Posted by Indiana Ken on December 24, 2011 at 05:43:46 from (66.249.233.66):
In Reply to: OT Heat tape and pets posted by Heyseed on December 23, 2011 at 22:00:20:
[quote="Heyseed"](quoted from post at 23:00:20 12/23/11) I'm making a doghouse of sorts for my outdoor cats. I had a thought of using some heat tape I have (the low temp stuff used to keep pipes from freezing) to wrap under the sleeping area. Anyone ever use it for anything like this. Is there a fire hazard with it?
OK - so you have heat tape and want to use it. Heat tape is typically around 3 watts per foot and has a thermostat to turn it off above freezing. A 10 foot length would be 30 watts total which sounds about right for the job. These are all great features and besides you already have it however, it tends to overheat unless it is wrapped around a metal pipe or whatever to carry the heat away. The fire hazard is a result of not carrying away the heat.
It should be possible to use the tape to electrically heat the floor of your cat house. The process assumes a plywood base and would be something like as follows:
- Use 1/2 to 1 inch ridgid foam insulation board to prevent heat loss to ground.
- Apply 1/2 layer of plaster of paris and allow to set up.
- Lay the heat tape on top of the plaster of paris in a pattern such that the heat tape does not cross each other or otherwise touch. Maintain a spacing of approximately two inches between wires.
- Apply another 1/2 layer of plaster of paris to completely encase the heat tape.
- Place Puddy's favorite blanket on top of the plaster of paris and your done.
Note: I have not actually done this so you will want to proceed with caution. The key is to carry the heat away from the tape and distribute it - which is the function of the plaster of paris. Concrete or loose sand would also work however with loose sand you will need a way to maintain the position and spacing of the heat tape. Sand would be a good method to test the concept and then use something more permanent for the final version. For tempertature control; you could also use a diode (Radio Shack 276-1143) or incandescent light dimmer control to reduce the heat output if required. And of course, always turn it off in warm weather.
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