Heat mat went up in smoke.

Run_to_da_hills · 01-01-2010 8:31pm #1

I was warming up my reptile aquarium when I smelt something burning. The new "Heat Wave" mat I bought yesterday melted about an inch in from where the power cable joins. Could have been a disaster or fire hazard. Has anyone else had this problem? Ill be returning it tomorrow. The model is a "Desert Medium Exo Terra". 16 Watt. 10"x11"

Satyr_The_Great · 02-01-2010 1:31am

Probably just a faulty mat, but heatmats are known to overheat, so buying a matstat and run theheat ma off that would be a good idea, yeah they are expensive but well worth it. ya should get one for about 40 euro id say.

SCI · 02-01-2010 11:45am

They do need a thermostat but I've never heard of one going on fire.. I'd get in contact with the manufacture.

dbrock · 02-01-2010 11:58am

more then likely a loose conection where the main cord connects to the mat, bring it back to the shop you bought it, they will change it im sure,
as the lads said a stat is also good to have to but this fault is 99 % of the time caused by (arking) in a loose conection i see it a bit in work

Run_to_da_hills · 02-01-2010 8:59pm

dbrock wrote: »

more then likely a loose connection where the main cord connects to the mat, bring it back to the shop you bought it, they will change it im sure,
as the lads said a stat is also good to have to but this fault is 99 % of the time caused by (arking) in a loose conection i see it a bit in work

Nope this fault was an inch in to where the connection was inside the laminate with a neat black mark about 3/8 of an inch long. I returned it to the pet shop today and they were extremely helpful and admitted that it was a manufactures flaw. They didn't have that particular one in stock but offered me another one twice the size from a different manufacturer at no extra cost.

Satyr_The_Great · 03-01-2010 1:15am

good you got it sorted, Thinking bacvk on it, i had the same thing happen to one of my mats a year and a half ago...turned out to be a damaged wire. But do pick up a matstat, they are a good investment...

dbrock · 03-01-2010 9:26am

cool at least ya got it sorted, but make sure if its bigger than 11 by 11 that you must use a state on it esp, if its lying on the ground as as they get bigger they really heat up alot,
if its on the back wall where nothing can lie on it its not to bad but still recomend a stat.

Satyr_The_Great · 03-01-2010 9:12pm

dbrock wrote: »

cool at least ya got it sorted, but make sure if its bigger than 11 by 11 that you must use a state on it esp, if its lying on the ground as as they get bigger they really heat up alot,
if its on the back wall where nothing can lie on it its not to bad but still recomend a stat.

regardless of the size of the heatmat, a stat should be used...it can still overheat whether its 5 x 5 or 11 x 11 or bigger.

Heat mat went up in smoke.

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