Retrofit night box for winter

Kadels

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You plug them both into the thermostat.
But an accurate reading of the heat mat temperature can only come from the surface of the mat. Sorry, I'm confused.
Are you saying that, when the ambient temp reaches - say 85 - you just have the thermostat turn off everything?
 

Big Charlie

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But an accurate reading of the heat mat temperature can only come from the surface of the mat. Sorry, I'm confused.
Are you saying that, when the ambient temp reaches - say 85 - you just have the thermostat turn off everything?
Yeah, that's what happens. The heat mat never gets hot enough to burn your tortoise. When I bought my heat mat, I paid extra for the rheostat but never used it. I was thinking that at times I would want more heat from the top than bottom, so I wouldn't want the mat at full power, but with both on, the house insulated, and the door closed, it never gets warmer than about 40 degrees above ambient. The last few nights we've been in the 30s.
 

Tom

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Do you get the Kane mat with the built-in thermostat, and just use the Zilla for the RHP? Otherwise, how do you gauge temp on the heat mat?
All Kane mats have the built in thermostats. It will not get too hot even if you leave it plugged in and running 24/7. However, It could over heat the whole box if its running all the time in warmer weather. The thermostat will ensure it stays off when the air temp in the box is already warm enough.

Don't worry about the surface temp of the mat. Worry about the air temp in the box. The built in thermostat will prevent the surface of the mat from ever getting too hot.
 

vladimir

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All Kane mats have the built in thermostats. It will not get too hot even if you leave it plugged in and running 24/7. However, It could over heat the whole box if its running all the time in warmer weather. The thermostat will ensure it stays off when the air temp in the box is already warm enough.

Don't worry about the surface temp of the mat. Worry about the air temp in the box. The built in thermostat will prevent the surface of the mat from ever getting too hot.

The Kane mat I got from @TylerStewart at tortoisesupply.com does not have an integrated thermostat that enables/disables power as far as I know. It is supposed to maintain 37F above ambient temperatures at all times, according to what I remember from the paperwork.
 

Big Charlie

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The Kane mat I got from @TylerStewart at tortoisesupply.com does not have an integrated thermostat that enables/disables power as far as I know. It is supposed to maintain 37F above ambient temperatures at all times, according to what I remember from the paperwork.
I think that is the same one I have. It never gets too hot to the touch. I think there are safety measures built in. There isn't a controllable thermostat.
 

Canadian Mojo

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I think that is the same one I have. It never gets too hot to the touch. I think there are safety measures built in. There isn't a controllable thermostat.
It probably has a thermal cutoff if it gets too warm. The Zoo Med one I have says it shuts off if it hits 119. If something went wrong with the thermostat that was a little too warm for my comfort so it ended up wall mounted so Tord couldn't lie directly on it.
 

Tom

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The Kane mat I got from @TylerStewart at tortoisesupply.com does not have an integrated thermostat that enables/disables power as far as I know. It is supposed to maintain 37F above ambient temperatures at all times, according to what I remember from the paperwork.
What Big Charlie said. Its built into all Kane mats now. Nothing you'd be able to see from the outside.
 

Tom

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It probably has a thermal cutoff if it gets too warm. The Zoo Med one I have says it shuts off if it hits 119. If something went wrong with the thermostat that was a little too warm for my comfort so it ended up wall mounted so Tord couldn't lie directly on it.
They aren't very effective that way. They don't project heat very well and the majority of the heat you are producing is rising to the top of the enclosure. It would serve your tortoise much better on the floor.
 

Kadels

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I think that is the same one I have. It never gets too hot to the touch. I think there are safety measures built in. There isn't a controllable thermostat.
Kane recommends screwing the mats into the floor - does anyone do that? Do you have them directly on the floor, or on a platform?
 

Big Charlie

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Kane recommends screwing the mats into the floor - does anyone do that? Do you have them directly on the floor, or on a platform?
I just have it laying on the floor. I have the cord affixed to the wall so it can't move very much. Charlie slides it a bit but it still stays in the same general area. I like to be able to move it to clean around it so I wouldn't want it permanently attached to the floor.
 

Canadian Mojo

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They aren't very effective that way. They don't project heat very well and the majority of the heat you are producing is rising to the top of the enclosure. It would serve your tortoise much better on the floor.
His whole habitat has since been upgraded in part because of that issue, but it is a manufacturers suggested option. Part of the concern was 119 F is too warm for a RF and if the thermometer for the separate controller got knocked off the mat there was a chance it would get that hot suddenly trying to act as a space heater. I may have simply been over cautious but I didn't want to risk roasting the poor guy.
 
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