Heated base safe?

[2dancingrats]

After weeks of running out to change the chicken's frozen water we were finally able to get a heated base.
Now my husband is concerned that it will get too hot on the wooden floor of the coop or cause the pine shavings to smoulder.
Does the outside and bottom get that hot? I thought they were designed to be okay in a coop.
Please reply before he makes this into a major safety project.
Thanks (and thanks from those thirsty chickens too!)

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Put it on a block

 

[FarmGirl01]

I put mine on cinder blocks. It never got to hot to touch. I kept mine in a barn with a straw floor. It worked fine for me.

 

[bikerted86]

I use a heated dog water bowl. its designed to be safe in a kennel full of hay and doest really get that hot. Only problem I have is some of the chickens think its a hot tub

 

[FarmGirl01]

I always put my water bowls on the outside of the encloser. I cut a hole for the birds to stick out their head and drink. It helps keep the water clean and is easy to fill.

 

[emarble]

Quote:
So I am not the only one that has chickens that think the dog dish waterer is a hot tub! Mine sometimes like to soak their tired little chicken feet in it!

Ernie

 

[johny]

There is2-3 inches of space between the rim and the heater pad. That is a lot of room and will not make a wood floor over heat.

If the floor is flat, the heater base rim prevents wood chips from getting underneath so they are not exposed directly to the heat pad.

That is why I didn't bother making a block to put it on.
If you have really deep wood chips, the situation is different and a raised block probably would be a good idea.

 

[PepsNick]

Bricks.

 

[Turkeyrangler]

I've used one in the coop since early November since that is when things start to freeze here. I have it up on bricks set wider than the base and haven't had a problem. Tonight when I got home from work it appears that the birds had a party in the coop. One of the birds (suspect a turkey) knocked over the waterer and the heated base. Not sure when it happened today but the base was laying partially in the bedding. It didn't start a fire or even overheat anything as far as I could see. It keeps the water ice free and it has been down to at least -15 here so far this winter. Between the birds and deep litter I haven't seen it get nearly as cold in the coop as it has been outside. It doesn't feel hot to the touch at all.

 

[2dancingrats]

Thank you eveyone for you replies. Hopefully I can put my husband's mind at ease.