Heat cable performance

Wrldruler

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 7, 2019
Messages
21
Newbie here, struggling with low temps in my basement. Yes, I may get a space heater. But I am trying to make use of a heat cable I already had on hand due to an unrelated project last year. It is a 27 foot, 80 watt flexible heat rope :

https://www.bigappleherp.com/collections/heating/products/pro-series-flexible-reptile-heat-rope

I just can't get the temps to budge much. This cable got exposed to weather last year and, as a newbie, I cant tell if it is still functioning properly. What is the best way to test of it is functioning like normal? If I touch a thermometer to the cable, what temp should it read?

Thanks
 

moricollins

Arachno search engine
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 15, 2003
Messages
3,687
Newbie here, struggling with low temps in my basement. Yes, I may get a space heater. But I am trying to make use of a heat cable I already had on hand due to an unrelated project last year. It is a 27 foot, 80 watt flexible heat rope :

https://www.bigappleherp.com/collections/heating/products/pro-series-flexible-reptile-heat-rope

I just can't get the temps to budge much. This cable got exposed to weather last year and, as a newbie, I cant tell if it is still functioning properly. What is the best way to test of it is functioning like normal? If I touch a thermometer to the cable, what temp should it read?

Thanks
What temperature is it in your basement? What specieses are you keeping?
 

Wrldruler

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 7, 2019
Messages
21
Low 60s

Brachypelma albopilosum
Avicularia avicularia
Aphonopelma seemanni

I plan to buy slings in September.

I built a rough cabinet today, looped the cable up and down the back of the cabinet. Still 63 inside the cabinet.

The cables are warm to the touch but I don't consider them "hot"
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,044
80 watts. 3 watts per foot. About 270 BTU/h. A small calf can fart more heat than that. But if you have access to an ohmmeter measure between the prongs of the plug. If it's working it will read ~180 ohms.
 
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