Heat mats again... sorry! ;)

[shodan]

Hi guys,

Sorry to bring up the old subject of Hester mats...

I live in the UK and the room is around 20c in summer and drops to 17c during winter nights. I know a space heater is the recommended option, but the cost to run one with our energy prices would be crazy, so my only heating option for my 20x20x30cm aboreal exo terra is a side mounted heat pad with thermostat.

Could this really cause harm? It's only 7watt and I've pressed it against my face and I can hardly feel anything. Surely this is safe for an Avic.?

Hope everyone is ok
Neil

 

[FrDoc]

Nooooooo!!! Not again! I hate it when @cold blood and @basin79 quarrel.

 

[Liquifin]

There's a specific way a heat pad can be used, but I'm not the guy that explain how because I never done it before. So maybe someone can deal with that, but I rather just stick with my little space heater and call it a day. Heat pads are always debatable on how it should be used if it's a "last option" heating source.

 

[shodan]

Oops! Have I started something FrDoc??? I am new

 

[basin79]

Nooooooo!!! Not again! I hate it when @cold blood and @basin79 quarrel.

As well as loving baked beans @cold blood does realise used *PROPERLY heat mats are prefectly safe.

*plugged into a thermostat and used on the side or back of an enclosure.

 

[EulersK]

Side mounted with a thermostat is actually exactly how it should be used. You should be golden.

EDIT: @basin79 beat me to it

 

[basin79]

Hi guys,

Sorry to bring up the old subject of Hester mats...

I live in the UK and the room is around 20c in summer and drops to 17c during winter nights. I know a space heater is the recommended option, but the cost to run one with our energy prices would be crazy, so my only heating option for my 20x20x30cm aboreal exo terra is a side mounted heat pad with thermostat.

Could this really cause harm? It's only 7watt and I've pressed it against my face and I can hardly feel anything. Surely this is safe for an Avic.?

Hope everyone is ok
Neil

Perfect.

 

[cold blood]

As well as loving baked beans @cold blood does realise used *PROPERLY heat mats are prefectly safe.

*plugged into a thermostat and used on the side or back of an enclosure.

Yep, while not my ideal method for heating, pads, used properly, can be just fine.

 

[FrDoc]

Oops! Have I started something FrDoc??? I am new

No, Sir. I am just being facetious. However, if you are board, you can research heat mats and enjoy the banter.

 

[basin79]

Yep, while not my ideal method for heating, pads, used properly, can be just fine.

As I've mentioned before if I had a good sized dedicated room for inverts I'd use a space heater too. It's a no brainer.

 

[shodan]

Great thanks guys!

I'll use the heat pad for now until I can find a decent display cabinet (micro-climate) which I will heat and put my enclosures in. How about that!

Eeeeeee you're a helpful bunch on here!

Ps. I use far too many smileys for a 47yr old lol

 

[cold blood]

No, Sir. I am just being facetious. However, if you are board, you can research heat mats and enjoy the banter.

Most of those part arguments were the result if misunderstanding one another....we've been on the same page for a while now, even tagging one another in such threads.

 

[EulersK]

Great thanks guys!

I'll use the heat pad for now until I can find a decent display cabinet (micro-climate) which I will heat and put my enclosures in. How about that!

Yup! Just be careful with setups like that. It's very easy to create stagnant air in a closed cabinet, which will kill your spider about as fast as a boot.

 

[shodan]

Ah, so important to sort a method to circulate the air?

 

[FrDoc]

Most of those part arguments were the result if misunderstanding one another....we've been on the same page for a while now, even tagging one another in such threads.

In one context I'm happy about this, but in another I'm sorry because you can learn a lot by observing banter.

 

[EulersK]

Ah, so important to sort a method to circulate the air?

Exactly. A small fan at the bottom inside the cabinet pointing upwards would do the trick in a lot of setups. I've also seen a fan blowing air into the cabinet at the bottom and a fan blowing air out of the cabinet at the top. Just depends on what your specific setup is.

 

[shodan]

Cheers guys!

 

[viper69]

I've mentioned this infrequently, but there is/was a guy in England who had a serious collection of Ts. He had side mounted mats, no issues.

 

[shodan]

Sensible use of a heat mat it is

 

[Ron Fults]

I use a heated fan inside a "cabinet". I regulate the temperature with a thermostat and I have fresh air vents in the cabinet. Seems to work very well.