Lee Hart wrote: >> There is no thermostat in this wire. The temperature it "regulates" >> at is not a fixed number, but will change depending on the air >> temperature and how much insulation is around the wire.
John G. Lussmyer wrote: > Ahh, but Lee, remember these are temp regulated by the temperature > vs conductivity coefficient of the plastic between the wires. Volt > goes up, heat goes up, resistance goes up. Seems like a higher > voltage would find equilibrium at a higher temperature. Yep, I agree. It will also regulate at a higher temperature with more voltage across it. Ultimately, it will be an experimental process to figure out how to use the stuff to get the temperature you want. The good thing about this wire is that is should always be self-limiting, no matter how much insulation you pack around it, and (within reason) how much voltage you put on it. It will always heat up, go to a higher resistance, and stabilize at some temperature. Plain old fixed resistance heaters will not do this; if you put them in a situation where they can only dissipate 5 watts and they are using 10 watts of electricity, they will keep getting hotter and hotter until something fails, melts, or catches fire! -- Lee A. Hart Ring the bells that still can ring 814 8th Ave. N. Forget your perfect offering Sartell, MN 56377 USA There is a crack in everything leeahart_at_earthlink.net That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
