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Heaters: Is this safe?

I have mine mounted on the wall in the sheds,purely for piece of mind and doesn,t take any floor space up:D
 
Stator said:
If a stray piece of hay went in the top it would catch on fire :?
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This! There's absolutely no way I would use a heater of that type in a wooden building, particularly not one which contains combustible materials like hay. The element is exposed so any stray hay could cause a fire, and the direct heat source so close next to the wood could easily cause a fire. Also, that type of heater will actually get the shed warm, which would either mean you'd have to have it on for so long it would cost a fortune, or it wouldn't be helpful for the bunnies because it wouldn't allow them to grow a decent winter coat to cope with all the times the heater is off.

If you want to put an electric heater in there, it would be far safer to use one of those tubular ones like the ones Sarah linked to - a much more gentle heat which would do more to keep frost and bitter cold at bay rather than create 'warmth' and while there is still a small risk of hay getting onto it and catching fire, at least there is no exposed heating element so the risk would be significantly reduced.
 
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I've put tubular heaters (with guards) into my bunny sheds. I have mine positioned quite high up, well away from bunnies and hay. They are really good, they give a very gentle warmth and just take the chill off. I bought mine after reading about them on RU.
 
Thanks for the advice I am going to look into the tubular thing :lol:! I think thats a good idea and will prevent fires and damage! I'm glad I posted on here now. What size did you get and with or without plug? Need some advice on keeping the buns warm in winter :/

Thanks Jen xxx :wave:
 
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I have one of the tubular heaters that are designed for out buildings in my guineapigs play house. I have a 2ft in a 4x4 playhouse that is fully insulated and it takes the chill off brilliantly. Also stops the water freezing in there so I know it always stays above freezing! I have mounted it above the upper level of the playhouse so the pigs can lie under it for extra heat but can in no way get to touch it or its wires. :wave:
 
A big thumbs up for tubular greenhouse heaters. I have one in each shed. Even with a permanently open rabbit flap, the shed always stays above freezing, even when it's minus 10 outside. I've actually mounted mine very low down - just above the level of the water bowl. The have a guard around them. The thinking behind this was that hot air rises so by mounting it low, not only would it sit close to the water bowl thereby definitely keeping it ice-free, it would also keep the shed warm from ground level upwards. I've tested it during the day with hay and dust covering it and there are no problems at all - they are designed to be in a greenhouse after all, where there is often bits of dried plants and stuff floating around. So I don't worry too much if some hay falls on it, although I do try to keep it fluff free if I can.
 
Hearing all your opinions have made me decide that the tubular heaters are the best and Mackers i think the idea of it being low is great! thanks everyone!!

Jen xxx :wave:
 
My dad put one of those tubular ones in their airing cupboard when they changed boiler and lost the hot water tank. They are hand hot so I don't think they would be a fire risk, and they are incredibly cheap to run, so I would definately go down that route.
My buns have just moved into the shed so I am looking how I can get electric to it. We have outside plug sockets but not sure what is a safe way to run power to the shed. Might have to get a professional in!
 
Dh1971 said:
My dad put one of those tubular ones in their airing cupboard when they changed boiler and lost the hot water tank. They are hand hot so I don't think they would be a fire risk, and they are incredibly cheap to run, so I would definately go down that route.
My buns have just moved into the shed so I am looking how I can get electric to it. We have outside plug sockets but not sure what is a safe way to run power to the shed. Might have to get a professional in!
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Thanks that has given me a great idea of what to do! :)
 
Here are my two - the first is a 3ft tube and is about 120 watts and the second is a 2ft tube and is about 80 watts.

IMG_0616.jpg


IMG_0615.jpg
 
Mackers said:
Here are my two - the first is a 3ft tube and is about 120 watts and the second is a 2ft tube and is about 80 watts.

IMG_0616.jpg


IMG_0615.jpg
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I have one of these in my garage. Yours look great Mackers, the guards are a brilliant idea. But I hope you don't mind my pointing out that it's best not to keep the water so close to them, as they could short circuit if splashed.
 
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