 Recent Herp Discussion | | | | | | | |  | | 
03-Apr-08, 09:37 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Nov-06 Location: Wollongong Age/Gender: 23  | | |
Just curious as to whether any others have had issues with heat mats similar to the pics below. I imagine i've obviously had some sort of power surge or something and its shorted the heat mat, causing it to burn the foam base. Came as a real shock to me as i've never encountered anything like that before. I know of one other person who has had similar issues but i'm wanting to know if its a common problem or not?
Also has anyone ever had any issues with heat cord along these lines (ie shorting etc)??
What amazes me is that i smelt nothing. The tank is in my room and it could have quite easily been much worse.
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Last edited by Twiggz; 26-May-08 at 08:38 PM.
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03-Apr-08, 09:40 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Oct-07 Location: sydney Gender: | | | | Scary
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03-Apr-08, 09:46 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jun-07 Location: Behind You :o Age/Gender: 21 | | | | I have the exact same type of mat and not had any problems... So far atleast. |
03-Apr-08, 09:49 PM
|  | Regular Member | | | | | why would you have a foam base? |
03-Apr-08, 09:50 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Mar-07 Location: Sutherland shire, Sydney Age/Gender: 26 | | | | yeah i had one of the small mats do that. i had it attached to the outside of a plastic aquarium. it had about an inch space below it to allow air flow, but it cooked itself and melted the tank slightly. so i decided to quit using them after that. |
03-Apr-08, 09:51 PM
|  | Roadkill Subscriber | Join Date: Aug-05 Location: Western Sydney Age/Gender: 25 | | | | Was it controlled by a probe thermostat?
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03-Apr-08, 10:00 PM
| | | | thermostats can malfunction
Not sure if you had a thermostat controlling that head pad,
but if a thermostat malfunctions, the pad it is supposed to be regulation can get very hot.
Some heat pads are very reliable,
but I still like the concept of basking light,
because if a light globe over-heats it will simply blow out!
you never get to see that with a faulty heat pad - just the aftermath
Correct me if wrong, but wasnt it a faulty heat pad that caused the ARP fire? |
03-Apr-08, 10:08 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Feb-08 Location: Melbourne Age/Gender: 22 | | | This really makes me nervous, and I pondered for quite some time before getting a python as to whether I'd use a heat mat or heat cord, I went with heat mat. And it's controlled by a thermostat so hopefully my thermostat will outlast the mat 'cause I'm not fond of fires! 
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03-Apr-08, 10:10 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Nov-06 Location: Wollongong Age/Gender: 23 | | | | Nah no thermostat. I generally use low wattage heat mats so basically dont have the need for one since temps dont get that hot normally. Its been in use for like a year with no problem at all.
Yeah globes are good, though for gex they just arn't as easy to use.
The foam is used basically as insulation. Just so that what ever i have the tank sitting on doesn't get damaged by the heat.
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03-Apr-08, 10:14 PM
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Originally Posted by VERDI  Correct me if wrong, but wasnt it a faulty heat pad that caused the ARP fire? | No that was a bush fire
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03-Apr-08, 10:26 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Nov-06 Location: Armidale NSW Age: 24 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggz
The foam is used basically as insulation. Just so that what ever i have the tank sitting on doesn't get damaged by the heat. | get rid of the foam...thats why it overheated and burnt out...same thing happened to me, if the heat can't escape on a warmer day it over heats the elements and melts the plastic...
thats why the exo-terra ones come with lugs to have some sort of air circulation around them.
I just prop mine up with a couple pieces of wood either end of the tub/enclosure, as long as there is some sort of air circulation that shoudl last ages.
and if the mat is stuck to the underside of the tub/enclusue then its not going to affect the heat getting through, just excess heat from under.
cheers
Andrew
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03-Apr-08, 10:36 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Nov-06 Location: Wollongong Age/Gender: 23 | | | | Think i'll just covert to heat cord.
Makes you wonder whether cords would do the same thing though, especially if people coil it so close together.
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03-Apr-08, 10:39 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Dec-03 Location: NSW Age/Gender: 52  | | | | I have never had a problem, but I buy Australian made that have been wired up by and aussie electrician
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03-Apr-08, 10:58 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: May-06 Location: Brisbane Gender: | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Twiggz Just curious as to whether any others have had issues with heat mats similar to the pics below. | I probably wouldn't use a heat mat again after this happened to mine: 
I certainly won't be using that one again.
Stewart |
03-Apr-08, 11:13 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Jun-06 Location: CQ | | | | Ive had the same problem with mats, not so much the melting of the Styrofoam
but were the mat itself has for lack of a better word "melted" giving a wrinkled
look and formed bubbles between the layers of plastic.
This only happened when used under a small "reptile glass/acrylic
type enclosure, it was never a problem while heating plastic tubs though.
I now try to avoid heating methods that require the heating element to be in
direct contact with any surface of the enclosure..
Ive even gone as far as installing caged lights in plastic tubs in a effort to
avoid other contact heating options.
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