Uth?

Nicky · 09-06-04, 07:29 PM

Hey guys,
After doing some measurments i relised that i am going to have to stick with a 4' by 2' by 2' cage for now until i get a bigger room. Anyways i'm just going to go with melanime ( excuse my spelling) and use a uth for heat. My question is, what are the chances of the wood catching on fire because of the heating pad? Seeing as it'll be in the high 80's? Also for a 4 ' long cage how much of the cage should i cover to ensure proper heating? And do they even sell uth's that long or will i have to use two?
Thanks so much
Kayla
(hopefully chad the boa will be coming home this weekend from the expo

)

MouseKilla · 09-06-04, 11:07 PM

I think a human heat pad is the way to go, and they do come in a larger than normal 1' X 2' size. I have a couple of cages that are 4' x 2' and I just use the regular ones but I'm only using them for a basking area and not for ambient heat. If you would like to use a UTH for ambient heat you may need a second one and probably additional controls.

Without any additional controls the lowest of the three settings on the heat pad will get you a hotspot in the mid nineties with an inch of space between the pad and the bottom of the cage, depending on the particular pad you have. I use the Sunbeam ones they have at Canadian Tire.

As for the risk of fire I wouldn't worry about melamine catching fire at those teperatures considering we don't often see cheap furniture bursting into flames on hot days. lol! Whether using human heat pads this way could cause them to break down and start an electrical fire is another question altogether however I know it is quite commonly done.

MouseKilla · 09-06-04, 11:11 PM

oops... double post

Nicky · 09-07-04, 04:49 AM

thx alot, i'll do a bit more thinking about it and maybe in the end just put some mesh on the top and use lamps instead. Will see i'll decide after i get back from school.
Kayla

Linds · 09-07-04, 10:42 AM

If it is hot enough to do anything to wood or plastic, it will injure or kill your snake. You should always control your heat source using a thermostat or dimmer.

Leave the heat lamps for the lizards. They are very inefficient for heating these snakes. Heat rises, so don't you think it would make more sense to heat from the bottom? Not only that, but you don't want the heat and humidity escaping out a screened top. They also cost much more in terms of energy used and having to be replaced time to time, and post more risks.

MouseKilla · 09-07-04, 06:17 PM

Human heat pads don't get hot enough to do anything to wood or plastic if used correctly. On the lower settings the surface of the pad itself barely reaches 100 F, which again you could compare to a hot summer day, far below what it takes to melt or burn wood or plastic.

With the pad properly outside of the cage and with sufficient air space in between the surface of the pad and the bottom of the cage (1" - 3"), safe temps can easily be maintained without additional controls. That much I know because I have been doing this with several of my own cages. What I don't know is how safe it is to use the pads for this purpose, as in running 24/7, but that has nothing to do with thermostats or dimmers. I'm sure Uncle Roy could tell us the answer to that one...

msubigdawg · 09-08-04, 11:24 AM

I have an ambient heat panel in my snakes enclosure and I am very happy with that. They have them at Big Apple Herp. I don't know how many other people use them, but I do not have any complaints.

rwg · 09-08-04, 11:34 AM

You really should use a rheostat or thermostat with a UTH. There are good and simple plans for building on in ths forum. 10 bucks at home depot, and 15 minutes work gets you there. With or without a rheostat, if you allow for air flow near the UTH, your wood should be fine although it may not be an appropriate hot spot for your reptile.

I use the largest Exoterra HeatWave (11" X 17"?) for my 3'X2's, but I dont know if it would be big enough for a 4'X2'. It provides warmth directly above the pad, and some radius around it. I've never really mapped it out. It's perfectly adequate for what I keep. Depends a bit I suppose on what you're keeping in it. If you need to provide a warm spot and raise the overall ambient temps significantly, you'll probably need more. If you just need the hot spot and ambient temps are fine on the cool side at or near room temp, you may be okay. A lot of people use heat tape on these sorts of cages.

rg