probe placement for thermostat

[mkeller13]

Can anyone tell me where the best spot on a rack is to place thermostat probe? I currently have mine placed on top of a tub thick piece of plastic foil taped to the flex-watt.

[TheSnakeEye]

There are a few options.

1) If you have the luxury of a dud tub, place it where the snake would lay.
2) In the tub with an actual snake, only problem is if the snake passes a urate on the probe, it'll cool it down and cause the thermostat to work over time and overheat the other tubs. Maybe not a lethal overheat but temps will spike.
3) Underneath any tub, on the actual tape, problem here is you'd have to raise the thermostats temps so to get the proper temps on the inside
4) I've even heard of someone placing the probe on the bottom of a shelf (which is actually the top part of the tub on the shelf beneath it) so he measures ambient air temp. Again here, you would probably need to lower temps cus the ambient shouldnt be as hot as the hot spot.

[mkeller13]

Thanks! I do have room for a "dud tub" so I think I will try this.

[TheSnakeEye]

Thanks! I do have room for a "dud tub" so I think I will try this.

That's what I did and it works great. I even filled the dud tub with aspen so the probe is sitting where the snake would be..

Only problem (which isn't due to probe placement), is that depending on how tall the rack is, your temps could be slightly different from the top to the bottom. Hot air rises (or vice versa idk), either way the very top could be a couple degrees off, which is really no biggie. Just keep an eye that it doesnt get too hot or too cold.

[Kaorte]

I personally keep my probe on the hottest possible place, right on the flexwatt. I set this to 96 or 97 to get a hot spot of 94-95. I wouldn't put a thermostat probe on top of substrate, because if they move the substrate, the temp below could be much hotter than the surface.

[mkeller13]

I personally keep my probe on the hottest possible place, right on the flexwatt. I set this to 96 or 97 to get a hot spot of 94-95. I wouldn't put a thermostat probe on top of substrate, because if they move the substrate, the temp below could be much hotter than the surface.

I agree but if I use a "dud tub" then this should not be an issue. Thanks for the advice!

[CoolioTiffany]

I personally keep my probe on the hottest possible place, right on the flexwatt. I set this to 96 or 97 to get a hot spot of 94-95. I wouldn't put a thermostat probe on top of substrate, because if they move the substrate, the temp below could be much hotter than the surface.

x2 directly on flexwatt.

[Carbonsnake]

When you place it directly on the flex watt are you useing foil tape to hold it in place? or electrical tape? Setting mine up this week and would like to do it all proper like!

[Kaorte]

When you place it directly on the flex watt are you useing foil tape to hold it in place? or electrical tape? Setting mine up this week and would like to do it all proper like!

I use foil tape. Nice and sticky so the probe can't get knocked around.

[mkeller13]

I went ahead and put it directly on the flex watt and set thermostat to 97. Right now hot spot is about 94. I also used foil tape.