# Thermostat running multiple heat mats?



## MAB90

Hello,
Its been bugging me lately and no one seemed to know but could i run 2 heat mats off 1 mat stat thermostat with no problems? Bearing in mind that both heat mats are combined reach a max of 37W and the thermostats max is 100W.
Thanks : victory:


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## emmilllyyy

just out of interest how would you create another socket for another mat to plug in?


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## Connah

Im guessing hes going to use a x into 1 extention cable? or take the plug off both and connect the wires together to one plug. Id go for the first option though.

As long as the heatmats are together (as in no gap what so ever) and then give off the same heat then it should be fine if the probe is not near either of them and is getting the viv temp not one of the mats.

Note i havent tried this so I may be wrong but i dont see why it wont work. If one gets slightly hotter, slightly quicker then put the one nearer the hot end of the viv so it keeps the temperature gradient correct.

Or you could sell both and buy one bigger heat mat


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## MAB90

Yehh a was thinking of putting the 2 heat mat plugs into an extension.
The mats wouldnt be in the same viv, i should of mentioned id have 1 mat in my leo viv and the other under my African clawed gecko tank.
Think i might just have to buy another stat lol.


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## Connah

Ye you definately need 2 stats then. I was thinking of this and then realise one stat means one probe means one temperature gets checked which means that TWO temperatures are gunna be changed. What would happen if one is too hot and one is cold? if the probe is in the hot one the cold one would freeze when they turn off, if the probe is in the cold one the hot one will burn when they get hotter.


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## MAB90

Ill explain abit more.

I was planning on putting the heat mat in my leo viv with the thermostat probe ontop to measure a hot spot of 88-90F. Then the other heat mat under my ACG tank. They both need the same temp hot spot so if my leos heat mat is set at 88-90F will that keep my ACG heat mat the same temp?

Hope people can understand what i mean lol


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## MAB90

Ahhright, well ill buy another thermostat then, god knows when im skint lol :whistling2:


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## hippyhaplos

I run 3 heatmats off a stat... it's a dimmer, and when I looked into doing so, there's minimum/maximum wattages to account for.

The heat mats are for my hedgehogs... they're only a back up should it get too cold, but if it were for a reptile then I think I'd just spend the £20 on a new stat


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## Connah

Definately need another one for the two repti cages. Sunlight through a window could cause one cage to be 2oC hotter for example than the other even if theyre next to each other at room temp which mean the cooler one would be cooler than the first. With the heat mat it would mean the second cage could turn off too soon causing it to be too cool


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## cmoody

this is theoretically the same as is done in a racking system (seperate heaters into a power strip), provided that both matts are the same size and wattage then they should maintain the same temperature.... whilst it is not 'the done thing' it could work, principles being the same..... : victory:

cheers craig


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## Amy2310

cmoody said:


> this is theoretically the same as is done in a racking system (seperate heaters into a power strip), provided that both matts are the same size and wattage then they should maintain the same temperature.... whilst it is not 'the done thing' it could work, principles being the same..... : victory:
> 
> cheers craig


This ^^^


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## Connah

In a rack EVERYTHING is the same, the amount of insulated space to trap heat, size of heatmats, wattage, make, size of rubs, positioning, size of rows of each rack. If you have one viv very slightly bigger than the other it could cos a 1-2oF temperature drop so be careful and check both with a seperate thermometer


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## MAB90

Everythings good, i decided to play safe and bought another mat stat :2thumb:


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## Pyrite

I was wondering this myself.

There is a thermostat which has a maximum of 600Ws with one probe and I have two heat mats that are 20W each.

Can I plug an extension cord into the thermostat and that plug the 2 heat mats into the extension?


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## haziflad

*Mats*

I have 8 heat mats in an extension plugged into a pulse and have done this for many years...as long as you have thermometers £1.40 from ebay you could place one on each mat........



Regards


andy


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## Valaryan

I am necromancing this thread from the dead. However, people bang on about using the search function on here so here we are...

So, I'm running two mats of different sizes off one pulse stat. Both mats together are far below the max for this stat. 

Are there any issues with this setup if the probe is in one RUB? Surely this is the same theory as a rack setup - as mentioned above?


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