So, I’m in the process of building a wooden enclosure and it has been a true struggle trying to decide on how I am going to heat this thing. Before we go any further I know that it would be much more ideal and simpler to just use a PVC enclosure, as they can be heated with Flexwatt under the enclosure. I do have multiple PVC enclosures and I love them, but they were made local to me so I didn’t mind paying a premium so I can support local business. Unfortunately my local source has gone out of business due to personal issues, and with me being such a wannabe DIYer I can not justify ordering a $400+ enclosure then paying another $75 for shipping. This is going to be more of a fun project for me.
WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY…
The enclosure I’m constructing will be roughly 60"x30"x24", so please keep that in mind.
I am very open to any and all options.
I have heard of using Flexwatt sandwiched in-between the wooden floor and a sheet of acrylic, but my issue with that is I do not think it would have proper airflow to vent the heat tape.
I have also considered using bulb style ceramic heat emitters but I have heard that these do not last long with simple on and off style thermostats that lack the “ramp up” feature and that when they are working they actually project heat very poorly.
I’m feeling that my best bet would be to use a radiant heat panel. I have heard many great things about them but the cost is a little hard to wrap my head around, but I know that it is well worth the price if it keeps my reptiles healthy.
With all of that being said I haven’t the slightest clue on where to place the thermostat probe… I have seen videos of them just hanging in the hot spot a few inches from the floor but that just seems kinda wreckless and rigged up to me. I also feel that if I have overhead heat with the probe attached to the enclosure floor if the snake coils up directly over it the heat source will stay on resulting in undesirably higher temps.
These are all just speculations and opinions of mine so feel free to chime in with anything you may deem helpful.
PICTURES WOULD BE AWESOME!
Putting the probe directly under that panel about 5 inches away suspended in air is what I’ve always done. You can dial your temps in from there. Easier to secure it and know it wouldn’t get bumped there like on the ground. You’ll have to jack it obviously to get desired temps below and elsewhere. I like heat panels they can’t burn your animal directly. Honestly though I personally only use Herpstats with all of my heating elements. It doesn’t waste energy and it prolongs my elements. It’s an investment but one of the best ones you can make is towards a quality thermostat. Also I only buy quality heat panels the cheap knock offs are just that. I don’t risk my safety or the animals over a few bucks. *Also the more time you let a heat panels dial in before relying on it the better. A full two weeks gets you an idea where she’ll cycle. Remember winter brings challenges along with just your overall room and enclosure setup.
Radiant Heat Panels are definitely the best way to go with an enclosure, regardless if it is wooden or plastic. I have my thermostat probes mounted a few inches below the panel (one stack has the probe sticking out through a hole I drilled, and I put a straw around it to give it some bounce back if the snake decides to bump it). The other one the probe is clamped to the back wall. As mentioned, dialing in the setup is key. The stack I have the probe clamped to the back wall, has the thermostat set to 84.5 and it provides a hot spot around 90/91, the other stack is set to 88 and provides a 90/91 degree hot spot.