UTH & Thermostates?

[Trochu]

Basically everywhere I've read on this site, and others, strongly suggest, and that might be too conservative a word, is that an UTH should not be used without a thermostat. My question is, why? Is it possible for a snake to get burnt with an UTH as the only heat source? I'd like people who have firsthand knowledge of this as I have never heard of a snake getting burnt with an UTH as a single heat source. I know snakes can get burnt with hot rocks and/or a combination of UTH/lamps/heat emitters etc., but just an UTH? Maybe the bigger ones get hotter and that's what’s confusing me but I have a 8 watt UTH, had it on all day and jammed a thermometer between the pad and the glass, the stabilized temp reading was 88.5 F, and that's at the hottest point. There is no way my snake is going to get burnt at that temperature. Is the argument that 88.5F isn't hot enough for the hot spot, so a secondary heat source is required, and the combination can increase the temp enough to burn the snake? Also as I understand it, when a UTH breaks, it doesn’t heat up, it just stops working as the circuit is broken, is this correct? When they fail, if they increase beyond their design temp, I understand the point of a thermostat, but my understanding is they just stop heating.

Any thoughts on this?

[k8nkane]

The concept behind the UTH burning your snake is the same behind hot rocks. The UTH is under your tank, but your snake burrows under the substrate to get closer to the heat source and rests on the glass. If your UTH isn't controlled by a thermostat, they can get burned if the UTH gets too high in temp.

[Trochu]

The concept behind the UTH burning your snake is the same behind hot rocks. The UTH is under your tank, but your snake burrows under the substrate to get closer to the heat source and rests on the glass. If your UTH isn't controlled by a thermostat, they can get burned if the UTH gets too high in temp.

I understand the concept, my point being that it would appear the max temperature of my UTH is 88.6F, no where near being hot enough to burn my snake. Do some get hotter?

On a side not, apparently I can't spell thermostats......

[Skittles1101]

Uhhhh, what kind of UTH and how are you reading 88.5 for it? Most store bought UTHs exceed 130 degrees without a thermostat. If you're reading it with an inaccurate thermometer that would explain the confusion here.

Check this out (graphic)

[The Serpent Merchant]

All of my UTH's get to 120. I can provide photographic evidence if necessary.

[Trochu]

All of my UTH's get to 120. I can provide photographic evidence if necessary.

Oh, no need of that, I believe you! What size wattage are yours? Mines a small tropical, 8 watt, Exo-Terra. Is it feasable that mine just doesn't get that hot because I don't think there is any possible way it's over 90F.

[Skittles1101]

Oh, no need of that, I believe you! What size wattage are yours? Mines a small tropical, 8 watt, Exo-Terra. Is it feasable that mine just doesn't get that hot because I don't think there is any possible way it's over 90F.

Exo Terra? I doubt it. How are you reading the temps. I must add that my small 8 watt Zoo Med read well over 130 degrees, and that's measured with my accurate temp gun over a square of a paper bag over the glass over the UTH.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I have a few different brands, sizes, and wattages. Even my 7 watt flukers gets 120+

[The Serpent Merchant]

Oh, no need of that, I believe you! What size wattage are yours? Mines a small tropical, 8 watt, Exo-Terra. Is it feasable that mine just doesn't get that hot because I don't think there is any possible way it's over 90F.

It is possible, it may be slightly defective or something. I would question whatever you are using to measure your temperature first though.

[Evenstar]

.....Also as I understand it, when a UTH breaks, it doesn’t heat up, it just stops working as the circuit is broken, is this correct? When they fail, if they increase beyond their design temp, I understand the point of a thermostat, but my understanding is they just stop heating.

I agree with the others and I wonder how you're measuring the temp on your 8 watt UTH. I have an 8 watt too (zoomed) and it would easily skyrocket over 120 without a t-stat.

But I wanted to address this point in particular... Usually, when a UTH breaks, it would just stop heating. But the problem isn't if it breaks - it's if it should malfunction. I had a 10 watt zoomed malfunction one day and it actually smoldered. It burned the off side of the pad actually charing the plastic and it cracked the glass bottom of the tank it was under. It would have started a fire except for the fact that it was operated on a fuse outlet so it blew the fuse which turned the whole thing off in time. I should note that the tank was empty at the time and that we were home. Thank God! I was testing something at the time which is why I had it on in the first place - test was successful in a round about way.

If the UTH had been on a t-stat, the t-stat would have shut off the unit LONG before it would have heated to such an extreme. So a t-stat is not just to prevent burns for your snake, it's also a safety feature for your home.