repeated UTH failure on tubs. What am I...

Yo should not have holes in the bottom in case water does leak on to the uth! You shoul try leaving an air space under the tub and try using the reostat instead of the thermostat and keep a close eye on temps! You should be using a digital thermometer to measure temps accurately!

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Originally Posted by stevepoppers

How would the rheostat be causing something like this? The thermostat should still be cutting the power when the heat reaches the set point, regardless of anything else in the setup, unless the thermostat has failed. I'm obviously new and you're obviously way more experience, so I don't mean to usurp that authority, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

And, OP, water couldn't "burn" through anything. It would boil before it got hot enough to burn anything except a few choice chemicals. If it's leaking through the holes, it may be exacerbating the electrical problem that's already present.

I vote bad thermostat. How else could you get temperature spikes hot enough to melt plastic?

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I don't have any authority and I don't have the technical vocabulary to explain all the aspects of electricity, but it has something to do with the way the rheostat affects the electrical current that the thermostat needs to operate properly and causes it to malfunction. Because it isn't recieving the proper current, it doesn't detect the temperatures properly. So yes, I agree that the thermostat may need to be replaced, but plugging a new one into a dimmer will most likely result in the same malfunction. That is why, when using a dimmer as a back-up, it should go between the thermostat and UTH, in which case, it will prevent the UTH from over heating in case the thermostat sticks open...

So how thick is your subtrate. What I was thinking is that if you have holes in your tub is because your uth is getting so hot to heat the surface of your subtrate that it is burning the tub itself. Could be way wrong but to me this seems like a resonable answer if your surface heat is correct but you still have holes in your tub but surface heat is ok.

There was most likely not enough air flow between the UTH and the surface you kept it on.

Personally speaking get yourself some flexwatt...you can get it at reptile basics. Then get yourself a herpstat thermostat. Dump the rheostat. Then get yourself new tubs. I would think there is some type of failure with something that is allowing the temps to spike hence the marks and holes on your tubs. This could prove to be lethal to your snakes if you don't do something fairly quickly. I know that the herpstat can come in literally 3 to 4 days. If you call rich at reptile basics and tell him the situation....I am sure he will send you the flexwatt asap.

You cant have the thermostat plugged into a dimmer! The thermostat must be directly plugged in the wall and receiving full power to operate properly! You can plug a dimmer into the uth after the thermostat but not before!

i dont even understand that. i run heat mats PLUGGED DIRECTLY INTO THE WALL on a few tubs, and have never seen anything like that. is it possible that the thermostat could make them hotter than if they were plugged right into the walls?

Bam unless you are temp gunning it constantly you may not even notice your spikes. You HAVE to have a thermostat with any type of heating decive to regulate it. Don't wait until hindsight is 20/20

well seeing as how they all stay pretty contant id say its a safe bet it works, heat mats im pretty sure are designed to be used without a thermostat. im not talking about some flexwatt or something. regardless, the point was ,mine have never gotten hot enough to melt through a tub, whereas the ops did.

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Originally Posted by BAMReptiles

well seeing as how they all stay pretty contant id say its a safe bet it works, heat mats im pretty sure are designed to be used without a thermostat. im not talking about some flexwatt or something. regardless, the point was ,mine have never gotten hot enough to melt through a tub, whereas the ops did.

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But it could. I was saying the same thing as you until recently. I had a tropical heat mat for after the cool down on my cresties. Every single time I checked it it was at 80*F. I set up a thermometer probe on the hot spot that has a fluctuation sensor. Therefore when the temp spikes it saves the info on the hottest temp. Found out my geckos were sitting at about 92*F when I wasn't checking it. Your could have never had this happen but the chance is always there.
And a rheostat before a thermostat in line does t work. Or at least not for me.
On one of my racks I set it so the rheostat wouldn't go above95*F and the thermostat was set for 92*F but my tubs woudlnt hold a steady temp. So out with the rheostat...