# Outdoor heating... extension cord?



## beachylivin (May 21, 2012)

I just purchased a size "small" (18x12) K&H outdoor/indoor heating pad. Because I haven't had an outdoor heat source for night time until today, I have been bringing my leopard tortoise in at night, where I have a crate and heat lamp set up for him and he has free run of one of our bathrooms.

However, when I took the heat pad out of the box, on the back of the pad in tiny print it says it should not be used with an extension cord. 

Has anyone run across any problems with connecting their heat pad to an extension cord? My tortoise's outdoor enclosure is a good ten feet away from an outlet, so I was going to run a cord.

Any suggestions?!

Thanks!


----------



## ascott (May 21, 2012)

I know that folks here use extension cords for their outdoor heating lights and timers??? I would imagine you would at the least want to use a cord designed for outside use....and likely don't want it draped onto the ground where it can be trampled or submerged????

Wait and see what the others have to offer....


----------



## Tom (May 21, 2012)

I'm more concerned about what sort of heat pad you have bought. I've never used that type and I don't know any one who has. What might be safe for a mammal, might not work for a tortoise. Be careful.

THey have to say all that stuff on the label to make it harder for you o sue them if the pad burns your house down. I can only tell you what I would do and you'll have to decide what you are comfortable with. On something that uses relatively low wattage, like that pad, I would use a short, heavy gauge extension cord and not worry about it. But don't try to sue me if your house burns down...


----------



## lynnedit (May 24, 2012)

What about something like this?
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/electrical.shtml. 
As long as your extension cord is plugged into a GFCI, grounded outlet.

Make sure the pad does not get too warm. Sometimes tortoises don't move off of them when they should.


----------



## Laura (May 24, 2012)

Stanfield heat pads are what I use.. Pig blankets.. for livestock.. very sturdy.. check out www.osborne-ind.com i think


----------



## Yvonne G (May 25, 2012)

Hi Lexi:

I'm not an electrician, and I don't play one on TV, however, it is my opinion that if you're going to use an extension cord for lights or heat in outside tortoise pens (of which I have three), you should buy the shortest cord that fits the run, and the biggest gauge wire in the cord. 

I recently built a biological filter for a turtle tub and plugged in the sump pump to a cord I had laying around in the garage. After running it for a day or so I noticed that the ends of the cord and pump, where they plug together, were very hot to the touch. I went to the hardware store and bought a 25', 12 gauge cord and haven't had that problem since.

My leopard tortoise pen has two pig blankets and 4 lights and the power source to their shed is a 50' extension cord.

My Aldabran shed has 4 pig blankets and several lights along with a couple of seed tray heaters and the electrical supply for this area also is served by an extension cord. 

These things have been running like this for appx. 5 years. The leopard tortoise cord is going to have to be changed out soon because it is open to the weather/sun and is starting to show fading.

In my opinion, if you take care with how you place the cord (maybe bury it inside a PVC) and buy an outdoor cord of the right size/gauge, it shouldn't be a problem.


----------



## jaizei (May 25, 2012)

An extension cord is intended for temporary use. If you need electricity there on a more than temporary basis, then you need a permanent solution. Move the enclosure closer to the outlet or add an outlet closer to the enclosure.


----------

