80 watt RHP is running very hot to get a decent basking..

I have a T10, the 4x2x15 and just tried my new 80 watt reptile basics heat panel today. In order to get a hot spot of 89-90 the panel is temped at 150 degrees, is this safe to run so hot? Our house isnt even cold today but is around 75 in that room.

I am a bit disappointed with this thing getting so hot and it stinks too. Right now I have it on a regular on off thermostat but there is no animals in the cage and If I dont return this thing will get a Herpstat before any critters go in the cage.
I dont know if I want to get a few more now for the other cages.

Yeah that sounds about right. The snake can't lay on it on the ceiling so there's no risk of burns. If you think about how hot a CHE or incandescent bulb gets to make a 90* hot spot then 150* on the panel isn't that bad at all. I can put my palm flat on my panels at like 170* no problem. With a proportional stat it will run a bit cooler because it will adjust the power output to keep the temps stable rather than cranking at full blast to reach 90* and then no power until it drops under 88*. Let it run for a day or so to "off gas" and lose some of the stink. I've been using pro heat panels for about a year now and really like them. Never tried reptile basics though.


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I think getting a dimming thermostat like a herpstat would help a lot, mainly since they get quite hot so fast. I'm actually using a VE-100, which is on-off.

For my GTP, I need an ambient warm area of 82~84, the thermostat probe is hanging right underneath the RHP at 84, and my RHP itself is about 120~130 when it's on or right after turning off. So it sounds about right.

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Originally Posted by Miranda2

I am a bit disappointed with this thing getting so hot and it stinks too.

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They will smell for a little while when you first run them, that's why you need to let them run for a while before you put an animal in.

Never used RBI ones but I do have a Pro Product one in one of my cages and it didn't need to be off gassed before use. It's been running for a little over 4 years now. I do use Herpstats though for all my t-stats. An on/off one will just fine, just the temp swing will be wider than with a pulse proportional or dimming proportional.

I'll be ditching it though soon as I just use flexwatt belly heat in all my pvc cages now except this one which will just be used as a 'holding cage' for times I need to reseal any of my pvc cages.

Thanks peoples, Its nice to know they are supposed to run that hot. I ordered a herpstat 2 last night, hopefully it will get here quickly.
Should I run the panel with the proportional or dimmer setting on the thermostat, it has both.

I pretty excited about getting my snakes into real cages instead of tubs.Ive actually sold off 6 of my snakes just so I could get away from tubs and just have the ones I have in cages so I can see them.

The proportional is the dimmer setting. The other setting is Pulse. You want Dimming.

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Originally Posted by Mr Sully

The proportional is the dimmer setting. The other setting is Pulse. You want Dimming.

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Awesome, thanks.