Melted UTH Warning!

[astoudt]

So, like most snake keepers, I use an UTH to boost the temps in my ball python's tank. I use a Zilla thermostat to keep the pad from getting too hot... or so I thought. Until one day I realized the thermometer over the UTH sky rocketed. I kept turning it down but the thermometer kept reading way too high so I unplugged it and checked it out. Lo and behold, I found the pad had melted off of the tank and down onto the floor burning a hole in the carpet! Of course I called Zoo Med to try to gain some understanding of what could have happened. Apparently the way I had it set up is wrong and I just wanted to pass this along to hopefully save someone else from a melted heat pad. I had the pad on the bottom of the tank. Inside the tank I had the thermostat probe and a thermometer probe placed directly on top of the heat pads location. Next I placed a layer of paper towels down to prevent my snake for laying directly on top of the pad. On top of the paper towels was a layer of Aspen bedding. Apparently the problem is the paper towels. The representative at Zoo med told me that the paper towels make the pad over heat and that's what caused it to melt.

So for anyone out there using heat pads, I have been told do not use paper towels, or newspaper.

[WarriorPrincess90]

That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. What a ridiculous excuse. How on earth could the paper towels, from INSIDE the tank, on the OTHER SIDE OF THE GLASS, possibly cause the pad to melt? Think about this for a second. What probably caused your pad to melt was faulty wiring or a thermostat that was not working correctly. They just didn't want to have to replace it.

EDIT: Also, there are plenty of people on this forum that use under tank heat AND paper towels, that have never had a problem. I just can't believe that was the reason he gave you. RIDICULOUS! I would call them back and inform them that there is no possible way that the presence of paper towels on the OTHER SIDE OF THE GLASS caused the pad to melt. With that reasoning, aspen chips should cause it to melt just the same. In fact, ANY substance covering it should cause it to melt then. Please ask them for their "scientific" reasoning for that response. I'm dying to know.

Sorry, I just hate it when companies come up with stupid excuses. It's infuriating.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I'm sorry to say that is simply not true...

The real problem was your thermostat probe placement and the fact that the thermostat was a piece of junk.

A good thermostat will prevent this from happening. What substrate you use has absolutely nothing to do with this.

[Inknsteel]

The problem was more likely the thermostat probe inside the enclosure than the paper towels. The thermoSTAT probe should be taped directly to the UTH outside the enclosure, the thermoMETER probe should be inside where you described. I use paper towels in every one of my enclosures and have no overheating issues whatsoever.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Actually there are a few issues here and those are not because of paper towel or newspaper that's what the person from customer service reads in their handbook.

Your problem are that you put the thermostat probe INSIDE the tank, and by doing so a lot of thing can go wrong, the snake can pee or tip his water bowl making the temps shoot up, he can also move the probe having the same effect.

Additionally when you are using a cheap thermostat you are also at greater risk for such incident.

If paper towel and news paper were a problem with any heat source it would be known

My advice get a quality thermostat and place the probe DIRECTLY on the heat source between the heat source and the enclosure and not inside the tank.

[Kaorte]

I don't believe it was the paper towels... I've used zoomed heat pads and paper towels together for years.

Did you leave an air gap on the bottom of the UTH?

[satomi325]

I'm really glad your snake is ok.

I much prefer paper towels and news paper over other substrates.
And the Zoomed excuse is ridiculously lame.

The issue is clearly the thermostat and probe placement inside the enclosure.
What you pay is what you get.
There's a reason why the Herpstat (minimum value of $99) is well advertised and used amongst keepers.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Did you leave an air gap on the bottom of the UTH?

Even that isn't necessary when using a good thermostat

The only time a UTH should overheat is if the the thermostat fails. Any other time the thermostat should kill power going to the UTH.

[Kaorte]

Even that isn't necessary when using a good thermostat

The only time a UTH should overheat is if the the thermostat fails. Any other time the thermostat should kill power going to the UTH.

I'm just trying to understand how the incident happened. UTHs don't just melt even when they are left on full blast. Which leads me to believe it was sandwiched between the glass and the carpet. If the heat has no way to dissipate it will start to over heat.

Of course that thermostat is a piece of junk.

[kitedemon]

Probe placement has nothing to do with it either, the Tstat failed to shut down the heater at the set point plain and simple. Replace the Tstat and use a failsafe. A good t-stat has a much lower chance of failing and the failsafe will prevent over heating.

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cheap T-stats NEED a fail safe and most other should have one IMO the only ones that I would suggest it MIGHT be optional are the new higher end herpstats 1 or better as they have what amounts to a built in failsafe.