New enclosure / RHP heating issues...temps too low

[Captainsloose]

I recently purchased an RBI 40 watt RHP and a VE100 to heat an enclosure I built into a built-in bookcase in my home. The dimensions of the inside are 52" W x 13" H x 11" D... The front of the case is enclosed in sliding plexiglas of .008" thickness, and the rest of the shelf is built out of 1/2" plywood and wood trim. The ambient air temp of the room is around 74F year round as we have central heating and air. The RHP 40 is mounted to the top of the enclosure of course.

I am concerned the RHP panel I ordered isn't large enough or isn't functioning properly. I have the VE100 set on 90F with the probe over top of the desired hot spot and the temperature isn't getting over 83F. The VE heating indicator light is lit, the RHP is on and warm but just not getting up to temp to turn off. I'm not sure if the RHP has its own internal thermostat so it doesn't produce dangerous levels of heat (in which case, 40watts isn't enough
Most likely) or if it's just not working properly. I've had the system running for about 24 hours and I'm just not getting the desired heat I want for my ball python. I have a few cheapie ZooMed thermometers in there and they confirm what the temp probe is reading; 82-83F

Also any ideas for a quick solution would be helpful. I could go get a ceramic tile and throw a belly heat UTH on it but that's just asking for a cooked snake.


Any help is greatly appreciated... Attached is a link to a pic of the enclosure. The RHP is on the right, temp probe is hanging down underneath it.

https://imgur.com/a/d2OrR

[chrid16371]

For that size cage a 80w would of been best. You generally want a rhp that is half the length x half the width of the enclosure. Also set the thermostat probe directly on ground under hotspot, that's what I do and it works great.

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[LittleTreeGuy]

If your cage is 13" high, and you have your probe under the RHP, it should have no problem heating the surface of that cage up to 90 degrees I wouldn't think. That is a pretty long enclosure though. Still, being that it's only 13"h and 11" deep, it should still get your hot spot to temp. At 11" deep, did the RHP even fit in that area? I don't recall measuring mine but I thought it was bigger than that. I just checked the site again and it said 12.5x12.5...??

Anyways, if it fits, you may want to consider another 40w to go beside it maybe... I dunno...

[HanabiraAsashi]

i have a 40 watt for a 36x18x18 and it is just good enough, I find that the ambient on the side where the heating pad is gets up to 85 before the other side (cool end) gets to 80. That being said, you have another foot and a half of distance going away from your panel, I dont think 40 watts is enough. Also something else to think about, the wood may be absorbing some of that heat as well since its porous. You probably should have at -least- an 80 watt.

[Captainsloose]

The Depth is 13, my bad...RBI told me to put something with thermal mass under the RHP to absorb / hold / reflect the heat like a piece of slate. I'm gonna put a 12x12 paving stone in there and see how we go. The plywood like you said is just sponging up the heat. If not I'm going to go up to 80 and keep the slate, return the 40w.

[chrid16371]

Make sure to disinfect the paving stone or anything you use first. You may also want to consider upgrading to the ve-200, I use the ve-300 for one of my enclosures (same as ve-200 just a few more features) and it does a fantastic job of heating with my reptile basics rhp. If you don't already have some I would get 2 of the reptile basics hides also, you want something thin enough for the rhp heat to penetrate and the reptile basics hides are perfect for that.

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[Captainsloose]

Make sure to disinfect the paving stone or anything you use first. You may also want to consider upgrading to the ve-200, I use the ve-300 for one of my enclosures (same as ve-200 just a few more features) and it does a fantastic job of heating with my reptile basics rhp. If you don't already have some I would get 2 of the reptile basics hides also, you want something thin enough for the rhp heat to penetrate and the reptile basics hides are perfect for that.

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He has 2 RBI hides already. The paving stone I just disinfected with f10 thanks for reminding me. At RBI suggestion I put the hide in a cooler zone and put his climbing log/hide on top of the paving stone so he can climb towards the heat if he liked. The paving stone I preheated on the oven to about 95 and rearranged the cage.


temps are stable now and the thermostat is actually shutting off.

What does pulse proportional offer me that an on off style cannot? If the Ve100 is junk then I might as well just order an 80 watt and a Ve200 and return the 40w and VE100

[chrid16371]

The ve-100 I wouldn't say is junk but it's on/off style. It will drop a degree then start heating and then shut off when it reaches temp and it may shoot over temp a few degrees. With the pulse proportional ve-200 it will keep one steady temp, it may go over 1 degree once in awhile but that is it. Proportional will also make a heating device last longer. The also make the ve-200d which is dimming which means it will only supply enough power to keep it at one steady temp. The ve-200 is for non light emitting heat sources while the ve-200d can be used for any heat source so if you think you will ever use a light bulb as a heat source get the ve-200d, if not the ve-200 would be fine. Either one of those 2 would work great with an rhp.

This setup is for a bp right? If so I would suggest putting one hide right under the rhp and setting the thermostat so it will be 90 on the ground and then put the other hide on the cool side furthest away from the rhp, I say furthest away bc the rhp heat will radiat to the cool side and the closer the cool hide is to the rhp the warmer it will be so furthest away from an 80w rhp should give you between 78-82 where the cool hide is. I would not put the climbing branch directly under the rhp bc then your snake can be close to the rhp for an extended period of time and if your ground is 90 then at the top of the branch it will be around 100 or more, I would put the branch a little after where the rhp ends. You shouldn't need the paving stone once you have the 80w but just in case I would keep it handy.

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[HanabiraAsashi]

I thought pulse proportional was the same thing as on/off and dimming proportional was reducing power to hold steady temps.

[Scottywelsh]

It doesn't matter if the cage is 2ft 3ft 4ft 5ft or 6ft long.if a 40w rhp gives a hot spot of up to 40c in a 3ft x 1ft viv then it will give a hot spot of up to 40c in a 5 ft x 1ft viv because it's the same distance away from the floor. I've never used a 40w but I would have thought that it isn't working properly if it's not heating enough to give a Good hot spot.

Pulse turns it on and off very quickly to maintain 1 temp. On/off turns it on till it gets to temp and then leave it turned off until little dropped a few degrees and then turns it back on again. Dimming pulls power back to keep one temp.