VIVOSUN 2 Pack Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad 10" x 20.75" MET Standard
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Correct, it's a sealed heating mat with no temperature control, and I wouldn't use it without one.
Yes, it's completely watertight.
It's suitable for use both inside and out. It's safe to use a regular heating pad from the drugstore because it gets much warmer.
If you mean can it get wet, the answer is no; however, I use it in my outdoor greenhouse, which is covered with greenhouse plastic. If you're worried about the weather, this item was found near the Christmas lights at Home Depot. It's a hard plastic tube with soft rubber ends that's been sliced in half lengthwise, and you can put a plug down the middle and close the tube around it to make it fairly watertight. I purchased a number of them for use in outdoor areas around my farm. If you're using an extension cord, this would work. (One of my friends uses her heat mats on her covered patio.) There's no need to be concerned about that either. However, if you're going to be outside in the rain, I recommend looking for the cord cover I mentioned earlier. (It's a strong piece of equipment.) This isn't a flimsy structure.
Selected User Reviews For VIVOSUN 2 Pack Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad 10" x 20.75" MET Standard
To keep your plants from overheating, you'll almost certainly need a temperature control device, as others have mentioned. br>I placed the heating mat on a granite countertop and placed the jiffy seed germination tray on top of it. It was 97°F under the tray, with soil temperatures ranging from 90°F to 100°F. 94f. I attempted to use my Johnson controls temperature control, but it was set up for homebrewing cooling controls, and I was unable to get it to work. br>I elevated the seedling tray by placing the heating mat on the granite counter and a cookie sheet over the heat source. The results are excellent. This morning, I was pleased to see soil temperatures ranging from 81 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. 85F. To cut a long story short, all you need to do is figure out how to lift your seed tray off the mat so you can get what you need. The temperature in the room was 75 degrees Fahrenheit, just in case you were wondering. I'm thinking of using a folded shower towel or removing the cooling rack from underneath and having the separation on top.
I was skeptical at first because it didn't seem to be working because it didn't feel particularly warm. However, I could easily feel the warmth after leaving it on overnight under a filled seed tray. It takes a while for the soil to warm up because the heat is so gentle, but once it does, the temperature difference between the soil and the surrounding air is at least 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of my seeds did not germinate last year, and I assumed they rotted in the cold, damp soil. In late winter/early spring, my house is simply too cold to start seedlings. But this product kept the soil pleasantly warm to the touch, and in just two days, I had seeds sprouting! The seedlings then grew like weeds in the warm soil. They grew so quickly that I had to turn off the heat to keep them from getting too big before I could safely transplant them to my garden! br>Here's a tip I picked up: Of course, the heat will be greatest in the center of the seed tray, while the cups along the sides, which are more exposed to open air, will be the coolest, so planting heat-loving plants is a good strategy. In the middle, put your favorite seeds (tomato, pepper, eggplant) and keep it cool. Along the sides, plant tolerant seeds such as spinach, broccoli, lettuces, and radishes. Also, because this greatly accelerates germination and growth, you may want to plant a little later than usual! Otherwise, like me, you may find that your plants begin to bloom in your window in the middle of the summer. April!.
This is fantastic! I don't have any kind of temperature control on them; they're just plugged in. They're only a smidgeon warm. I've got them in a greenhouse on a wire rack with a plastic shelf liner on it to make a solid surface for the mat to sit on. The seeds were planted on 3/4 (first photo), and today is 3/10 (second photo). I live in the Seattle area, where the nights are still cold and the seeds were planted two days after it snowed. Several vegetables, on the other hand, have already begun to sprout.
So, I was overjoyed the first year, but I had no idea they only lasted one season. I used them to start my seeds last year and then put them back in the bag they came in, but I just pulled them out and neither of them will turn on. I'm so disappointed, I already stated my seeds, went to put them on a heating mat, and there was no heat, so now I have to buy some more, and I'm starting to wonder if it's even worth it. Yes, my seeds came up sooner, but only for one season, not even all year, just three months out of the year, and not even one of them will work, so save your money if you want to use them for more than three months.
Keep in mind that these heating mats melted the tub of perlite I had on them and scorched a section of my floor. I used an infrared thermometer to check the temperature on them just before unplugging them, and the thermometer MAXed out, indicating that they had reached 230 degrees. They shouldn't be placed on an insulated or reflective surface because they may overheat. Don't forget to keep an eye on them. There is no UL or CSA mark on the product.
So far, these have proven to be effective. Now that they're growing on top of these, my warm-growing plants seem to be faring much better this winter. The disadvantage is that for the first few weeks of operation, you should expect a strong plastic chemical odor. When I first plugged these in, it was almost nauseating, and I was concerned that something was wrong. However, now that they've been running for a while, the smell has faded and I'm not noticing it as much.
It appears to be an excellent deal! This heat mat is just the right temperature for the pepper seeds I'm trying to germinate indoors. Now, if I wanted to set up my trays in the garage, this mat would not be enough to raise the temperature to a comfortable level. My seeds are supposed to sprout at temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The mat raises the ambient air temperature by about 20 degrees, and my house is usually around 65 degrees in the winter, so temperature determined where my trays should be placed. br>br>These mats are stiff and come rolled up. However, the weight of the tray straightens them out as they heat up. A three-way light is required for my grow light. However, this mat only requires a two-prong plug. prong. There is enough cord to go around. It's not a heavy-duty plastic, but I don't think wear and tear will be an issue for something tucked away inside a home.
While at work, the temperature in my house is 62 degrees, which makes brewing kombucha difficult because it takes a long time to brew. This is wrapped around a 5 gallon square glass vessel and raises the temperature by 8 degrees Fahrenheit. 12 degrees is the temperature. I was about to return because it didn't feel very warm when you touched it, but then I tried putting a glass of water on it overnight and it did raise the temperature by 8 degrees, and it was a small diameter glass, so very little was in direct contact with the heat mat. When plugged in, it consumes approximately 25 watts.
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