Can a heat mat be too big?

[aurum]

I've always seen people use heat mats that are just the right size for their enclosures, but for an enclosure that will be out grown, is there any harm in using a heat mat that is technically too large? To clarify the same amount of space would be heated, there would just be extra mat around the edges.
I don't think there would be any problems, but I've never tried it/seen it done so I'm curious

[Bogertophis]

All the heat mats I can think of are better off if nothing is sitting on them (like a heavy cage)...it's just like they tell you not to step on lamp cords on the floor, as
they'll break down sooner. So yes, I'd say a heat mat CAN be too big, unless you had the cage actually resting on something else, not the mat itself, & the mat
remained protected....but then you'd be losing quite a bit of heat (depending on how big the gap was).

The kind of mats that wouldn't be damaged by that are the "pig blanket" type, or like the old rigid (heavy duty) ceramic ones (made for zoo use) that I have stored.

[aurum]

All the heat mats I can think of are better off if nothing is sitting on them (like a heavy cage)...it's just like they tell you not to step on lamp cords on the floor, as
they'll break down sooner. So yes, I'd say a heat mat CAN be too big, unless you had the cage actually resting on something else, not the mat itself, & the mat
remained protected....but then you'd be losing quite a bit of heat (depending on how big the gap was).

The kind of mats that wouldn't be damaged by that are the "pig blanket" type, or like the old rigid (heavy duty) ceramic ones (made for zoo use) that I have stored.

I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to rest the enclosure on the mat (I’ve never had to install one) and I feel quite silly now lol
It makes sense though, especially with the cable example, thank you

[Bogertophis]

I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to rest the enclosure on the mat (I’ve never had to install one) and I feel quite silly now lol
It makes sense though, especially with the cable example, thank you

Not at all silly...it's a good question. The thing to remember with heat mats also is that the part that something is resting on could easily overheat & become
very unsafe, as in a fire hazard. Most types of heat mats are designed to be taped or stuck under a cage with a bit of "breathing room" (just a few minor gaps for air flow).

Even heating pads made for human use, surprisingly (-if you ever read their "cautions"?) say "do not cover" which is weird because they know most people are going to lay on them for a while. The manufacturers are "covering their tails" for lawsuits.

Besides the other examples I gave above, another kind that you could safely rest a cage on would be a "kennel heating pad"...I've used one in a pinch, many years back. "Lectro Kennel" I think was the brand, made waterproof & safe for dogs whelping quarters...the "pad" is actually about 3/4" thick...& it's a hard plastic outer shell that encloses heating elements within the hollow core. They come in various sizes but not something you could tape under a cage, & last
I saw them, fairly pricey. That wouldn't over-heat because the air space is inside...see what I mean?

[Zincubus]

It may have been mentioned already but they suggest that the mat should cover between a third and a half over the floor ... never more than 50% coverage though !


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[Bogertophis]

It may have been mentioned already but they suggest that the mat should cover between a third and a half over the floor ... never more than 50% coverage though !


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It all depends what kind of snake you're keeping as well as the ambient room/home temperatures versus what you're trying to maintain for the snake.

Some snakes, like corns or bull snakes, do well with far less (like about 1/6th of the floor for UTH), especially if the ambient room temps are about 70*, whereas a BP
might need a third or half the floor heated (but ALWAYS regulated by thermostat).