# Exo terra heatmat caught fire while i was out!



## Oliver Dodds (Apr 26, 2008)

Ive used two of these exo terra heat mats before. First one hardly heated up at all, and this one ive got has burnt my wooden cabinet which im converting into a chameleon vivarium. The cabinet wood is THICK wood.
Came home to a smell of melting plastic and when i checked it the wood had a smouldering glow and was burning hot to touch.
What the hell should i do about this, contact exo terra or what?
PS heat mat was not on a stat as it produced a measured 30C under the tank at all times.
I'll get some pictures when i can!


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Oliver Dodds said:


> Ive used two of these exo terra heat mats before. First one hardly heated up at all, and this one ive got has burnt my wooden cabinet which im converting into a chameleon vivarium. The cabinet wood is THICK wood.
> Came home to a smell of melting plastic and when i checked it the wood had a smouldering glow and was burning hot to touch.
> What the hell should i do about this, contact exo terra or what?
> *PS heat mat was not on a stat as it produced a measured 30C under the tank at all times.*
> I'll get some pictures when i can!


 
welcome to why you should use a stat! 

you can't contact exo terra because you put an uncontrolled heat device onto a wooden surface and let it continue to get hotter and hotter. 

moral of the story, use a stat or next time you could come back to find you no longer have a house.


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## herpzane (Apr 1, 2008)

Yh i agree and it will state in the heat mat instructions a stat should be used.


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## alphakenny1 (Sep 16, 2008)

not using a stat is just asking for trouble:bash:


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## Oliver Dodds (Apr 26, 2008)

So this problem was caused purely by not using a stat?
Damn, I use stats on all my other mats apart from that one. Guess that goes to show...
Cheers for the advice Meko.


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## R0b_2oo8 (Nov 8, 2008)

exo terra mats are for GLASS ONLY as stated on all packaging!!!!


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## Oliver Dodds (Apr 26, 2008)

R0b_2oo8 said:


> exo terra mats are for GLASS ONLY as stated on all packaging!!!!


 Its a fully glass tank.


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## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

Sadly they are designed with cut off points so they will keep getting hotter and hotter.

Marina


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## Oliver Dodds (Apr 26, 2008)

Marinam2 said:


> Sadly they are designed with cut off points so they will keep getting hotter and hotter.
> 
> Marina


How do you mean Marina?


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

there's a sticky in snakes section i think about thermostats. it shows temperature readings of an unstatted mat.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

Marinam2 said:


> Sadly they are designed with*out* cut off points so they will keep getting hotter and hotter.
> 
> Marina


 
corrected your typo for you Marina.


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

this is the thread

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/snakes/174166-do-i-really-need-thermostat.html


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## Oliver Dodds (Apr 26, 2008)

Meko said:


> this is the thread
> 
> http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/snakes/174166-do-i-really-need-thermostat.html


Cheers Meko
: victory:


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## daz1972 (Dec 4, 2007)

the mat should be stuck to the bottom of the glass tank and a gap of 3-5mm between the mat and the surface it is stood on to allow excess heat to escape.
If you do not have this gap you risk the glass cracking or the surface the viv is stood on getting burnt.


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## exoticsandtropics (Mar 11, 2007)

yeah all exo terra heat mats come with sticky pad to hold the mat above the surface. which allows air flow


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## ShaneLuvsMonitors (Sep 27, 2008)

Far as im concerned exo-terra heatmats are a no no unstated or stated there just plain dangerous my three were all on exo-terra glass tanks - stated and theyve all burned out. 

SO i wont go near them.


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## thickgiraffe (Oct 23, 2007)

i agree with always using a stat. BUT i sell these heat mats at work and spoke to the hagen rep about these items, some batches havebeen duds and barely heated up. All are ment to be used for glass only and to be spaced so there is an airflow hence why they come with little feet. BUT they also said they do not require thermostats because of how they make them, i was dubious about this but he said that is what he has been told. i still wouldn't do it but thats direct from the company!


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

i dont use stats on my mats and i have never had a problem beleive it or not ive used 1 heat mat i have for the last 5-6 years lol and never had a problem.


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## thegman (Oct 12, 2009)

STReptiles said:


> i dont use stats on my mats and i have never had a problem beleive it or not ive used 1 heat mat i have for the last 5-6 years lol and never had a problem.



I know im late on joining this thread by half a year but i too never used thermo's in my vivs for about 2 years and never had a problem. I did a little test yesterday and tried a new thermo on a new heatman and it wasnt getting anywhere near hot enough to heat my reptiles as the substrate after two hours was room temperature. I put a viv that you get from most pet shops that keep hatchlings in,(you know, like what breeders use- real small) and there is maybe just over a 1cm gap between the heatmat and the surface of the viv. I was testing the thermo at 88f and it didnt feel anywhere near that hot after two hours. I currently have two thermos in my new snakes viv, One for heatmat and one for lightbulb. Lightbulb i have always used dimming thermos as i know these get seriously hot but most heat mats i have used i have never had a problem with. But i think im gonna keep using a thermo on my heatmat... Better safe then sorry i guess.


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## thegman (Oct 12, 2009)

thickgiraffe said:


> i agree with always using a stat. BUT i sell these heat mats at work and spoke to the hagen rep about these items, some batches havebeen duds and barely heated up. All are ment to be used for glass only and to be spaced so there is an airflow hence why they come with little feet. BUT they also said they do not require thermostats because of how they make them, i was dubious about this but he said that is what he has been told. i still wouldn't do it but thats direct from the company!



Do you know if this applys to the exo terra's heatmats aswel? exo's are the only heatmate brand i have ever used.


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## serpentsupplies (Sep 4, 2009)

yeah gotta admit no realy heard much good on the exo terra heat mats. but as you've said and as it says all over the box GLASS VIVS ONLY


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## abandonallhope (Jun 19, 2009)

Everyone I know calls them Exo Terrible becasue most things they mare are quite frankly terrible.


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

Your own fault, should be on a stat but then if exoterra are gunna make mats that get too hot then why not make stats for them???


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