Heat Mat Question

Mellinger's is where I got mine. Couldn't think of the name until I just saw it in the post.

Darn, all I get is "this page can not be displayed".

lizh...the link she provided has a comma at the end, makiing it not work. Try this one.
www.mellingers.com

That works, thanks Shoe.

I got my thick red rubber mat from Charley's Greenhouse Supplies some years ago, along with the thermostat, both for about $ 80.00. We're going to hook it up tomorrow & see if it kicks again this year. Love it. Will check out the link to Mellingers.

Well, went over to Discount Hydro and they did not have the rubber mat.. they did have lots of Rockwool, hydroponic stuff and cloning tubs. I did get some Superthrive and a couple of domes.. The best buy looks like it would be at Mellilngers.. They also have sent out catalogs with a 20.00 coupon off any purchase over 40.00 so, that would give you another 20.00 off (pays for the shipping anyway). I may order one from them also.. sign up for their catalog on line.

Shoe: If you only have one mat (one large rubber mat) do you still need an adapter? Okay, I'm new and not too cognizant of these things.. (or do you need an adapter only if you have more than one mat?)

edited for spelling....

This message was edited Mar 18, 2004 10:54 AM

Gourd, I see (above) that you have the thermostat that goes with your grow mat. That should be all you need. The reason for the adapter is so you can plug in more than one grow mat.

You could also probably just pick up a multi-outlet power strip at Walmart to do the same thing (saving on any shipping). YOu may need to read the thermostat directions to see how many they say you can plug in. Those things will let just so many amps thru them so if you try to do more than is recommended you may not get the heat you are looking for. (Just guessing here tho, so check it out.)
.

Thanks Gourd for checking into this for us. Appreciate the follow up.

Hi everyone, I just got my heat mat, it's not as big as Gourd's, and I guess it's not rubber, from what I can tell from your conversations, It looks durable to me, but this is my first mat, don't know that much about them. Getting ready to make use of it this weekend.

I did look up Mellilngers, sent for the catalog for the coupon, who knows maybe I'll get rich and get to order another one.

So tell me, I read somewhere here that pencils (do you need to take the erasers off) can be put on the mat first to put your trays on and can I do three if I put a tray on top in the middle and I should cover with something to keep heat in? Oh my, I wish I knew what I was doing :-??

My mat is only 20x20 so it has room for two trays, and of course the thermostat is just for one mat.

Hi Gourd,
Could you please give me the $20.00 off coupon number
from your catalog? The Mellinger's lady didn't know about it.
I phoned Mellinger's (HYPERLINK@www.mellingers.com)
and got the lady to look up the order number for the large
red heating mat on page 63. Here is what she gave me:
PM9A 22"x60" mat (Smaller 22"x22" mat is PM2)
This needs a thermostat, number:
GC40 (For up to 4 heating mats combined.)
I forgot to ask prices, so I will go to the link for that.
czechbookblues

Here's the Mellinger's page with the mats and thermostats on it.
http://www.mellingers.com/results.tpl?command=search&db=catalog.txt&eqakudatarq=245&cart=1079711214186628&slave_to=245&bob=245&akusort=1&akusdir=as&slave_totype=num&akutype=num&bobtype=num

Lebug, I don't use pencils but just set the flats directly on the mats. (One mat they sell had a "riser" that touted it would allow heated air to rise and circulate around the flats, maybe that is the use for the pencils?)

czechbookblues, Welcome to DG, noticed you just signed up! Come on in and sit a spell! Hope to see you around the site!

Welcome czechbookblues, you're going to love these forums, everyone is so nice and you learn so much.

czeckbookblues,
I ordered the catalog on the date above, had one originally, and threw it away.. so, I am hoping that I did not mess up and get the companies mixed up. Gurney's, GardenAlive, and Henry Fields all had 20.00 coupons off either on any purchase or off any 40 dollar purchase. (and I thought Mellinger's also had the coupon). And yes they do have a code on the catalog that you must provide to get the discount. I am still waiting here for mine. And looked high and low for the one that I dumped..darn.. Let me know if you ordered your catalog, just go to their site and click on (home) and you can order one there.. A

Finally got out to the greenhouse today to take a picture of the mats. Not to bad for about 20 yrs. of water and dirt. The copper probe is coming from the thermostat. You put one of the planted seedflats on top of it, so it works right.

Picture of the thermostat. The red light comes on when it is heating, so you always know when it is working. I turned it on today and it didn't take too long to warm up to 75 degrees.

Well, I can't get my hot mat to work, so today, we're going to check the plug to make sure there is electricity in it & then plug the mat directly into the plug to see if it heats up at all. If it does, then the problem is with the thermostat. My husband wants to direct=wire the hot mat to the thermostat, eliminating one plug and see if that works. I am 2 weeks late on starting my seeds & am starting to panic. The thermostat did get wet last year, so it might have shorted something out inside.

Debby, yep!...that's the kind I have! Good to hear they will be around in years to come! Thanks for posting the pics!

Buttoneer, am hoping its just the power outlet. Crossing fingers for ya!

Good news, the heat mat works wonderfully!!! I didn't turn it up high enough. Another question. What temp do seeds germinate the best? 80 deg F or thereabouts? Let me know. I planted about 30 different kinds of seeds in Oasis cubes & Erythrna crista-galli is popping open and another kind of flower is already up. Forgot what it is, though. Will have to go out to the greenhouse & look at it later & let ya know. I'm going to Lowe's tonight for Maxicrop & Superthrive because they were talking about it in another propagation thread & no damping off & the seeds open right up, expecially after they are soaked in the Peroxide-water mixture.

Buttoneer: I usually set my thermostat at 70 to 75 deg F.

What about using a waterbed heater?

I dream of flowers

Susan

soulgardenlove, some of us here use those. I never have but understand they work great!

Hope you see flowers soon!