Thermostat trouble

Hi, I'm having issues with my UTH and rheostat.

The problem is, even when the thermostat is turned all the way down to the lowest setting, the temperature on the surface of the substrate goes up to like 115-120 degrees. The only way I can remedy this is by stacking the substrate higher, up to about 2 and a half inches instead of 1 inch. I don't like doing this because when Molly scoots around in there, the substrate gets moved.

This has been happening ever since i purchased the UTH and rheostat, right out of the box. The UTH is ZooMed and the rheostat is a ZooMed ReptiTemp RT-10. I am using ZooMed thermometers with probes. Could the rheostat be defective? Am I doing something wrong?

You should really unplug the heat mat until you have a solution, that temp is very high and could cause some very nasty burns!

A rheostat is not a thermostat and honestly is not a great choice unless the room has stable temperatures.
I have seen many of them not regulate low enough to properly control any UTH.
BTW you should be taking your temperatures under the substrate.
Unplug it and get an actual thermostat before you get some vet bills.

Your substrate should only be 1/4 inch at most over the uth.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Your substrate should only be 1/4 inch at most over the uth.

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1/4" ....... 6mm ???

That doesn't sound much at all tbh..


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

1/4" ....... 6mm ???

That doesn't sound much at all tbh..

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Yep, doesn't need to be that thick.

Okay, thanks for the input everyone. Does anyone have recommendations on a dependable thermostat at a good price?

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Originally Posted by Raziel

So what exactly is the difference between a rheostat and thermostat? And do you recommend a certain brand of thermostat that is dependable and has a good price?

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A rheostat is just a potentiometer that you have to adjust for wanted output BUT can fluctuate in an unstable environment.

A thermostat regulates the source that is attached to it on its own to keep it at the setting the user inputs. This varies with different styles, on/off-dimming-proportional.

I prefer the VE line but its like anything else in life, everyone has one they like.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

Your substrate should only be 1/4 inch at most over the uth.

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Totally agree with this advice. In fact the makers of UTH's warn the same thing. Making the substrate deeper makes it even hotter because it keeps the heat from dissipating.

I would only use the rheostat in tandem with a stat, not stand alone.


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