posts by Mr Moyer sort of set this up, I'm willing to look for some validity in his statements.

Harald,

I would go to a plumbing supply store or a hardware store before going to a reptile expo. Talk to the people who are most familiar with it. I think I am going to drop by the HD today and see what I see with the products they sell, unless someone beats me to it.

It's not that there is a shelf life persay but don't expect it to work 100% and when dealing with electricity I want it to work 110% properly. End of story. This thread isn't about the shelf life of tape it is about brown wiring it wrong

Back to Mr brown his rack and ethics.

Ur right its not totally off topic but I believe it should be discussed in a diff forum.

Sorry, but I don't need to be redirected....I considered the relevance to this thread/topic before I started. You implied that there was something wrong with using an older roll of heat tape. I've sent emails to The Bean Farm and Calorique. If THEY say it goes bad sitting on a shelf, I'll believe them...
So, tell me again why you are so involved in this, as opposed to the OP?

"Nail him to the wall", "I'd take his business", Good lord people... He didnt murder the guys kids. He built a crappy rack. And so he owes him a full refund. And if he doesnt pay for that then sue him for the cost of the rack + repairs. But thats it, he doesnt owe you "his business"(not that you, the OP, said that).

Im really surprised by the reaction from some of you. From other threads I've always thought you guys were reasonable people. If you really think getting a little shock means your now the proud new owner of someone elses livelihood than your completely unreasonable (at least in this scenario).

Crappy workmanship, yes. Horrible customer service, absolutely. But a little shock (even several little shocks) and some rust doesnt constitute stringing him up...

Because everything the op has stated i have seen with my own eyes. To see the panels malfuntion, to see the heat tape wired wrong, to see it cut wrong, to feel the shock (which again it didn't kill anyone but still freakn hurt) and now to see the rust. This thread is about brown and his ethics. After all that Gf happened.

Originally Posted by SPJ

Don't make idiotic statements.
The wiring was a hazard on the rack. He used subpar material (old flex watt) and cut corners (no insulation, no soldering the connections) and cut into the live part of the flex watt that carries the current.
He is liable. It's just pure luck that it was only a shock and not something even worse.
I can't see how anyone can justify this shoddy workmanship and excuses as to why it's not Browns fault.
Anyone who makes jokes about this situation or defends the seller needs to re-examine themselves.

Come on, I get it, I was just trying to get everyone to stop for one second and actually think about what people are saying here... does anyone really, I mean REALLY think that suing someone for "Everything" is going to pan out when the amount in dispute is $1200? Does anyone think that a person that runs a slipshod business like this even HAS $1200 or more laying around to pay out?

I was just trying to make a humorous comment on everyone jumping on the Sue Train... this is a hack job working out of his basement, this isn't some legitimate business you're going to win an "injury suit" from. I mean, if he has the money, time, and thinks it will pan out for him, he should absolutely pursue it, but over $1200 and a few shocks that have proven non-life-threatening and non-injurious? I think it's silly hyperbole, and that realistic solutions such as bringing pressure to bear on the seller as the BOI usually does so well are FAR more helpful/useful/likelytoresultinpotentialrestitution.

Didn't mean to pee in your Cheerios.