New Sulcata owner with warning

Arrrr Enn

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I'm glad that no one was injured and no actual fire was started. You need to use some type of temperature controller when using a heat mat with reptiles. First question is was the heat mat setting directly on the 3/4 inch horse mat? If so without a temperature control that's probably what started the problem. You stated that the house was holding a temperature of 80 degrees which means the mat could be running around 115 degrees without the controller. When your tortoise is setting on the mat the temperature directly under the tortoise will be even higher. Have you flipped him over to check his feet and the bottom of his shell?
He wasn’t inside when the incident happened, he was roaming his yard eating grass. His shell and feet are fine. The enclosure is a work in progress. I will absolutely have a pool and shade for him before warm weather. It’s been around 40 degrees out with a high of 60 when lucky so I haven’t made a pool or more shade yet.
 

Len B

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He wasn’t inside when the incident happened, he was roaming his yard eating grass. His shell and feet are fine. The enclosure is a work in progress. I will absolutely have a pool and shade for him before warm weather. It’s been around 40 degrees out with a high of 60 when lucky so I haven’t made a pool or more shade yet.
I don't usually put water in my pools until around May. If we get a nice warm sunny day before that I will just wet them down with water from the hose. I'm still curious if you had the heat mat sitting directly on the horse mat?
 

Arrrr Enn

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I don't usually put water in my pools until around May. If we get a nice warm sunny day before that I will just wet them down with water from the hose. I'm still curious if you had the heat mat sitting directly on the horse mat?
Yes, the heat mat was sitting directly on the horse mat. I don't think it had anything to do with the fire. The fire (well smolder) was on the top of the Kane heat mat. Not sure if it was a defect, because it does warn to not have anything on top of the mat, but others say they have used the mats for years and don't think the hay was the cause.
 

ZEROPILOT

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Yes, the heat mat was sitting directly on the horse mat. I don't think it had anything to do with the fire. The fire (well smolder) was on the top of the Kane heat mat. Not sure if it was a defect, because it does warn to not have anything on top of the mat, but others say they have used the mats for years and don't think the hay was the cause.
The redundancy built into it would've still stopped that from happening. According to Tom.
I'd also contact the manufacturer.
What's the worse that could happen?
 

Len B

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The redundancy built into it would've still stopped that from happening. According to Tom.
I'd also contact the manufacturer.
What's the worse that could happen?
I'm not sure but with no rheostat or thermostat controlling the temperature cutoff of electricity the mat may not know when to turn itself off. Plus it's setting on some type of rubber mat that works as insulation could affect what the mat is reading as the ambient temperature which it is made to cut off at a certain temperature above the ambient temperature. All this taking place inside a well insulated house. I feel if some type of temperature control was used this would have never happened.
 

Arrrr Enn

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People at local pet shops believe 100% something shorted inside the mat. I just bought a Vivarium Electronics 80w radiant heat panel that I will install once the dang rain stops. Hopefully that will be enough and I can take the oil filled radiator out. I need to have a solution that will not burn the house down or injure the tortoise.
 

Arrrr Enn

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Response from Kane:

Appreciate the email. For some background, our heat mats heat 37° above ambient temperature. When a tortoise lies on the heat mat, the temperature will rise where the shell/body covers the heat mat and will continue to rise until they move off the heat mat or to a different spot on the heat mat. The heat mat works/absorbs with the heat of whatever lies on it. When something covers the heat mat, such as Bermuda grass, it will trap the heat and will continue to heat as it cannot move itself off the mat. This is what happened in your case. Instances like yours is why we have warning labels and documents saying not to cover the heat mats with bedding/grass/foreign materials.



If you are going to use our heat mats for a tortoise, we highly recommend using a thermostat to where you can set the maximum temperature you want the heat mat to get.
 

Tom

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I just bought a Vivarium Electronics 80w radiant heat panel that I will install once the dang rain stops. Hopefully that will be enough ...
It won't be. They don't generate enough heat, though they are a good product to use in conjunction with other heat sources, like a Kane mat. I run one of each on a thermostat in my 4x4 boxes.

I can understand why you would be leery of a Kane mat though... :)
 

Arrrr Enn

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It won't be. They don't generate enough heat, though they are a good product to use in conjunction with other heat sources, like a Kane mat. I run one of each on a thermostat in my 4x4 boxes.

I can understand why you would be leery of a Kane mat though... :)
What size do you use? I am a bit leery of the Kane mats though. I have been using an oil filled radiator and it has kept the night box toasty, but I would really like to be able to put Bermuda grass in the night box without fear of fire. It gives him something to munch on, feel "burrowed in" and something to help with poop/pee cleanup.
 

Tom

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What size do you use? I am a bit leery of the Kane mats though. I have been using an oil filled radiator and it has kept the night box toasty, but I would really like to be able to put Bermuda grass in the night box without fear of fire. It gives him something to munch on, feel "burrowed in" and something to help with poop/pee cleanup.
I use the 18x28 inch mats in a 48x48 inch box. I use a thin layer plain dirt from the yard for substrate. This makes clean up easy.

I used to put hay in some of the boxes, but it was just too messy and I didn't like them eating hay that they had pooped or peed on. In the wild a sulcata would never eat inside their burrow, so I don't feed mine inside their "burrows". In summer, when they are actually underground in burrows, I keep their food topside. They come up and eat and then go back in the burrow. The heated boxes are a surrogate burrow for captive sulcatas in a temperate climate.

I don't go so far as to say it is "wrong" to put hay in the night box, but they do not need it, and it does create some problems. They don't need hay to cuddle into at night and are perfectly happy with their nose in the corner.
 

Hippytort

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People at local pet shops believe 100% something shorted inside the mat. I just bought a Vivarium Electronics 80w radiant heat panel that I will install once the dang rain stops. Hopefully that will be enough and I can take the oil filled radiator out. I need to have a solution that will not burn the house down or injure the tortoise.
I'm with them. The mat shorted out. Even without a thermostat it should never heat up enough to catch fire.
That is an awesome house and enclosure!!
 

Arrrr Enn

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Do you connect the Vivarium Electronics 80w radiant heat panel to thermostat as well? On the box it says thermostat required so I assume so.
 

Tom

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Yes. You can get a thermostat rated for 1000 watts on Amazon for $18-30.
 

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