Thermostat problems

Just cheking if someone else it's doing this too. So I have my hydrofarm thermostat set at 95, the reason is cause thermostat it's trying to achieve 95 but my temp gun mark around 86. Im guessing the substrate it's not letting pass the heat. So im trying to figure out my temp to put on my thermostat until my temp gun mark 90

i assume you are controlling a UTH or heat tape, right? What type of enclosure are you using? Rack, tank or cage? How thick is the substrate? I don't think there is any magic number to set the thermostat to. It's trial and error. Just keep bumping it up by a few degrees and let it stabilize for a couple hours and take your reading. When you are in the temp range you want, then you are done. Make sure your substrate isn't too thick. Many people have their heat tape set near 100° to get their hot spot at 90°.

You may already understand this, but I'll explain for future readers just in case.

The thermostat kicks out as much energy as is needed for the thermostat's probe to read the temperature you set it at. So if you set it for 90F and put the probe in the freezer, it would run on full blast because it assumes the UTH/heat tape isn't warm enough. If you put the probe directly on the heat tape, the tape will only get as warm as you set it at.

If your thermostat probe is between the heat tape and the bottom of the tub, you'll need to use a thermometer to measure the hottest part of the tub the snake can access. So if there's substrate, measure the temp of the bare tub floor. Snakes can burrow if they want to get warmer. If, for example, your thermostat is set to 95F and your tub reads 85F, you may need to set your thermostat to 100F to hit 90F inside your tub. The thicker the tub, the higher you will have to set the thermostat to hit the right temps.

It may be helpful for you to use a thermometer with a probe (if you aren't already) to monitor the hotspot inside the tub so you don't get lower temp readings from having to pull the tubs out to check (if using a rack).

I have a plastic tub with the UTH taped down an right now set at 97 on the thermostat and still reading 87°, as far as sutrate I'm using repti bark(gonna change to aspen). And we'll that's what Ive been doing but I was worried that I set the thermostat at 100 and the tub would melt.

I'm using my thermostat probe inside the tub just above of the UTH. I'll have to set it up to 100 to achieve the 90 cause right now my temp gun it's reading 87 and the thermostat 97. I was worried about the tub melting

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Apophis_BP

I'm using my thermostat probe inside the tub just above of the UTH.

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First, the thermostat probe needs to be outside the tub, stuck between the heat pad and the underside of the tub. Otherwise your snake can move the probe off the heat, pee on it, dump his water bowl, etc. and cause it to send an incorrect reading to the thermostat and overheat the tub.

Second, you need to measure the temperature of the tub over top of the heat pad and under the substrate, not the temperature of the substrate over the UTH, as your snake will burrow under the substrate. So you put the thermometer probe under the substrate on the floor of the tub, or you use an IR thermometer / heat gun to take that measurement.

The probe should not be in the tub. It should be attached to the UTH. If the snake moves the probe, the UTH will go on full blast.

The tub wont melt at 100 degrees.
You need to use your temp gun to measure UNDER the substrate.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psp2koldrd.jpg

I just took the probe and place it between the UTH and the tub, and took the excessive substrate. Still the readings are 85 in the cool side and still low on the hot side with 87, but if I read under the substrate it's about 89-90.

Thanks for the help guys