Is there anything I can temporarily put under substrate to prevent burning?

[catpippo]

My ZooMed UTH is getting extremely hot and I need something to keep under the substrate in my tank to prevent my snake from coming in contact with the hot glass until I get my lamp dimmer. I haven't seen him burrow in his hide, so I know he hasn't touched the glass yet.. Does anyone know of anything that is safe to separate him from it? Thank you!

-Catpippo ☼

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Go to lowes or home depot and get a dimmer http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Cr...1#.UkH57IasiSo

[rickm]

that is why you should NEVER use ANY under tank type heating element with some kind of thermostat or rheostat. you can get the stuff to make dimmer type unit for under twenty bucks.

[catpippo]

That's the one I was looking into getting this week.
Do you know about what setting it should be on?
Thanks

[Stewart_Reptiles]

That's the one I was looking into getting this week.
Do you know about what setting it should be on?
Thanks

You are gonna need to set it to where it allows you to achieve proper temps and depending on how stable your room temp is you might need to adjust it daily.

that is why you should NEVER use ANY under tank type heating element with some kind of thermostat or rheostat. you can get the stuff to make dimmer type unit for under twenty bucks.

Really?

A thermostat is the single most important piece of equipment, cutting corners is not only dangerous for your animal but can also become a fire hazard.

[Pythonfriend]

i think rickm had a freudian slip and Deborah missed it


switch it off. any insulation you add will increase the peak temperature. if you insulate it perfectly, it WILL self-destruct by melting itself, or reach ignition temperature and burn, whatever occurs first.


you cannot run a heating system without a thermostat, or at least a dimmer.

nothing of what you are doing is safe, and insulating the heat source even better will increase the temps even more and make this dangerous situation even more dangerous. the one safe option is to unplug, and do not plug it in before you have a solution, and test it without the snake inside and verify that its working before you put the snake in.

to keep the snake comfy, for now just increase the room temperature.

[Kaorte]

My advice, just turn it off until you can get the rheostat. Sometimes putting more stuff on top of an unregulated heater will actually make the surface even hotter should the snake come in contact with it.

The snake will be okay for a few days at room temperature. Just don't feed the snake until you have the temps under control.

If you can afford it, go ahead and get the thermostat instead of the dimmer and you won't have to adjust it constantly.

[rickm]

You are gonna need to set it to where it allows you to achieve proper temps and depending on how stable your room temp is you might need to adjust it daily.

Really?

A thermostat is the single most important piece of equipment, cutting corners is not only dangerous for your animal but can also become a fire hazard.

not sure what you are talking about, but done properly this is just as safe and affective as ANY other type of heat regulating device...and is no different(other than maybe better) than the zoo med or other rheostat type units you can buy at a pet store. I have been keeping and breeding for over 26 years, and have used the rheostats I make myself for at least fifteen years with no problems at all...and they are more reliable than most other dimmer type regulating devices I have ever used.....I like to use them on my racks that are taller and one thermostat has a hard time keeping consistant from top to bottom. I am talking about rheostat controls here, NOT thermostats....and all a rheostat is, is a fancy word for a dimmer or ramp(all it does is controls the amount of electric current goes to the heating element).

[rickm]

I do use my rheostat type units on racks and custom display units that are in a thermostatically controlled snake room, so my room temps never vary more than two degrees...so this is something you may consider when choosing between a rheostat or a thermostat(which adjusts the temps for you).

[Stewart_Reptiles]

not sure what you are talking about, but done properly this is just as safe and affective as ANY other type of heat regulating device...and is no different(other than maybe better) than the zoo med or other rheostat type units you can buy at a pet store. I have been keeping and breeding for over 26 years, and have used the rheostats I make myself for at least fifteen years with no problems at all...and they are more reliable than most other dimmer type regulating devices I have ever used.....I like to use them on my racks that are taller and one thermostat has a hard time keepingonsistant from top to bottom. I am talking about rheostat controls here, NOT thermostats....and all a rheostat is, is a fancy word for a dimmer or ramp(all it does is controls the amount of electric current goes to the heating element).

I am referring to the

should NEVER use ANY under tank type heating element with some kind of thermostat

as an absolute

Recommending a reliable thermostat rather then "you should never use a thermostat" is just common sense