Heat Mats.

[Snake_Whisperer]

I use wall thermostats in my enclosures in conjunction with heat mats, not a problem. Setup is: 1) Tile on the floor, underneath the enclosure. 2) Heatmat in contact with the underside of the floor of enclosure. 3) Thermostat inside enclosure, about 65mm above the hot spot on floor. Set at 28 degrees, it gives the floor and hide at that location a comfy 32 degrees.

It can be done, you have to experiment with placements and settings. Polystyrene? Every heat mat I have ever seen has said no contact AT ALL with combustible materials. How strange they'd say that! They must want to get sued!

*edit*

A good point by adz, low wattage is the go, lower the better! I use 7w heat matts for my primary heat source with never a problem. In the winter I may flick on a 40-60w lamp as supplemental heat but that is it!

 

[Elapidae1]

Oh nice, just saw them.
I'll get one as soon as the freight money from a sale goes into the bank haha.

If the temperature in the hot end is meant to be between 32-36 what should the thermostat be set at? I assume it'd be hotter where the probe is at the mat than in the air above it.

The ambient temperature will only be slightly affected by a heat mat as it is only designed so the animal can absorb heat from the enclosures surface

 

[JedEye]

Hmm the heat mat I purchased not only said, but kind of stressed the need to use poly styrene under the heat mat with the sensor in between the heat mat and the poly styrene.

I did think this was odd but it worked and didn't melt....

 

[Aiigaru]

The only heat mat I've used was 5w, connected to a thermostat that I've used for years with globes and cords without any trouble, and the mat managed to burn a hole into the bottom of the click clack O.O Nowadays i use only cords, and these I don't even bother to hook up to a thermostat anymore. I've found they are not needed (atleast with my set ups). I've used this method for over a year now, problem free.

 

[bpb02]

okay i have just got a 2nd hand heat mat off a mate so no instructions its a 10 watt i am getting a 2 month old woma and have the heat mat under 1/3 of the enclosure i have the heat mat on my wooden stand then the click clack sitting directly ontop of the mat should i put a tile on the stand, then the heat mat, then another tile to prevent it burning the click clack and the top of my stand??

 

[hallie]

okay i have just got a 2nd hand heat mat off a mate so no instructions its a 10 watt i am getting a 2 month old woma and have the heat mat under 1/3 of the enclosure i have the heat mat on my wooden stand then the click clack sitting directly ontop of the mat should i put a tile on the stand, then the heat mat, then another tile to prevent it burning the click clack and the top of my stand??

I would tile top and bottom just for piece of mind.

Everyone says it works well that way and its safer with no direct contact with either plastic or wood (both flammable).

Have your thermostat probe between the second tile and the click clack..

 

[bpb02]

really okay so the probe will make the clickclack a little unstable. should i set it to 32 or should i set it a bit higher like 34 to allow for heat lose through the tile

 

[hallie]

really okay so the probe will make the clickclack a little unstable. should i set it to 32 or should i set it a bit higher like 34 to allow for heat lose through the tile

Get 2 small thermostats and have one at each end inside the enclosure, then you can gauge the exact temps inside the enclosure. I wouldnt be just relying on your thermostat setting.

 

[bpb02]

umm get to small thermos they are cheap u mean thermometers?

 

[mattlewis]

Yeah, think he does as they are different use thermometers to measure your enclosures temp and adjust your thermostat until you reach your desired temps