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Sealing or covering flexwatt

mxracer4life

mxracer4life

"Daniel Boone"
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I have seen a lot of forums for hooking up flexwatt or placement, but none on how to cover or seal them. I have this fear of a water bowl getting tipped over and shorting out my system. I have a custoemr built wooden cage, made out of 3/4'' wood, stained and sealed. Right now I have lenolium covering the bottom of the cage, with the flexwatt underneath that. This method has been working but its a pain to remove the lenolium and make any adjustments or repairs to the flexwatt. Can someone give me a few ideas on how to use flexwatt for a wooden cage? I don't have a router, otherwise I would cut out a spot for the flex and cover it with plexiglass. Any ideas would be great! Thanks!

Jeremy
 
On my homemade racks I covered it with the aluminum tape they use on home ductwork. Protected it from sliding tubs and held it in place.
 
But what can I cover it with when the flex is IN the cage with the snake? Will the aluminum tape hold to where they cannot work it free and get tangled with it?
 
Someone gave me the idea of using 1/8'' plexi to cover flex, then sylicone around it. Would I need to drill a couple holes UNDER the flex so it has some circulation under there?
 
easiest way to avoid issue which I am sure you will not like...cut a hole in the floor where you want the flexwatt to be....install a glass or plexi "floor" in the place of the hole...place the flexwatt under the floor window thus allowing heat to pass into the cage AND allowing the flewatt to be safe from water.

You can seal flexwatt with electricians paste...its like liquid electrical tape...but I wouldn't submerge flexwatt in water even if sealed.


What are you housing in your wood cage?
 
Thats not a bad idea. So I take it that just placing the flex on the bottom of the enclosure then covering it with plexi won't work? What if I drilled holes under the flex?
 
suzuki4life said:
totally "encapsuling" the flexwatt would be a fire hazard....

no clue on how venting would work...might or might not.
Click to expand...

mxracer4life said:
Thats how I am going to do it. Its the best method I think that will be simple and effective.
Click to expand...

I've covered heat tape with ceramic tiles before with no problems. I used 2' of 11" flexwatt lay the ceramic tiles on top with beads of silicone under the edges. Then put the probe for your thermostat in plastic sandwich bag and place it in between the two tiles. Then run caulk around the edges of the tiles and seal it all together. Worked like a champ. :thumbsup:

heatboa.jpg
 
How about using the two tiles method above, glue the bottom tile down, put a tile spacer in between the two tiles and cutting a slot in the back of the rack to slide the heat tape in. The slot would ventilate the the flexwatt. Silicone or use a bull nose tile edge around the whole thing.
 
Melinda said:
How about using the two tiles method above, glue the bottom tile down, put a tile spacer in between the two tiles and cutting a slot in the back of the rack to slide the heat tape in. The slot would ventilate the the flexwatt. Silicone or use a bull nose tile edge around the whole thing.
Click to expand...

if you are venting it, then you are venting it...
 
suzuki4life said:
Ask Triplemoon if she has pictures of her flexwatt near miss.
Click to expand...

O, I have some beautiful pictures of what can happen with Flexwatt and wood...Never again!

cageburn-1.jpg


cageburn-2.jpg


It should be noted that the problem happened 4-6 years (I think more in the 5-6 range because they were built before I bought my house) after the cages were built and in use, their was nothing wrong with the wiring (no bumping/dislodging) and the thermostat was a Helix (and is still in use because there's nothing wrong with it). Cypress mulch was used as a substrate if that matters at all. Their were 3 cages, 2 did this. The FlexWatt was purchased at the same time from the same place and had about 1/4" to breath. Never figure out what happened. :shrug01:
 
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