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rack heating help

D

debcash

Austin's Mom
I need some ideas and suggestions...

I have a 11 shelf hatchling rack that holds 3 sterilite tubs on each shelf. It has heat cable recessed into each shelf about an inch from the back. I have been unable to get consistent temps in the bins.

I have 3 temp probes in the unit plus the probe for the thermostat unit.
A lower right side bin is at 80.5 degrees, an upper left bin is 82.5 and a center mid-shelf bin is at 87.5. And I have to set the thermostat to 93 degrees to get the lower bins into the 80's at all. To me a 7 degree difference seems to be a lot. If I set the thermostat higher (95/96) to get the lower bin up to 83 then the center bin goes to 90 degrees - too hot!
Has anyone else run into this?

I'd like all my hatchling to be in the 83-86 degree range on the 'warm side'. My room temp is 74-75 degrees and varies little. I have made sure all the temp probes are in about the same place in each bin and are set just under the substrate.

Somehow I need to bring up the temps in the side/top/bottom bins and get the temps in the center bins a few degrees cooler.

I am considering putting something between the heat tape and the bins in the center shelf to disperse the heat or insulate it from the heat cable - but what ever I use has to be very, very thin because otherwise the bins won't fit. Any ideas?

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions would be welcome....
 
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try a piece of sheet metal between the heat tape and the wood from the rack, that would definatley disperse the heat more evenly. i use 11inch heat tape in my rack and use a alife thermostat, and every one of my 12 bins are almost identical, i also use the sheet metal.
 
The heat cable itself is the cause of the variance. Flexwattt is better suited for the purpose of evenly distributing heat within a rack. Another suggestion is to line the back of the rack with aluminum foil; serving the same purpose as the sheet metal without requiring disassembly of your rack.

Is there any particular reason why your trying to get the temp all the way up to 86?
 
I went ahead and got the sheet metal at Lowes and cut it to cover the back 4 inches of each shelf. It worked like a dream. The temps are now consistently in the 82 to 84.4 degree range on the warm side, and I have to think its a more even heat for them too. :) I like happier hatchlings!

CAV, because of the temp varying so much between shelves/bins, I figured I would have to have the high temp around 86 to get to 82 for the low end. (The reading I'd done said anything upto 88/90 degrees for hatchlings is fine, but it sounded a bit warm to me). I'd like to keep them in the 32/34 degree range on the warm side. Does that sound about right from your experience?

Thanks Dr. Teeth & CAV!!
 
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