Human Heating Pad

What brand and type are you guys using? I saw some at Wal-Mart, but most came with an "Auto-Off" feature.. now, does this defeat the purpose of using it if it's not a continuous heat source? The only one they had that had continuous was a big mat, that had either continuous or auto-off switch.

Is it safe to buy the auto-off setting ones, or just stick with continuous?

Hi,

I'm curious why not buy a reptile heating pad instead and a thermostat?

Wouldn't that be a lot safer and more reliable in the long run?


dr del

Well, I wanted to use this on a rubbermaid.. and the human pads come with a blanket type cover for the pad.. and it already has a thermostat on it.. so, I thought this would be the cheapest and best option to go with..

They do not have a thermostat on them. They are not appropriate for use with reptiles, and are a notorious source of house fires, hence the auto-off feature.

Well, most come with a rheostat, but at the same time they aren't designed to be run for more than a half hour at a time - which is why they have the auto off.

Yes purchasing a reptile UTH and thermostat is more expensive, but in the long run it will save you both money and stress. It will last longer, and with a thermostat regulating to the degree, there is less 'what if' room.

Okay, now.. how do I place a reptile UTH so that it will not damage a rubbermaid?

They don't get hot enough to melt a rubbermaid. I'm sure you can find the exact temperature that they melt somewhere on google, but your UTH won't get that hot. And if it does then you just killed your snake anyway.... Get a thermostat with it, keep it set to never go above 94-95 on the bottom and the rubbermaid will never be damaged, and your snake will never be burnt

Okay, I plan to get a Ultratherm UTH.. now, what size would suffice for a 2 1/2 foot BP? 11"x11" or 6"x11".. don't wanna give too much heat.. but I don't wanna give less than enough.

one that will cover no more than half of your enclosure :)

Base the size of your pad on the size of your enclosure, not the size of your animal.