Heat Mats.

[naledge]

After a lot of reading it seemed the best heat source for a click-clack was a heat mat. After asking advice on here I was told to put a bit of polystyrene under it.

After one day of the heat mat (which was running through a thermostat) being on, we touched the bottom of the click-clack and nearly burnt ourselves. It got way too hot. The polystyrene had melted.

We now have a heat cord there.

Heat mats definitely seem far too risky for me, I'll stick with globes and cords.

 

[Bretsta]

i couldn't offer any advise here, as i haven't used them, however i did recently buy one to start a woodie colony, so out curiosity, what brand was it???

mines a reptapets with a built in thermostat..

 

[Bez84]

Homemade heat board best way to heat click clacks.

 

[naledge]

i couldn't offer any advise here, as i haven't used them, however i did recently buy one to start a woodie colony, so out curiosity, what brand was it???

mines a reptapets with a built in thermostat..

No idea, I know it was green like the URS ones.

Homemade heat board best way to heat click clacks.

What's that and how do I do it? xD

 

[Khagan]

Question: Was it hooked up to a thermostat? What wattage was it?

 

[SLACkra]

I've had a probe thermostat malfunction and a heat mat get so hot it cracked the bottom of a fish tank. That said i think they're a terrific way to heat enclosures if used in conjunction with a good probe thermostat or dimmer.

 

[whcasual79]

im doing my darwin hatchy's click clack the same way i did for my childreni, putting the tub in the enclosure, and putting some styrofoam underneath it to keep the heat inside the tub ...

 

[naledge]

Question: Was it hooked up to a thermostat? What wattage was it?

Yeah it was. It was ten watt.

The heat cord's 15w but it's not heating up nearly as much as the mat did.

 

[Khagan]

Yeah it was. It was ten watt.

The heat cord's 15w but it's not heating up nearly as much as the mat did.

Hmm odd, maybe you just got unlucky with a faulty mat.

 

[JAS101]

After a lot of reading it seemed the best heat source for a click-clack was a heat mat. After asking advice on here I was told to put a bit of polystyrene under it.

After one day of the heat mat (which was running through a thermostat) being on, we touched the bottom of the click-clack and nearly burnt ourselves. It got way too hot. The polystyrene had melted.

We now have a heat cord there.

Heat mats definitely seem far too risky for me, I'll stick with globes and cords.

where did u have the thermostat probe? between the polystyrene and the heat mat [ like recomeneded?]

 

[CodeRed]

Why would anyone recommend putting polystyrene in contact with a heat source? That's just plain stupid. Of course it was going to melt. The advice given on here leaves a lot to be desired ... sheesh

If you want to put something between a heat mat and the cage then go for a ceramic tile. They dont melt and have good thermal properties allowing the heat to be evenly distributed which will remove any hot spots.

 

[JAS101]

Why would anyone recommend putting polystyrene in contact with a heat source? That's just plain stupid. Of course it was going to melt. The advice given on here leaves a lot to be desired ... sheesh

If you want to put something between a heat mat and the cage then go for a ceramic tile. They dont melt and have good thermal properties allowing the heat to be evenly distributed which will remove any hot spots.

i think u will find that the polystyrene was recommend by the instructions on the back of the packaging . [ i know mine was]

 

[Banjo]

Why would anyone recommend putting polystyrene in contact with a heat source? That's just plain stupid. Of course it was going to melt. The advice given on here leaves a lot to be desired ... sheesh

If you want to put something between a heat mat and the cage then go for a ceramic tile. They dont melt and have good thermal properties allowing the heat to be evenly distributed which will remove any hot spots.

I have never had a problem with using polystyrene as a base, at a guess it would have to reach 70+ degrees before the polystyrene melted (Maybe higher), and if you are using the heat mat with a thermastate it shouldn't get over the maxium temps that it was set at (Say 34 degrees). Not trying to be a smarty it is jmo.

 

[dtulip10]

Why would anyone recommend putting polystyrene in contact with a heat source? That's just plain stupid. Of course it was going to melt. The advice given on here leaves a lot to be desired ... sheesh

If you want to put something between a heat mat and the cage then go for a ceramic tile. They dont melt and have good thermal properties allowing the heat to be evenly distributed which will remove any hot spots.

100% agreed polystyrene is stupid. use a tile they work much better.

 

[CodeRed]

I have never had a problem with using polystyrene as a base, at a guess it would have to reach 70+ degrees before the polystyrene melted (Maybe higher), and if you are using the heat mat with a thermastate it shouldn't get over the maxium temps that it was set at (Say 34 degrees). Not trying to be a smarty it is jmo.

You may use a thermostats but the heat mat has hot and cold spots. The temperature variance between these spots can be massive. It only takes one hot spot to start melting the polystyrene.

plain and simple putting polystyrene in contact with a heat mat is DUMB.

 

[JAS101]

You may use a thermostats but the heat mat has hot and cold spots. The temperature variance between these spots can be massive. It only takes one hot spot to start melting the polystyrene.

plain and simple putting polystyrene in contact with a heat mat is DUMB.

im not disagreeing , but why would they recommend it in there instructions ?

 

[CodeRed]

im not disagreeing , but why would they recommend it in there instructions ?

Because they like law suits LOL

seriously if thats what is printed on the instructions and it causes a fire then the manufacturer will be liable. Pretty dumb if you ask me.

 

[Bez84]

Hmm thought someone would of answered this by now to make a heat board you just cut sheet of melamine or whatever and get a router and route grooves wide enough and deep enough for you to lay the heat cord ino these groves.
Is how most people heat large racks the heat cord is routed into the shelf.
Im sure you could find a picture somewhere around this site or someone would have one.
There easy to make i just make 3 or so long grooves along one edge of the board and lay about 3 or so strips of cord in that side about 5cm apart then put a bit of cloth tape over it to hold the cord in the groove and sit one side of tub on it same as heat mat.
May have to experiment with number of lines of cord and spacing between then to get ideal temperature.
anyway there are 100's of memeber who can explain it better then i as i just woke up lol.

 

[Banjo]

You may use a thermostats but the heat mat has hot and cold spots. The temperature variance between these spots can be massive. It only takes one hot spot to start melting the polystyrene.

plain and simple putting polystyrene in contact with a heat mat is DUMB.

Like I said it was jmo and I have never had any problems, and saying that I only use a plastic tubes for a short period of time, and they are alsways monitered.

 

[Bez84]

On the note of foam all my heatmats i use under the woody or beardy glass tanks are sitting ontop of foam and all it does is gets slightly warm if at all.