Anybody ever used this stuff ?

[BorisTheSpider]

It has become very obvious that my new place is going to be cold this winter and with the money the way that it is these days I can't afford to rage the heater for the sake of my Ts . I found this stuff on Amazon and wondered if anybody has ever tried heat tape or heat rope before . Exo-terra has started selling something like this except it doesn't come with the built in thermostat and costs a lot more . Because of the sudden change in my living situation I've had to housed All my Ts in what was suppose to be temporary Sterilite containers . It now looks like they will have to be in them until spring . Since I've heard many opinions on heat rope/tape varying from very good to very bad I was just wondering what the general consensus is . Any opinions or alternate heating ideas will be greatly appreciated .

 

[Ictinike]

I've used something similar although a different application..

I've used heat "rope" on pipes in frigid winters to help prevent freezing and once used one or two on/in an engine to help keep it from fuel line freeze up...

While the heating is very localized to the area surrounding the rope it's low surface area really prevents it from doing a good job outside the enclosure and I believe is meant for more "in the enclosure" type settings such as terrapins, boas, etc. (don't quote me, just remember reading up on it last year)

I however have ordered 8 feet of Flexwatt 4" heat tape from Bean Farms and should arrive this week. I plan on running 2 4" runs on each side of the pseudo-wooden cabinet that I house my T's in. I've gone and insulated the various levels with 1/2" Styrofoam as well to help insulate and keep the heat inside the cabinet as well. Throw in a typical Thermostat and you can heat many feet with Flexwatt.

I feel the heat tape will give you a wider surface area and while I and you may not use it directly on enclosures it still provides enough heating surface to elevate the surrounding air if it's properly insulated.

Just my 2c and I can let you know how my installation goes since I'm prepping for a pretty cold winter here in Ohio and we don't usually keep the rooms 85F.. More like 65-70 but I wanted more for the T cabinet.

Cheers,