Can anyone recommend a specific thermostat they've used with this product? I'm assuming that If I don't buy one, the seedlings will get too hot?
1366440
I didn't get a t-Stat with mine. You will need one. I will definitely get one next season.
1366441
Your correct... but you may not need to buy a thermostat, although that would no doubt be 'best' solution. I use rockwool cubes and with the tray directly on top of the heating pad it gets much to warm. To adjust for this I simply put the heating pad under a thick towel and that reduced the amount of heat on the tray. After doing the towel thing the temp of my cubes are steady at 74, which seems to be working great. Hope this helps...
1600309
The only thing I can think of is incorrect wiring or you have it hooked up to something that is trying to draw more amperage than the unit can handle and it's tripping rather than switching anything on. Perhaps it's a protection circuit? Have you tried hooking it up to something that draws lower power? I had mine wired to a heating pad as a warming pad for a while to start seedlings. Then I wired it into a home made aquarium type heater. I don't get any 'alarms', my unit works perfectly every time. I'd have to see how you wired it and what it's wire to in order to help. Sorry.
1684534
I think it would depend on how quickly you want your seeds to germinate. All seeds are different but 80 degree soil is generally optimum for tomatoes to seeds to sprout. Here in NC the temps are much lower than that, especially at night so this mat has been a great help. I do not recommend using this mat without a thermostat, it is not effective without that added control. Have fun!
1727316
They are not bad, but I have had better luck using self watering planters to start my seed with the heating mat, I use the moisture control miracle grow, and cheap shop lights that I bought at Menards for light, set it all up on a high shelf in my garage with epson salt when planting.
558990
I've no idea about LV temps, I always thought its hot or warm there. If you night are chilly just put gallons of jugs inside, close to the plants and they will heat up during daytime sun, and keep plants ok during night. I have dozens of jugs around the inside perimeter and they do help. Wondering about legend tomatoes? Hmm.. Would love to try them...
974240
When the temp. dips below freezing, I use a 250 watt red heat lamp that I have hanging in the greenhouse. My plants are doing great. I still have a tomato plant, still producing from last spring. I don't know if the lamp is necessary, but it sure does not hurt. I love my greenhouse. I hope this info helps.
433036
Not sure but I learned something new this year that others might be interested in hearing about. I bought a small greenhouse cor $25 from home depot. I keep it inside by a sliding glass window and put a thermostat controled small heater. I planted seeds in jiffy pellets and in 4 days most were 1 inch tall. I probably wouldn't have believed it myself had I not seen it with my own eyes.
873771
Two years ago I had great luck using this to warm the soil and it was enough to aid in germination. My pepper seeds sprouted about 5 days earlier than they did without the added warmth and were heartier. Last year I wanted to try to kick it up a bit more so I purchased a germination mat, but I did not purchase the associated thermostat - bad move! It burned up my seeds! Haven't decided whether I am going to purchase the thermostat or just go with the light this year - but I def will not be using the mat without the thermostat again! Have a great garden this year!
2184720
I enstalled an outlet out side so that the therostat is actually located out side. When system is running it is only warm at best, I used it for a High Energy Furnace water drain that was freezing up and backing up inside the furnace. Only run it when temp gets in the 30's and lower. I would think that having the thermostat inside would nulify the device.....
145320
No. I use the Jiffy Windowsill Greenhouse containers with clear, plastic covers on the mat. As the seedlings sprout, I move them to an uncovered container off the mat and continue watering when needed. The mat is excellent for accelerating sprouting, but it will heat a closed container too excessively for a growing seedling to thrive. Another tip: Place the mat on several layers of folded towels to prevent heat from escaping to a hard surface beneath it. The mat does not become dangerously hot, but it is important to direct its heat where it's needed most.
1948995
I'm in CA too. I have mine in a pot that I move to a warmer area when it gets below 35 at night. I forgot to move it one night a few weeks ago when it hit 30 degrees and I've been struggling to keep it alive ever since. If it survives, I will put it inside under a grow light next Winter. Not sure what the plan is when/if it gets bigger.
4891
We've had ours for about a year. The thermostat has proven reliable. We set it on a mid-range setting and our leopard geckos love it. If it is too hot, they won't sit on it. Never put the heat lamp above the rock; it will overheat the rock and harm your lizards. In the winter we keep it up a bit because our house is cool. Just check it with your hand. The instructions are thorough in their explanation. Yes, we've been very happy with the rock!
732904
I checked on all my information and the only thing in print that I see is that you plug them into a regular 120 v outlet. I used two of these mats this season and I was very satisfied with them. The temperature seemed to be just right as I did not have any germination problems. I did not use a thermostat, which the literature says you may use a "compatible thermostat" with them. Hope this is helpful
1526240
I use the "Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat For Heat Mats". Works pretty well but a bit pricey, here's the link:Jump Start MTPRTC, Digital ETL-Certified Heat Mat Thermostat for Seed Germination, Reptiles and Brewing
1655053
I've only used it for indoor planters right now, and am very pleased so far. Haven't used it outdoors yet. I don't think the water would get "too hot", unless you're using them around sensitive plants.
287706
I don't know the temp, I just plugged it in and put my seedlings on it. I made sure to keep them from drying out and it worked like a charm. Glad I bought it, highly recommended.
2211417
Both of the heaters I bought work pretty darned well. The one without the thermostat is out in our pet's shed and I don't know how well it works. My husband says it works great to keep our pet turtles warm during these winter nights that have gotten down to about 32 degrees at times. As for the ones with the thermostats, I'm very pleased with them as they don't actually "heat up" the house, but they have been great for keeping the chill off the air. For instance, when the weather outside is 32-45 degrees, our house without the use of any other heater stays at a comfortable 68-70 degrees (no matter what the thermostat says...I usually keep all three heaters at 85 degrees but the house never gets that hot). I'm still waiting to receive my electric bill in the mail so I cannot tell you how expensive or inexpensive they are to run. I'm hoping they reduce the electric bill this year as last year's bill was ridiculously HIGH as I was running a few of those regular electric heaters with fans on them. Hope this helps.