Do I really need to use a thermostat or rheostat?

In a word, YES! Heat tape will last much longer and be much safer for you and your animals if it is used properly and safely. The manufacturer of Flexwatt heat tape indicates it should never be used without a thermostat or rheostat to control its temperature. My own experiences over the years also support this. While some will tell you it can be used "as is" in some widths and wattages, I have had it fail when used this way. Flexwatt can get quite a bit warmer than you want it to if left uncontrolled regardless of the width or wattage which WILL lead to premature product failure.

Can you assemble my heat tape up for me?

Absolutely. To really mash (technical term) the metal clips on there good, and correctly, you need the special crimping tool sold by the manufacturer. Can this be done at home without this tool? Yes. But why would you when we will do it to your specs for FREE! Just use the comments section when checking out to let us know what you need OR give us a call and we can discuss it over the phone.

How come you make the connections for free? Are you high or something?

We think it is pretty amusing that others are charging to make the connections for you. My thinking is they are taking advantage of someone who does not use the proper tool often enough to warrant its purchase ($40 or so). It is important to have a uniform, high pressure crimp and this is difficult to acheive without the special crimping tool. Quite frankly, it takes us as long to pack your order as it does to crimp your heat tape connections and we would prefer to make sure it is done properly for you. We have made thousands of these connections and will (hopefully) make thousands more! Just let us know what you need!

How does heat tape work?

Basically flexwatt is a heating element originally designed to warm floors and other flat surfaces. Along each side of the heat tape is a foil strip that conducts electricity to the black lines in the tape that make up the heating element. Heat tape is very thin and made of a durable plastic film which makes it ideal for heating reptiles. I have been using heat tape on various racks and cages for about 15 years now with no significant incident. When used properly with a thermosta/rheostat it is a very long lived product.

Why different sizes?

You will want to select the size tape you will used based on your application. A couple of things to keep in mind:

1) You want to create a basking area for your reptile, not a hot plate to sit on. I like to have the tape cover no more than roughly 1/3 of the floor surface area when it is used for belly heat. This will provide your animals with a nice thermal gradient so they can decide how warm they need to be.

2) Like about anything else in life, heat tape and thermostats CAN AND DO fail! You want to use enough heat tape width and wattage to do the job you need done and still maintain a safe environment should it fail and get hotter than it is supposed to. Your animals MUST be able to get away from the heat should it become too much. This is another very important reason not to cover more than about 1/3 of the floor area with the heat tape when using it for belly heat. Ideally you should select the appropriate wattage/width so that you will only run the heat tape at about 50-75% capacity. For belly heat rack applications you MUST set up the thermostat probe on the heat tape itself for best results and highest safety. We can not stress this enough. DO NOT place your thermostat probe inside one of the tubs or off of the heat tape. The most foolproof, consistent method is to place and secure the thermostat probe directly on the heat tape itself.

In most small to medium shoe and sweater boxes the 3 inch or 4 inch tape will do the job. Unless your room temperature is unusually cool you should get good results. For larger sweater or blanket box applications you would probably go with the 11" wide tape.

What is a rheostat?

A rheostat is basically a light dimmer. It does not adjust the output based on the temperature it just maintains a steady output. Rheostats work well if you have an extremely stable room temperature. Once you have it adjusted to the temperature you like it will stay pretty close to that point all the time. HOWEVER, should the room temperature fluctuate up or down significantly the tape temperature will follow it. This may lead to dangerously high or low temps for your animals. We recommend a thermostat for most applications for this reason. This is another good reason heat tape SHOULD NOT be used without a rheostat or thermostat.

How much of this heat tape can I hook up to a thermostat?

It is recommended you keep your heat tape runs at a maximum length of under 50 feet in length for the 3" and 4" heat tape and under 25 feet when using the 11" heat tape.

Most thermostats used for reptiles are rated for 500-1500 watts. The 11" tape is 20 watts per foot and a 500 watt thermostat will safely run around 20-25 feet total, a 1000 watt thermostat around 50 feet total. The 3" tape is 10 watts per foot and that same 500 watt thermostat will run 45-50 feet, a 1000 watt thermostat about 100 feet total. The 4" tape is 8 watts per foot and we recommend you follow the same guidelines as the 3" tape. I typically choose not to run thermostats at their absolute maximum rating, it can lead to a shorter lifespan, just like keeping your gas pedal on the floor all the time when you drive your car will shorten engine life.