Bad Guy Reptile Basics Inc

[Serafim]

Wait, I didn't install the heat tape. The rack was completely assembled when I got it. I didn't do anything except try to make the edges a little smoother. When I asked for advice from one of my groups on fb they suggested putting foil tape over the edges to hold it down. Now if that's what caused it to burn I can take it off but I was assured it would be safe, and if I take it off then I'm still stuck with the original problem of the heat tape snagging the tubs. Which... again, isn't my fault because I didn't install the heat tape.

Have you tried placing this rack on a level surface as instructed to see if the tub still snags the tape? The bowing from being stacked on the smaller rack may be the reason for the snagging.

 

[gobee]

When you put the foil tape on, did any of it, even ever so slightly, cover any of the copper in the tape? Doing so will conduct electricity into the foil tape causing it to heat up to extreme levels. When applying foil tape it MUST be on the plastic edges only. Double check your placements on the functional slot to ensure it stays functional.

It's possible. It's not the easiest thing to both see and put anything in/on that far back into the rack without taking it apart. I tried to just get the bare minimum edge under the tape, just enough to keep the heat tape down but like I said, I didn't take the rack apart to do this so it's possible. I've taken this rack down at this point, and I'm not really sure what to do with it from here.

I'd just like to add to the thread in general that obviously the chipboard was my attempt to follow the instructions I was given with the space that I had, so I don't really think it's fair to say that I was 'being difficult' or 'didn't want to hear it'. There is literally no place in this house that I can fully set this rack up properly on the floor. These racks are supposed to be stackable, after all. And just like I mentioned in the last email screenshot I posted from today, not even the floors in this house are perfectly level, so would it make much of a difference if it was on the floor? :/

 

[JimM]

Just a FYI -----

Personally I've NEVER been comfortable with Flex Watt and have had it burn through twice over the years and that's using a good Helix thermostats and using the recommended $65.00 crimping tool for the clips rather than a pliers or vise grip, as well as insulating the clips, etc. I believe things can go wrong very easily and setting it up / installing it should be done carefully. I don't think enough people treat it seriously enough seeing how some have it installed in their set ups.

It's used extensively by most of us due to it's convenience, availability and reasonable price ... but I still am not right with it though I still have it on three racks and two incubators I built. Two racks I use the 11" on the back wall. The one rack I do have 4" set up for belly heat but the tubs are NOT laying on top of it, they ride 3/4" above it on runners. I believe nothing should be laying on top of it or against it and should be plenty of air space around it.

I also replaced heat bulbs with Reptile Basics Radiant Heat Panels and I feel completely comfortable with these. I have them in all but six or seven cages and these will be done next fall. Bulbs are only used for light cycles now. The change was expensive but I feel 100% confident with these great panels.

Though I feel safer with the 11" Flex Watt on the back wall than 3" or 4" beneath a tub , I've checked it many times and it will have various hot spots. I'm constantly checking it and I'm always glad in the spring when I can shut it off for six months !

I wonder if there were an accident due to something like Flex Watt , what your home owners insurance would have to say ? Nothing good, I'm sure.


As far as Reptile Basics is concerned , I've ALWAYS had great service from them ... they even did a little customizing on cord lengths for me when i was replacing heat bulbs with panels. Great people to deal with .

 

[The Magic maker]

Why get a rack that you don't have space for and get mad when it doesn't work? That's like you knowingly getting a bigger car than your garage can fit, and you getting mad when it rains and your car gets wet.

 

[Socratic Monologue]

I'm sorry this happened to you. For such a simple item, racks can be challenging to get dialed in.

If the tape is running more than 20 degrees above the thermostat setting, I would suspect that the thermostat probe is either not properly placed, or is damaged or defective in some way. Judging by the fact that the pic in post #4 shows the probe reading more than 2 degrees lower than the setpoint temperature, this is likely what is happening. If the probe is not (properly) contacting the heat tape, the tape itself will get much hotter than the thermostat thinks it is, causing melted and burned heat tape.

Also, I've found that in order to (re)apply aluminum tape to heat tape, I absolutely have to remove the back of the rack in spite of having very long arms. The quality of the taping job (very smooth, no ridges) is very important to safety and tub movement, and I can't do that from the front of the rack.

If it were my rack, I'd get all new tape (since it seems the tape has been running at full power for some time), disassemble the rack to install the tape properly, and find a level solid place to put the rack.

 

[gobee]

I'm sorry this happened to you. For such a simple item, racks can be challenging to get dialed in.

If the tape is running more than 20 degrees above the thermostat setting, I would suspect that the thermostat probe is either not properly placed, or is damaged or defective in some way. Judging by the fact that the pic in post #4 shows the probe reading more than 2 degrees lower than the setpoint temperature, this is likely what is happening. If the probe is not (properly) contacting the heat tape, the tape itself will get much hotter than the thermostat thinks it is, causing melted and burned heat tape.

Also, I've found that in order to (re)apply aluminum tape to heat tape, I absolutely have to remove the back of the rack in spite of having very long arms. The quality of the taping job (very smooth, no ridges) is very important to safety and tub movement, and I can't do that from the front of the rack.

If it were my rack, I'd get all new tape (since it seems the tape has been running at full power for some time), disassemble the rack to install the tape properly, and find a level solid place to put the rack.

Thank you. As soon as I read this, I immediately went to check the thermostat. Since I removed the rack under discussion, I've set up my AP rack and put it on the exact same thermostat I was running on the RBI rack. So checking on the temps was something I needed and intended to do anyway. The biggest difference I found was 90 degrees on the middle shelf, where the probe is. Although the probe doesn't come in direct contact with the heat tape (its kind of stiff and sticks up a bit) a three degree difference doesn't seem like a huge concern? I did take pics of the probe placement, the thermostat itself, and the temps on the temp gun (most of which were exactly what the thermostat was set on) if you'd like to see them.

 

[Socratic Monologue]

If your readings of the heat tape temperatures that you get with the temp gun are the same as the readings the thermostat gets with the probe, then things might be working as they should. In post #4 (I think it was) the temp gun was reading much higher than the thermostat, and the thermostat set point was higher than the probe temp reading. This latter issue made me suspect that the thermostat was applying power to the tape, but the probe was not being warmed as much as it should have been.

If there is an air gap between the probe and the heat tape, the heat tape has to first heat itself, then heat the air, then heat the probe. Whether this can cause dangerous overheating of the tape depends on how much air gap there is, and (even more importantly) whether that air gap is consistent or varies over time (does that air gap distance change when you, say, pull the tub out?). Imagine that the probe is 10 feet away from the heat tape -- that heat tape is going to run at full power and not affect the probe one bit. I don't know how much air gap is a problem; I aim to have the probe in direct contact with the tape over two of the resistive element strips (to hopefully account for variation in temperature between strips).

Hope this makes sense, and helps.

 

[gobee]

It does make sense and I'm glad you brought it up. It was something I had thought of, but not at length because at the time I had a snake without an enclosure to deal with. I measured the middle shelf of the RBI rack more than once, and the temps were always on point. The bottom shelf however always measured well over 100 degrees, and as you can see from the images I posted, the top shelf did as well after it was damaged. Before the damage it would measure warmer than what the thermostat was set to but not to such an extent. I probably shouldn't have had any snakes in the RBI rack at all at that point but I really didn't have anywhere else to put the animals that were in it at the time as my AP rack hadn't been put together yet. Even after it was, the room had to be rearranged to make space for it. Since it's up and running now I've removed the one remaining snake from the RBI rack and put her in the AP rack instead.

So far, the thermostat seems to be working as intended. Unless I misunderstood the way they work, there's always going to be a maximum temp before it shuts off and a minimum temp before it kicks on. For some the range is only a few fractions of a degree. For others the range can be as much as ten degrees. All this is what I've understood anyway, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. As far as this particular thermostat goes, the range seems to be about six degrees altogether (three low to kick on, three high to kick off) which seems normal/acceptable to me. If it should be different, then I'll keep a much closer eye on it to see how badly it fluctuates.

 

[deadheadvet]

I have been doing business with Reptile Basic for easily 7 years. Everything I purchased was as expected. Never a problem with Thermostats, Temp. Guns, Heat Tape, Tubs, etc.
They have always responded quickly via phone or e-mail ( except if they are at a reptile show.) I have been to their location in person and never an issue. I have followed their recommendations with heat tape, and have not encountered any problems.