UTH: Side Mount v. Bottom Mount

I see more and more people advocating for side mounting these heaters. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I imagine there would still be a burn hazard for a ball that climbs up the side of the glass as there is no sustrate to buffer the heat.

Side mounting just doesn't make sense. UTH's are named UNDER tank heaters for a reason. All they really do is increase the surface temperature of what they are attached to. They don't heat the air unless the UTH is dangerously hot and/or the cage it is heating has a very small internal volume.

Side mounting uses a lot more electricity and you get less heat in the cage from it. Even when side mounted it UTH's really should be regulated by a thermostat or at the very least a lamp dimmer, and bottom mounted absolutely must be regulated by a thermostat.

Personally I don't think that I would side mount a uth for a ball python or any other terrestrial snake. They need to be able to absorb the heat through physical contact on a warm surface through their belly in order to digest best. While a UTH on the side of the tank might raise the air temperature a little, it won't help with heating the bottom surface of the tank like the snake needs and it won't get hot enough to bring the temperature anywhere near 90 anyway.

I would just stick with belly heat and a good thermostat to control it, as it's always been done.