Heat pads!

AHLizards · 03-19-04, 02:32 PM

Hey,

Just wondering if anyone has used Human-Heating pads. Like the ones you would purchase at drug stores ( i think thats where you get em anyway?)

Need something for night-time, without using a lamp.

If you've used them, do you put them on substrate, under it? I use all custom enclosures, so underneath wood wouldn't do the trick.

Ive seen larger mats, for dogs, livestock etc. just wondering if anyone has used these. Share your expierience!
Thanks

marisa · 03-19-04, 02:55 PM

I use them. Under rubbermaids though. And on top of this, many people disagree.

This is how I use them....I have them on 12 hours a day, using a thermastat (a MUST) set on the heating pads "medium" setting....the thermastat is set to whatever I want my hot spot. I replace the pads once per year as they are affordable and I want to be as safe as possible. ANY heating element presents a fire risk so all things must be checked and replaced as needed. So far they have worked great! Nothing has come even close to fire, burning etc and temps are stable. Even the "used" ones (year old ones which I replace) still seem to work just fine, although I only keep them for emergencies.

I am not sure they would work for your purposes though because they are NOT waterproof and any moisture would comprimise (sp) their safety.

Marisa

klein · 03-19-04, 02:56 PM

I am just finishing building my first enclosure and will be using a human heating pad, i don't see any difference between them, just make sure you take the cotton that they put around it.

My enclosure is made out of 3/4" maple plywood, and what my plans are is to put the heating pad on top of the wood and then put a metal pan on top of the heating pad and then my substrate in the metal pan.

I hope to get my cage done very soon so i will let you know how it turns out.

Nick

AHLizards · 03-19-04, 03:21 PM

Thanks for the responses.. I plan on putting something right inside the enclosure (which contains dirt) So it may come into contact with moisture. Any suggestions?

I see this heat rope stuff, that may be an option..... However i'd like to get something that has a surface to it, not just a wire.
Thanks again.

marisa · 03-19-04, 03:29 PM

Heat Panels. Pro Products heat panels can be used INSIDE enclosures, and they come in like hundreds of different sizes. Pricey, but well worth it considering they have a ten year warranty, and they claim they will last 35 years. I myself have NOT used these yet, but they come highly recommended from many many keepers from all over who work with many different species. Now for larger snakes your in a different ball park, but I think these heat panels would be suitable for almost anything.

http://www.pro-products.com/proheat.html

Marisa

mykee · 03-19-04, 06:15 PM

I would not recommend putting the heat pads in the enclosure, keeping them inside could cause problems if they come in contact with too much moisture, urine, etc.

MouseKilla · 03-19-04, 07:09 PM

I use a human heat pad under a melamine enclosure and the heat gets through just fine. In fact I rarely have to set it higher than LOW. There is also about 2" of air in between the bottom of the enclosure and the pad (I've just set the enclosure on a table and then put 2" boards under each end of the cage).

The reason you probably should have a thermostat is that the temps bounce around on these things quite a bit regardless of the setting but with the way I have it set up the hot spot will swing (on LOW) between 88 and 96 or so. This seems like an acceptable range to me so I hardly need to touch it but if it goes too low I can click it to MED for a few minutes, let it heat up a bit then click it back when it get as warm as I want.

These things are the way to go for anything other than racks I think.

HeatherK · 03-19-04, 07:39 PM

Having about given up on the pricey reptile versions, I use human head pads always... after wasting money on two reptile mats that are not in use now that I'm no longer using the tanks they're adhered to (they don't usually survive transferring well). I have heard of people placing them on other moveable objects so that they can be used again and again under different setups.

They can also give off too much heat, in which case you'd need to modify them to suit your needs. As such, an unmodified reptile UTH cannot be safely used with rubbermaid type setups.

For human heat pads, make sure you get the kind that doesn't have the auto shut-off feature, but does have the built in thermostat. I rarely need to have mine higher than the lowest setting as well. People warn of fire dangers, but the same precautions go for any heating device. It's a good idea to elevate the tank somewhat so that you have some airflow. I keep the cloth cover on my heat pads and I find the thickness lifts the tanks up slightly near that end, which is enough for my enclosures.

By the way, I did read somewhere that they are safe to use inside the enclosure, with the cloth cover on, but I would be nervous of this. You might have to go with an overhead heating device if you can't safely use an undertank heater. If it's the light that bothers you at night, you can get the black kind that doesn't give off as much light (when I used them I would cover up the sides of the tank to block the light and that works quite fine as long as you leave the ventilation at the top and check the temps). You can buy the clamp hoods cheaply at the hardware store, and expirement with the right bulb wattage. Place the light over a basking area and it will heat, creating belly warmth. A ceramic heat emitter probably isn't needed for an animal that doesn't require very high heat.

mykee · 03-20-04, 01:22 AM

Heather, for one, you should NEVER use any heat source without a thermostat or rheostat so your temps would never "give off too much heat". As for price, heat tape is much cheaper than even a human heat pad. An 11"x12.5" sheet wired up and set to go can be had for as little as $10; that's a lot cheaper than any human heat pad I've seen.

MouseKilla · 03-20-04, 01:55 PM

Don't you have to spend a tonne of money on a roll of that stuff to get a piece that size? I can never find the damn stuff when I need it anyway (short of ordering it and shelling out that way) so I guess it doesn't matter much. lol! Twenty bucks on a heat pad that you can just plug in and use right away with a reasonable degree of control is pretty decent I think. You can even get the long ones for about 10 more dollars. If nothing else at least they are readily available, any department or drug store will have a heating pad that will likely work for you if you know how to set it up.

mykee · 03-24-04, 07:05 PM

Yes, but I think they're unneccesarily bulky if you have a rack system, and not too attractive. For me and many others, heat tape is the way to go, and fairly easy to get a hold of.

meatbeef · 03-24-04, 07:20 PM

I personally use human heating pads, and they work grear for me. I have one under my beardie enclosure on the "hot" side, and it`s warm enough. I also use human heating pads for my ball pythons, and spotties that are all in rubbermaids. I keep the heat at medium, and the critters all all A-OK.

sapphire_moon · 03-24-04, 07:51 PM

I don't use human heating pads. I curently use regular old UTH's. You can use a UTH under a rubbermaid, but as Mykee said all heating devices need to be controlled. Just because it's for a snake doesn't mean it will stop at 90.

I use uth's on both my rubbermaids, and they are hooked up to a lamp dimmer, that keeps them in the low 90's during the day and the high 80's at night.

HeatherK · 03-25-04, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mykee
Heather, for one, you should NEVER use any heat source without a thermostat or rheostat so your temps would never "give off too much heat".

I believe I mentioned that in my post

KingFfaj · 03-25-04, 01:18 PM

**IMPORTANT IMPORTANT**
If you do get a reptile UTH and decide to use it inside the viv, if your tank is made of wood, and you have to drill a hole for the wire, make sure you buy one with a removable plug so you can get the wire though the hole. If your tank is glass then this doesnt matter.
I bought one and had to buy a new plug also