How to use heat mat?

[becwatson14]

How do u use a heat mat? Does it go under or in an enclosure? if you put it under, how does it keep warm enough??

 

[andynic07]

How do u use a heat mat? Does it go under or in an enclosure? if you put it under, how does it keep warm enough??

If your enclosure is glass then it heats the glass but if you have a wooden enclosure it will do next to nothing on the outside.

 

[Diamond_newbie]

I think heat mats are pretty rubbish. Anyway you can get a cord instead? I tried a heat mat and it did nothing, also I was worried as there was no ventilation around it. If you put a heat matin enclosure and it over heats your snake could ge hurt.

 

[Trimeresurus]

If your enclosure is glass then it heats the glass but if you have a wooden enclosure it will do next to nothing on the outside.

Not quite true. I run 14w heatmats under all my tanks made of 16mm melamine. I run them without a thermostat (*Disclaimer - thermostats should be used if you aren't sure what you're doing*) and have them directly under NOT inside the tanks, they get well into the high 30s and mid 40s in summer, but never hot enough to cause burns. (Higher temps than the recommended '32' but they don't do much in terms of raising ambient temps therefor not overheating the enclosure, and snakes aren't dumb - they will move off if they get too hot. *Once again, not recommended if you aren't sure what you're doing*)

To the OP, it doesn't heat your whole tank, it heats one small area - belly heat is ideal for snakes, and mats/cord are the best way to do this for non arboreal species.

Heat mats/cords are very efficient forms of heating both for you and the snakes.

 

[becwatson14]

I have a wooden one

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2

 

[andynic07]

Not quite true. I run 14w heatmats under all my tanks made of 16mm melamine. I run them without a thermostat (*Disclaimer - thermostats should be used if you aren't sure what you're doing*) and have them directly under NOT inside the tanks, they get well into the high 30s and mid 40s in summer, but never hot enough to cause burns. (Higher temps than the recommended '32' but they don't do much in terms of raising ambient temps therefor not overheating the enclosure, and snakes aren't dumb - they will move off if they get too hot. *Once again, not recommended if you aren't sure what you're doing*)

To the OP, it doesn't heat your whole tank, it heats one small area - belly heat is ideal for snakes, and mats/cord are the best way to do this for non arboreal species.

Heat mats/cords are very efficient forms of heating both for you and the snakes.

Fair enough, I have not tried it but it obviously works. I was just going on the fact that wood has a thermal conductivity of roughly 0.1 and glass is roughly 1 so glass should be about 10 times better. Saying that Steele is about 43 so it is a lot better again and in comparison glass and wood are fairly close. As for the other post about heat mats being rubbish I have used heat mats and it has been fine and a lot of other people have. If they are used correctly they are relatively safe but cords are safer.

 

[Trimeresurus]

Yeah, compared to glass the wood gets nowhere near as hot, but it can be much safer if set up correctly.

I agree about the heat cord and recommend that OP.

 

[andynic07]

Yeah, compared to glass the wood gets nowhere near as hot, but it can be much safer if set up correctly.

I agree about the heat cord and recommend that OP.

I have just started to switch from mats to cords and find them really good. What is the shortest length cord available? I bought a 6 meter one for two young bhp's that I bought but would be after a shorter one for each of them when they get moved from tubs to enclosures.

 

[Trimeresurus]

I have just started to switch from mats to cords and find them really good. What is the shortest length cord available? I bought a 6 meter one for two young bhp's that I bought but would be after a shorter one for each of them when they get moved from tubs to enclosures.

Herp shop has 4m cord, not sure if you can get smaller still

 

[Bart70]

I just tried a little bit of an experiment with a heat mat after seeing something similar done with heat cords.

I used 14w mat and built a 300mm x 300mm square frame out of timber. I bought a 300x300mm ceramic tile, a piece of fire-resistant fibrous cement sheet 300x300.

With this I created a 'sandwich' with the mat in between the ceramic tile and the fibrous sheet. This was then secured within the frame with the tile surface on the outside. The gap underneath (between the fibrous sheet and the bottom of the frame) was filled with expanding foam and cut off level with the frame so it will sit flat on a benchtop.

This means I now have a heat 'tile' that will reach surface temps of around 45c (without a thermostat...but I use one with it) that will have nothing to ignite should it short-circuit or burn up (as some have been known to do).

I replace a heat mat across 2 hatchy tubs with this new one and it has been working a treat - and I am comfortable that I have eliminated much of the fire risk that can be associated with these mats.

Sorry about the brief description of how I made it....If anybody is interested in further details feel free to PM me.

 

[andynic07]

I just tried a little bit of an experiment with a heat mat after seeing something similar done with heat cords.

I used 14w mat and built a 300mm x 300mm square frame out of timber. I bought a 300x300mm ceramic tile, a piece of fire-resistant fibrous cement sheet 300x300.

With this I created a 'sandwich' with the mat in between the ceramic tile and the fibrous sheet. This was then secured within the frame with the tile surface on the outside. The gap underneath (between the fibrous sheet and the bottom of the frame) was filled with expanding foam and cut off level with the frame so it will sit flat on a benchtop.

This means I now have a heat 'tile' that will reach surface temps of around 45c (without a thermostat...but I use one with it) that will have nothing to ignite should it short-circuit or burn up (as some have been known to do).

I replace a heat mat across 2 hatchy tubs with this new one and it has been working a treat - and I am comfortable that I have eliminated much of the fire risk that can be associated with these mats.

Sorry about the brief description of how I made it....If anybody is interested in further details feel free to PM me.

How far away is the timber frame from the heat mat?

 

[PetPac]

Part of the fire risk with heat mats is actually 'not' allowing excess heat to escape. Part of the problem is determining which mat you are using of course. There are a couple that are like a big "sticker", designed to be stuck on the underside of a glass enclosure. The glass enclosure however must be raised a few mms to ensure excess heat can radiate away. Similarly using a mat and then for example placing a thick layer of sand inside the glass enclosure can trap heat causing the glass to crack.
Other mats have a tough plastic outer covering, I have used these "loose" in enclosures, standing upright, to provide for geckos - not very pretty but gives these a lot of choices.
ZooMed make the best mats as they contain long lasting nichrome wire, not a carbon film, in my opinion

 

[Bart70]

How far away is the timber frame from the heat mat?

....about 20mm to the edge of the plastic laminate of the mat, the electrode within the mat is about another 10mm in from the edge of the laminate so approx 30mm from the electrode of the mat (it is a printed carbon type mat)

The only material that is in contact with any part of the mat, including the laminate edging, is fibrous cement and ceramic tile.