Will uth burn plastic?

will a uth burn a plastic enclosure, i dont have a thermostat at the moment and its a zoo-med uth. which heats to 100f constant it says. would this burn plastic enclosure, and if so what could i use to put between the plastic and uth?

No, it will likely not burn the plastic.

That being said it will be much too hot for your snake and you should never put a UTH on an enclosure unless it is controlled by at the least a rheostat or preferably a thermostat.

It may not burn it, but it can melt it.

I know from personal experience (got a used rack from someone who didn't use a thermostat... Several tubs had melted holes thru them at the bottoms...)

I don't suggest EVER working with a heat source without some controls on it.

No, it will not burn the plastic, but it will melt and warp it so bad that you would need to get a new tub. I just had that happen to me last week, but it was a thermostat malfunction.

will piece of cardboard between the plastic and uth regulate it until i can get a thermostat?

You may need a couple of pieces of cardboard, but you could try it and see if you can achieve a good temperature for the snake. It is a good suggestion, but I would not leave it unattended for long periods of time until you have established it will not get too hot.

try luminum foil between the UTH and tub, prolly like 4 or 5 layers. that should keep a lot of heat out for now, but u do really need a thermostat

im planning on buying thermostat asap :/

Hi,

If your room temps are reasonably stable you might be able to get away with a dimmer until you get your thermostat.

I think the one most people use is the lutron lamp dimmer from Lowes for about $10.

It is far from perfect - but gives you a bit more control than a bit of cardboard. :rolleyes:


dr del