UTH's? help!

[katieam]

ok so im trying to set up a tank for a bp that im going to get (yay!!) and i dont know whats wrong with the UTH's i have been using. i have a 20L and i got the appropriate size but when i turned it on and left it, a came back an hour later ans the glass wasnt even warm! i tried it without a thermostat first just because i was curious as to how hot they would get. i have tried two and the same thing happened both times. they were Zoo-Med Repti therm UTH's. i thought this was a good brand, so i am confused.

help!!

thanks

[Argentra]

For new pads, it can take a few hours to heat up to full. Give it a longer chance, then start thinking of the possibility of a defective unit. Also, if it got bent more than a little that could have broken the connections inside.

Also, how do you have the pad under the tank? I hope you didn't stick it on with the pad adhesive, since that stuff is near impossible to get off without breaking the pad. If you didn't stick it on, then try moving it off the tank and just plug it into a socket while sitting on something like your stove top and see if it heats up that way to test the pad itself.

[ohyeahnow]

I agree that sometimes it takes several hours for them to stabalize. You could also wait several hours and feel the pad from underneath without removing it. Here is a how to on removal: http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=66262

I stuck one on the wrong end one time and was able to remove it with just a spatula and works perfect. Make sure you take Argentina's advice and do not let the bad get bent at all if try one of the removal ways. I have 7 zoo med pads and they have all work well "knock on wood"

[katieam]

ok. well the first one i had just sitting on the counter and the second was taped to the bottom (since i knew it would only be temporary) and i know the frist one was more that an hour. i dont think i bent them. if i did it was just in handling it to move it around.

i dont know, i guess im just going to get another one and leave it one all day and see what happens

thanks for the input!!

[Argentra]

Just sitting on the counter, the heat all dissipates away. You have to have them taped (preferably with foil tape which holds up to heat) directly to the bottom of the tank for them to work.

Good that you didn't stick them on with the pad adhesive. Now you just have to tape them to the tank bottom and give them some time to warm up and they should actually reach temps of 110+ without control. That's why thermostats, or at least dimmers, are a MUST.

Let us know how it goes.

[katieam]

ok. well now that u say that, it makes sense lol so ill try again hopefully this week when i go get some of my stuff. ill let u know how it goes..