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Upa Creek, Mo

My heat mat is on its 13th year and while checking seeds today, I noticed a sap like substance at the base of the mat where the power cord connects. I touched the substance and gave it a smell thinking one of my kids spilled something on it... no smell. I picked up the mat to look underneath and a large spark shot from where the cord meets the mat and then it started smoking.

Point is replace the mats. I was at work today and randomly stopped home for lunch... it could have been a lost home!

4/24/2023 3:06:22 PM

Syracuse, NY

I had a mishap also with my light bulbs I use to heat my
Germ-Fridge. Certainly not as insidious as your near miss,
butt it still was a concern as I thought I had it set perfectly, lol.
Sorry, Smallmouth - I'm right behind you, leaving comments today! eg

4/24/2023 4:05:48 PM

Bethlehem CT

Good point Luke, I built a little GFCI receptacle that I use to plug mine into.

4/24/2023 7:13:17 PM

Kelowna, British Columbia

I had an extension cord in the patch do this a couple years ago. It melted itself and part of a tarp next to it.

4/24/2023 7:51:25 PM

Grittyville, WA

Yep had one char my floor... The thing was out of control. And this year had the 1500 watt HPS light plug scorched my power strip bad. I knew that thing was drawing a lot of power so I would turn it off when I left home. It really was a hazard and a 1/2.

4/25/2023 6:35:28 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Big Moon (John), I hade it plugged into a regular wall outlet in the dining room. Good call with the GFCI, maybe it would have tripped.

I am lucky I wasn't shocked when I touched it. I honestly thought a kid spilled syrup on it. Afterwards, I saw the junction box at the heating elements had melted on the inside creating a hole on the bottom.

4/25/2023 8:22:39 AM

Partlow,Va

thanks for the tips guys i need to install a gfi plug!

4/26/2023 8:31:02 AM

Puyallup, WA

Thermostat on one small heater malfunctioned. Stressed the plant!

4/26/2023 1:26:43 PM

Syracuse, NY

I believe anyone would have had a short circuit/brownout where the circuit just looks like another heating element to the electricity. LOOK INTO what a GFCI does before installing one and thinking it'll protect against unknowns.
GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTOR (What is that?)
They are usually if not always right by a bathroom sink;
You usually don't see them anywhere else.
Can't imagine why.
Not preaching, but just looking out;
Read up and decide, as I don't know it all, lol:
https://safeelectricity.org/ground-fault-circuit-interrupters-gfcis/
eg

4/26/2023 1:59:41 PM

Springfield, VT

A GFCI plug will only measure a current to ground an if over 5mA at which point it will trip. The short in the heating mat if hot to neutral would not be detected. The alternate option and requirement in newer homes is an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI). It would pick up arcing faults and trip. GFCI plug in units are available to protect equipment fairly cheap at Amazon use the search gfci outlet adapter.

4/26/2023 4:46:15 PM