I read something awhile back about Eric suggesting ordering the silicone heater with a

I read something awhile back about Eric suggesting ordering the silicone heater with a hole in it so the thermistor can be replaced. Any ideas how big the hole should be? My idea was 15-20mm, but I’m not sure if that’ll leave enough surface area for the thermistor to stay adhered to the heat spreader

I leave a 25x25mm hole in all my heaters, drill a small divot in the spreader, and place the thermistor in some thermal paste (very small amount). Then secure it to the heat spreader with some polyimide tape

I have gone as small as 8x8 hole on one for the adoptabot I did for a local robotics club:

Very helpful, thank you! I neglected to ask if it would be a good idea to go ahead and order a spare as well. Have they been fairly reliable in your experience?

Mine from alirubber have been running well for years. Same with people I know who bought keenovo brand. I think if it is properly spec’d, wires are strain relieved, etc… That you should see a good service life.

Cool, thank you.

So, for whatever reason, alirubber hasn’t responded to my inquiries so I turned to Ebay. The seller, jsr2industries, was very responsive and I was able to order a 380mm x 380mm heater with a 25mm hole for $65.80, shipped. I expect to have it middle of August. I’ll let everyone know how it turns out!

@William_Rilk Sorry to hear they weren’t responsive. I always had good luck… but things change with time. My last contact with them was end of 2017 I talked with Nicole Liu (nicole AT http://alirubber.com.cn)