Green House Heaters

[amy104]

My boys have a petnap flexiguard pad which they absolutely love in winter. As badger is getting on I want to add some greenhouse heaters this winter. What are your thoughts on the guards, are they necessary? They are a given with my bunnies as they could obviously reach them, but the piggies hutch is 2.5ft tall and I can't see them getting anywhere near the heaters if I had them right at the top.

(They live inside our unused garage, so aren't exposed to the elements).

 

[Kit06]

I don't use the guards as the heaters are well out of a piggies reach. There's no way they could touch them or climb near them etc.

 

[Mackers]

I have tubular greenhouse heaters in my bunny shed. I DO have guards on the because I mounted them at floor level, mainly to stop water bowls from freezing (I installed them during the harsh winter of 2010 when it was around minus 10 degrees for weeks and water bowls were freezing within an hour or two). In a large space like a shed, they needed to be at floor level so the guard was necessary as they do get very hot to the touch. In a hutch for piggies, as long as the piggies couldn't stand on their back legs and reach the heater then you probably wouldn't need a guard. But it would be a bit "ouchie" if a little piggy nose touched it!

 

[amy104]

Thanks both. Maybe I will get them just in case. Not that I need them yet I just thought they might be a bit cheaper at this time of year. Do you think floor level would be better as heat rises? Though as I said they do have their flexiguard pad to sit on if they choose.

 

[Mackers]

I think in a small space like a hutch, it wouldn't matter where you put the heater. But if you want the piggies to be able to snuggle near it, then you'll need to mount it down low and cover with the guard.

In a shed, I think it needs to go low as they only give out an ambient heat - just enough to keep the area above freezing really. They work well in the bunny shed. Even on the coldest winter night the shed always stays at about 4-5 degrees (it's an 8x6 shed with the rabbit flap always open). We've not had a frozen water bowl since I put them in. When I have elderly bunnies, I also have a Petnap aluminium heat pad that they like to sit on. Lovely for arthritic joints.

 

[amy104]

I think I'm going to get the guards and put them low. I like the fact they could then snuggle in front if they wanted to. I'm tempted to get some for the bunnies playhouse aswell and sweet talk my brother in law into puting me an electric socket outside.