Help!!!!!

We just installed a helix on our enclosures. The set up is a wooden enclosure with plexiglass front the dimensions are 33X15X11. We have a ultra deluxe premium Fluker heat mats. Two enclosures on each helix. We installed the heat mat inside the wooden enclosure and put a piece of vinyl flooring over the hole bottom. We then taped the probes to the vinyl right on top of the heat mat. We also have some cheap digital thermometers with their probes taped down in the same general area. For bedding we are using cypress mulch less than a 1/2" thick. With the Helix set at only 88 degrees the cheap digital thermometers are jumping to 98 degrees. For now I turned the helix down to 83 degrees to try to bring the cheap ones down.

My question is who should I trust? The $140.00 Helix Thermostat or the cheap $15.00 digital thermometers that we have already proven the humidity gage wrong. I don't want to cook our snakes, but I don't want to freeze them either!

Hopefully someone has experience with these Helix units so they can tell me what I should go with!

Thanks

I would be inclined to trust the helix, but I'd definitely get an 3rd opinion. :) Also the mat may have hotter or cooler spots? Make sure both probes are completely over the mat.

GL!

Justin

To add to what Justin posted, make sure that both enclosures are nearly identical, as there is only one probe on the Helix. It is quite possible that the temperature in the enclosure with the Helix probe will be spot on, but the other enclosure may be a good deal different.