belly heat VS rear wall heat

Originally Posted by coyote

Can this product be used between a UTH and the underlying surface to reflect more of the heat upward and into the cage?

Or is it intended more to wrap the walls with to retain what heat is inside inside?

I know that some heat mat manufacturers say that you can add insulation under their mats. My concern is for the safety of doing this. Heat build up and all.

You can sandwich a heat source between a reflective insulation and a barrier like a cage floor. That is what I did with the rope light and the back of the tubs in my rack(s). But if the cage floor, for example, also has reflective properties this can put stress on the heat source - it may overheat. So it really depends on all the factors. I would not do this with a glass cage. I would do it with most plastic cages.

Originally Posted by lucille

Would aluminum foil work as a reflector?

I theory, yes. But I'd prefer Reflectix or another brand of similar insulation. For reference, this is the stuff that looks like bubble wrap covered with aluminum foil. I have seen a similar brand sold by the foot at my local Ace Hardware.

You also see sun reflectors for cars made out of the same stuff. You wedge it over your window while you're parked outside on a sunny day.

........i think the recent mania over back heat is by mfg's who of coarse like the less labor intensive way of building a rack.i wonder if anybody has ever slapped there UTH on the back glass of a fish tank?

i recently built a rack with 3" belly tape and added reflectix in the back,the results are remarkable.in a cool room you can remove a tub and actually feel heat on your face.when i check the heat (belly) in a tub back to front i find that the temp changes every 2-2.5 inches ALL the way to the front.i have checked back heat with a raytek and probed thermostats and i urge you to do the same,you'll be amazed how much heat your animals DON'T get. have fun!

Okay, i thought i'd bring this topic back up to the top. I've been contemplating this, and I'd like to hear some fresh opinions from you trusted people with more experience than I. Please weigh in your opinions on back heat vs. belly heat. I want to think it thoroughly before I buy another rack.

I'm not sure there is much more to be said.
The choice between belly & back heat is largely personal preference...there are plenty of people that like back heat, despite it's drawbacks (mentioned in the above posts).

Personally, I have one rack with back heat - it works, but I don't care for it. It is in a room that is at 72 degrees or more for most of the year, so desired temps are maintained fairly easily. It is a 1754/1756 rack, though, so the front of the rack is only 16-17 inches from the back wall. (With the tubs going in lengthwise, as in a "standard" 32 qt rack, the distance would be greater - resulting in a greater temp gradient). The rack takes a lot more power to run, and the heat is almost always on.

i personally like belly heat for my geckos.
i do have a rack with back heat that is empty right now. i will try adding some Reflectix and see how much more efficiently it works for me.
i'll post the results when i get it done.

yeah, i've only got one rack right now, the animal plastics economy. It's got 3" flexwatt run for belly heat. It's not fully enclosed of course, and my next rack i'm hoping to order one of their regular racks. Just wanted to get a little more info, but I thinking along the same lines. That being sticking with belly heat.

I took a boaphile rack that i have that has back heat and covered it in reflectix.
The rack now gets about 15 degrees hotter. The energy efficiency will more than pay for the reflectix insulation.

I'll always stick to belly heat, and here's why-

I have a finished basement. Its a walkout basement with a separate bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room. When I bought the house, I decided to use that bedroom as the snake room. The snake room door stays closed, and during the day, it stays about 78 degrees ambient. I could probably use back-heated racks without a problem. However, as I acquire more snakes, racks and cages may have to be moved out of the snake room and into the common area of the basement, which is not as warm. Had I bought my RBI racks with back heat, I would not have the option to move them- they would have had to stay in the snake room and I would have less room to play with. The belly heat option was completely worth the $20 upgrade.