RHP outgassing dangerous to snakes?

I ordered three new enclosures from Dragonhaus with RHP's that the maker sold with his cages. One of them has a massive plastic fume coming from it, which I've confirmed is the RHP... For some reason, the other two are fine and the smell is minimal.

I've googled and found that some people need to "outgas" their new RHP's, which I've never heard of :\ I've been having it on for around 24 hours so far, and the smell is still quite strong if I keep the enclosure doors closed after awhile.

I should mention that I have a few other RHP's which have never had this problem before...

Anyone have experience with this and how long you have to "outgas" for? Also, what exactly the smell is?

Welcome back, stranger.

What RHPs does dragonhaus use? My Herptastic cages came with VE 80watt panels and I let them burn in at full power for an afternoon or so in my living room before I installed them.

I use Lexel sealant which is a bit stinky too before fully cured and the RHPs contributed to it for a short period. Maybe a day or two? I can’t remember. RBI/VE panels state that there is a release agent used in the injection molding process that is responsible for the smell when breaking in a new RHPs.

Regardless, all of my VE and Pro-Products RHPs all needed a bit of burn in time before losing their smell.


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I don't know about RHPs by other brands, but if it's a VE, the fumes are definitely bad for snakes (and for humans as well!).

I had the same problem as you - had a new fully installed enclosure that reeked when the RHP was on and I wouldn't dream of putting my snake in there - the fumes gave me a massive headache.

I tried to outgas the RHP in my house for a few more days before I gave up because it just wasn't getting rid of the smell. I unscrewed the top panel of the enclosure with the RHP attached and took it outside to let it burn for about 72 hours to get rid of the smell.

I recommend wiping down the RHP with a damp cloth and taking it outside to let it burn on full blast for at least that amount of time before reinstalling it, possibly longer if needed or if you aren't able to remove the RHP from the enclosure.

I made a thread about the same topic here and a number of people made helpful comments that you can look at if it helps.

My experience with VE and Pro Products mirrored JM’s for 8 cages.

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

........What RHPs does dragonhaus use? My Herptastic cages came with VE 80watt panels and I let them burn in at full power for an afternoon or so in my living room before I installed them..........Regardless, all of my VE and Pro-Products RHPs all needed a bit of burn in time before losing their smell.


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I have 2 VE RHP's wait for the enclosures to show up.... So to Burn them in, Lay Face up and plug directly into outlet Correct?

and I can do this in the garage so no fumes get to me or the snakes if it's a bad smell

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

I have 2 VE RHP's wait for the enclosures to show up.... So to Burn them in, Lay Face up and plug directly into outlet Correct?

and I can do this in the garage so no fumes get to me or the snakes if it's a bad smell

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Yes this sounds right, I'd recommend doing it in a covered area outdoors for 48-72 hours if possible since there is more airflow and the fumes can be pretty strong

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

So to Burn them in, Lay Face up and plug directly into outlet Correct?

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Yes. Just read and follow there directions that came with the panel.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

Yes. Just read and follow there directions that came with the panel.


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Guess I should open the box and look in there :rofl: DOH!

Hello and thanks for the replies guys!!

Hmm, that's what I'm seeing too that they'll need to be outgassed on full power for a couple days. It's been four days for me so far, and it's still producing very strong fumes especially in an enclosed space. I also did wipe mine down as well! I noticed that the smell came off on my hands/the paper towels initially when I wiped and smelled LOL

The RHP that Dragonhaus sends are these things: https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog...6.aspx?pa=3445

And the weirdest thing is that two of the other ones I have aren't producing nearly as strong of a smell, at least nothing so noticeable. Just one keeps producing strong fumes.

Does anyone know if these fumes are actually dangerous to people/the snakes?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by redshepherd

Hello and thanks for the replies guys!!

Hmm, that's what I'm seeing too that they'll need to be outgassed on full power for a couple days. It's been four days for me so far, and it's still producing very strong fumes especially in an enclosed space. I also did wipe mine down as well! I noticed that the smell came off on my hands/the paper towels initially when I wiped and smelled LOL

The RHP that Dragonhaus sends are these things: https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog...6.aspx?pa=3445

And the weirdest thing is that two of the other ones I have aren't producing nearly as strong of a smell, at least nothing so noticeable. Just one keeps producing strong fumes.

Does anyone know if these fumes are actually dangerous to people/the snakes?

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A quote right from that website:

"The ODOR that is noted on a new heater is from the escalated final dry-ing of the lens material (fiberglass and adhesives) as the heat is applied. The odor is normal and will go away in a day or so as the new materials dry out."

Pretty sure that kind of odor is Not good for you or the animals in an enclosed space