Radiant Heat Panels

[BJC-787]

i am looking at the proherp Radiant Heat Panels for my new enclosures, just wondering if they send much heat out the top of the unit, as i am thinking of putting it under a basking shelf to heat the floor or perch and was wondering if it would heat the shelf as well.

 

[saximus]

They are designed specifically to emit heat downwards so they wouldn't be very useful if you actually want it to heat the shelf. They are really good though. I'd still suggest them and maybe just reconsider your setup

 

[BJC-787]

that is ok i am going to put it on the roof and have it heat a shelf, i was just reading on a site the other day that there was one that heated the surface above it as well, i think it did and wasn't designed to do it.

 

[saximus]

That may have been referring to a homemade one. If you use a heat cord you can make something that does what you're talking about. I know Snowman on here had some success with it

 

[Snowman]

I've made a heat panel with coreflute and a heat cord. It heats the shelf to 35 degrees and I get a basking spot of 30-32 degrees underneath it on the floor, depending on room temp. With the thermostat probe placed in the shelf itself it regulates how hot the shelf gets. I use a thermostat or the surface temp would get to 40 easily enough. Though all my tests running it flat out I couldn't get the shelf over 42 degrees. So even if the thermostat fails the snake shouldnt get burnt. The bhp that has it, uses both the top and under the shelf. I use a infra red thermometer to read the temps.

Made a basking shelf/heat panel on the weekend. Still running tests with it.
I used fiberglass fly screen for the cage under the panel. It's soft and wont hurt the animals nose if it rubs against it.
The shelf gets to 40 degrees on top and 31 underneath on the floor. I have drilled a hole into the shelf from the back for a thermostat probe. Though I'm running it flat out at present for max temps in my tests.
View attachment 221460View attachment 221461View attachment 221462View attachment 221463View attachment 221464View attachment 221465View attachment 221467

from the coreflute thread...







http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/diy-zone-5392/diy-heat-mat-171008/page/3

 

[Erebos]

I think you will find it will admit heat through the other side anyway even tho it's not a lot it still will.


Cheers Brenton

 

[MesseNoire]

How would you go about attaching these to the inside of a melamine enclosure? Or is that a big no no?

 

[Snowman]

I don't see it being a problem. Surely radiant heat panels are made for such purposes. Personally I'd chop the plug off them, drill a hole to poke the lead through and then refit a new plug on the lead.

 

[Dan40D]

The proherp heaters are the bomb, controlled with a habistat pulse thermostat i get a hot spot of around 31 degrees 400mm underneath the shelf, the top of the shelf (18mm melamine) gets to around 34-35 degrees, i regulary find my snakes basking under and on top of the shelf.

 

[Ozzie Python]

i used to use habistat panels, they would easily heat the floor of an above enclosure (so through 32mm of melamine) up to 36-40C. this was when i was getting a basking temp of 34C about 3-400mm below the panels.

 

[abnrmal91]

I don't see it being a problem. Surely radiant heat panels are made for such purposes. Personally I'd chop the plug off them, drill a hole to poke the lead through and then refit a new plug on the lead.

Only problem is you then loose the 10 year warranty.

 

[saximus]

Yeah I just used a 45mm hole saw and cut a hole for the plug then covered it with mesh. If you wanted to be a bit fancier though you could cut/drill a notch out of the hole for the cable then reinstall the piece that the hole saw cut out

 

[Ozzie Python]

just cut the plug off and throw a new one on. so much cleaner. won't void the warranty if it's done properly, or by a sparky. not like a properly wired plug will affect the operation of the unit.

 

[abnrmal91]

I understand that if it's done properly it will still work but for the little extra hassle of making a larger hole. If anything else goes wrong you still have your warranty, each to there own but that's just me.

 

[syxxx]

I use heat shelves for my womas and I am currently building new cages for my carpets in the same design only different shapes. The shelf is made of thick melamine which I hang on chains from the roof. Underneath I line the shelf with foil and then I attached the heat cord to a mouse wire panel with cable ties to space and hold the cord. This panel is then attached using small screw to the underside of the shelf with the foil layered 4-5 times. This shelf takes up 1/3 of the enclosure and increases the floor area as well as gives the reptiles exercise climbing up and down. The top of the shelf sits at 33-35 degrees and under the shelf is adjustable using the chain and hooks. I run thermostats in the centre of the back wall as a back up and the heat only turns off on hot days, most of the cage runs at a ambient room temp giving the snakes a natural seasonal variance for breeding. This is a simple system and a 4x2x1.5H can be heated with a single heat cord. Shoot me a PM if you want some photos.

 

[Snowman]

Only problem is you then loose the 10 year warranty.

pffttt... I've never bothered with a warranty for anything under $1000. It's too much hastle... Something as simple as an element in a panel either works or it doesnt....
No doubt over 15 years as an electrician probably makes me a little more confident with cutting the plug off

 

[saximus]

I'd love to see what's inside one of the Pro herp ones actually. They don't seem like they'd be anything too fancy but I don't want to waste $100 to find out

 

[wokka]

I understand that if it's done properly it will still work but for the little extra hassle of making a larger hole. If anything else goes wrong you still have your warranty, each to there own but that's just me.

I just cut a larger 50mm hole and notch the side for the cord. I the cover the hole with a sink strainer and it becomes a vent which is there for the future to add any probes etc..

 

[user 16324]

look at using a desk grommet that way you dont run the risk of loosing your 10 year warranty from cutting the power cord and they look clean.

 

[UrbanJungle]

Only problem is you then loose the 10 year warranty.

sorry but witch pannel has a 10 year warranty?