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I'm searching for some 2-4ft long 1-2ft wide heat mats to start plant seeds and cuttings on. In shopping around on Amazon I see that most (or all so far) heat mats have polarized 2-prong plugs. Shouldn't an electrical device designed to generate heat and be near water have a third, grounding prong?

Oddly enough most (also all so far) thermostats I've found specifically designed for plant heating mats have 3-prong outlets built onto them for mats to plug into, and the thermostat devices themselves have 3-prong plugs to go into a 3-prong (ideally GFCI) outlet.

Does anyone know the reason for this, or have any tips on where to find grounded heat mats for plants?

cr0
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  • Not sure if this Q is best suited for here or another site like DIY.SE or EE.SE. I want to keep it pragmatic so I figured I'd ask it based on the intended use of gardening. – cr0 Jan 19 '18 at 15:57
  • https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/question110.htm – Graham Chiu Jan 19 '18 at 21:12
  • I understand the difference between 2 and 3 prong outlets. I infer from my understanding and seeing thermostats for heat mats having 3 prong female and male connectors, that heat mats should have 3 prongs. Yet most heat mats I find online are 2 prong. – cr0 Jan 19 '18 at 21:17
  • It's just not necessary – Graham Chiu Jan 19 '18 at 21:18
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    Any aquarium heater/thermostat I have seen has been 2 prong - POLARIZED. – blacksmith37 Jan 20 '18 at 00:49
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's about the safety features of a piece of electric equipment, not about how to use that equipment for gardening or landscaping. – Niall C. Jan 20 '18 at 03:11
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    See https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/337066/why-most-appliances-in-us-dont-have-third-prong for an explanation. – Niall C. Jan 20 '18 at 03:12
  • EE.SE was the place to be – cr0 Jan 20 '18 at 03:46
  • You could use a garden circuit breaker with an adapter for two to three pin plugs- thinking one of those holiday plug things when you go abroad- the garden circuit breaker should protect from any water tripping the specific house circuit without tripping the mains for your whole house. You can buy a circuit breaker from any hardware shop or garden center. – olantigh Jan 27 '18 at 15:09

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