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How do you heat your wooden viv?

B

bthomas

New member
Hey guys,
I wanted to get some opinions on the best way to heat a wooden viv. I'm planning to start my build soon so wanted to get everything figured out first.
I will most likely be using melamine to build the enclosure out of if that makes a difference.
It was just recommended by someone else on this forum to use flex watt or heat tape on the inside of the viv with a ceramic tile siliconed in place over top of it, is this the best way to go? Has anyone else done this?

How do u heat your wooden viv?

Thanks,
Beth
 
I'm the one who recommended the aforementioned method. I just got done setting up a melamine enclosure using that method. So far its working great. Don't mind the thermometer probe, I just slapped it on there to dial the temps in, it has since been properly mounted and snake proofed!
 

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oh nice, the pics help a lot thank you.
So you taped the flex watt to the bottom of the tank, put the tile over it and then did u just tape around it or is that sealed with silicone?
 
You have to route out\chisel out a channel on the bottom of the viv so you can lay the thermostat probe in it so the tile can lay flat against the bottom of the viv. Then you just lay the tile over the heat tape, and silicone around the edges.
 
what about the covers that go over the connectors on the heat tape, wouldnt those make it so the tile doesnt lay flat?
would it be possible to leave the thermostat probe on top of the tile like in your pic, taped down with substrate on top
 
Yes, there is a small gap from the protectors, but only about an 1/8", vs 1/4" with the probe. You want the thermostat probe on the heat tape so you know exactly what the temp of the heat tape is.
 
if i had the thermostat probe on top of the tile it would keep that at the desired temp. thats all that matters right?
 
It's not difficult to make the groove, if you plan on building a viv from scratch, the groove is the least of your worries! Lol
 
Lol building the viv is easy.. Made one for a beardie once. There's no special tools need to screw boards together to make a box :)
 
I've been curious about this too, as I plan to build some wooden vivs. My main question is how do you exit the power cord for the heat pad from the viv without creating a hole big enough for the snake to escape?
 
Ideally you would drill a hole just big enough for the dia. of the power cord wire, snake it through, and wire the heat tape directly inside the enclosure.

Yes, the probe would be under the heat tape, but the heat tape heats up on both sides evenly, so you still get an accurate reading.
 
jake95 said:
Ideally you would drill a hole just big enough for the dia. of the power cord wire, snake it through, and wire the heat tape directly inside the enclosure.

Yes, the probe would be under the heat tape, but the heat tape heats up on both sides evenly, so you still get an accurate reading.
Click to expand...

I was afraid that's what the answer would be. What do those of us with absolutely no knowledge of wiring and no technical ability do, lol?
 
jake95 said:
You have to route out\chisel out a channel on the bottom of the viv so you can lay the thermostat probe in it so the tile can lay flat against the bottom of the viv. Then you just lay the tile over the heat tape, and silicone around the edges.
Click to expand...

Sorry, one more question. I've always heard it was important to have some air circulation around the heat mat so it doesn't overheat. For example, with glass vivs, the heat mat is on the outside of the viv, and the viv is slightly elevated, usually with little glue on feet that come with the mat. How do you avoid the heat mat overheating with your method?
 
Ooh, my friend who is SO much more handy than me, and is helping me build my vivs, just had a great idea for dealing with the power cord! Rather than risking rewiring the cord, we're going to cut a hole big enough for the cord to run through, then create an insert that fills the gap (and more) that just lets the cord through, and glue it up.

Thought I'd share that idea for anyone else who finds the idea of taking apart and rewiring power cords as terrifying as I do, lol.
 
LittleFrog said:
Sorry, one more question. I've always heard it was important to have some air circulation around the heat mat so it doesn't overheat. For example, with glass vivs, the heat mat is on the outside of the viv, and the viv is slightly elevated, usually with little glue on feet that come with the mat. How do you avoid the heat mat overheating with your method?
Click to expand...

Yes, that is correct, actual heat matts like the zoomeds, ultra-therms, ect need air circulation, however heat TAPE like flexwatt, THG, are fine being enclosed, as Flexwatt is actually for in-floor heating for bathrooms, kitchens, ect and is meant to be enclosed. THG is pretty much the same thing, just a bit higher quality.
 
LittleFrog said:
Ooh, my friend who is SO much more handy than me, and is helping me build my vivs, just had a great idea for dealing with the power cord! Rather than risking rewiring the cord, we're going to cut a hole big enough for the cord to run through, then create an insert that fills the gap (and more) that just lets the cord through, and glue it up.

Thought I'd share that idea for anyone else who finds the idea of taking apart and rewiring power cords as terrifying as I do, lol.
Click to expand...

That's another option! Wiring heat tape is no big deal. You just buy the cord and connector set, and simply crimp the connections on. You could solder it on, but that's not necessary.
 
jake95 said:
Yes, that is correct, actual heat matts like the zoomeds, ultra-therms, ect need air circulation, however heat TAPE like flexwatt, THG, are fine being enclosed, as Flexwatt is actually for in-floor heating for bathrooms, kitchens, ect and is meant to be enclosed. THG is pretty much the same thing, just a bit higher quality.
Click to expand...

Good to know. How would I handle it if I use a heat mat? Or is a heat mat not an option in a wooden viv?
 
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