Old Waterbed Heater

Can an old waterbed heater be used as a seedling heat mat? If so, how exactly would that be set up... i.e., where would the probe be placed? (I know the mat would go under the seed tray!). Also, what temp should it be set at? Is it left on 24 hours? Will the mat burn a countertop or wood shelf?

Any info or point me to a post already discussing this would be appreciated! Thanks :-)

Linda

I have been strictly warned against this due to fire hazard associated with them. I highly recommend using a germination mat. I know people do it but I don't think it is worth the risk for the $30 you would spend on a germination mat. I spent $42 online for one that fits 2 trays of seeds....can't remember offhand where I got it from.

Kim

Thanks, Kim. I want to be safe above all else.... so I'll heed your warning.

I know of a guy who nearly set his garage on fire with one. SB

stressbaby... THAT's not good. I will definitely not use it!

BTW, we just had a two story house on the river burn down 2 days ago due to a light in their Orchid room..... the house was worth over $600,000.

Ooops, not OUR house... but it was in our town.

Ive been using waterbed heaters for years with no problems the waterbed heater is made to sit on a wooden "Shelf " or a wooden platform that the waterbed is made of, and the mats are waterproof i place the probe under the mat and adjust the temp until the soil temp is at the correct temp The thermostat needs to be kept dry They work very well and can be found used for less than $10.
Steve

Just because you've used one and so far it hasn't set anything on fire doesn't mean it's not a fire hazard! I would encourage anyone else who's thinking about doing this to do some research first.

I made a heated system that worked very well.I used a 4x8 sheet of plywood (start many seeds) Inside I strung
plastic air line tubing purchased from any auto parts stores,(used for trucks)it comes in many sizes.Then i filled it
with sand.For heat I tapped into my oil burner then to a thermostat,to one side of my tubing the other side returned to my burner.On top of the sand I set many flats setting the thermostat at 70 degrees.I personally had
very good results.you could use any source for heat.

Why is it that a waterbed heater would be any more unsafe than a heating pad? I suspect that both introduce some level of fire hazard. Maybe the difference is between a 20 year old waterbed heater and a brand new heating pad.

- Brent

claypa had a good post on this in one of the other threads:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3167559