Exo terra heatmat caught fire while i was out!

[Meko]

Originally Posted by Marinam2

Sadly they are designed without cut off points so they will keep getting hotter and hotter.

Marina

corrected your typo for you Marina.

[Meko]

this is the thread

Do i REALLY need a thermostat?

[Oliver Dodds]

Originally Posted by Meko

this is the thread

Do i REALLY need a thermostat?

Cheers Meko

[daz1972]

the mat should be stuck to the bottom of the glass tank and a gap of 3-5mm between the mat and the surface it is stood on to allow excess heat to escape.
If you do not have this gap you risk the glass cracking or the surface the viv is stood on getting burnt.

[exoticsandtropics]

yeah all exo terra heat mats come with sticky pad to hold the mat above the surface. which allows air flow

[ShaneLuvsMonitors]

Far as im concerned exo-terra heatmats are a no no unstated or stated there just plain dangerous my three were all on exo-terra glass tanks - stated and theyve all burned out.

SO i wont go near them.

[thickgiraffe]

i agree with always using a stat. BUT i sell these heat mats at work and spoke to the hagen rep about these items, some batches havebeen duds and barely heated up. All are ment to be used for glass only and to be spaced so there is an airflow hence why they come with little feet. BUT they also said they do not require thermostats because of how they make them, i was dubious about this but he said that is what he has been told. i still wouldn't do it but thats direct from the company!

[STReptiles]

i dont use stats on my mats and i have never had a problem beleive it or not ive used 1 heat mat i have for the last 5-6 years lol and never had a problem.

[thegman]

Originally Posted by STReptiles

i dont use stats on my mats and i have never had a problem beleive it or not ive used 1 heat mat i have for the last 5-6 years lol and never had a problem.

I know im late on joining this thread by half a year but i too never used thermo's in my vivs for about 2 years and never had a problem. I did a little test yesterday and tried a new thermo on a new heatman and it wasnt getting anywhere near hot enough to heat my reptiles as the substrate after two hours was room temperature. I put a viv that you get from most pet shops that keep hatchlings in,(you know, like what breeders use- real small) and there is maybe just over a 1cm gap between the heatmat and the surface of the viv. I was testing the thermo at 88f and it didnt feel anywhere near that hot after two hours. I currently have two thermos in my new snakes viv, One for heatmat and one for lightbulb. Lightbulb i have always used dimming thermos as i know these get seriously hot but most heat mats i have used i have never had a problem with. But i think im gonna keep using a thermo on my heatmat... Better safe then sorry i guess.

[thegman]

Originally Posted by thickgiraffe

i agree with always using a stat. BUT i sell these heat mats at work and spoke to the hagen rep about these items, some batches havebeen duds and barely heated up. All are ment to be used for glass only and to be spaced so there is an airflow hence why they come with little feet. BUT they also said they do not require thermostats because of how they make them, i was dubious about this but he said that is what he has been told. i still wouldn't do it but thats direct from the company!

Do you know if this applys to the exo terra's heatmats aswel? exo's are the only heatmate brand i have ever used.