electrical problems... need advice ASAP

Spudz11, is the adaptor for thermometer the original or a substitute. If it is sub. it may be putting out a little more power then nessesary for the thermometer. I would also get rid of the thmermometer. IMO good luck1

Spudz11...another thought and question...you said you got the 50gal cause it was cheap...is it an older one that has a metal frame? Or a newer one with a plastic frame?


Also, was it new or used when you got it?

Reason I ask...is I keep Salt Water fish tanks and had an older metal framed tank...where salt/water had seeped into the frame (and dried) so it acted like a salt bridge (which will conduct electricity) and everytime I put my hand in the tank I would "feel" the electricity.

Just another idea :rolleye2:

L.J.: don't remember saying i got it cause it was cheap, it wasn't cheap... its new with plastic frame.

kavmon: didn't old homes used to use 2 prongs the same size and without a 3rd prong for ground. Was pretty sure the big/small prong, and the 3rd ground prong was a newer implementation.

Dr. Del: oddly enough, no I don't feel the tingle from anything else in the tank, but no its not the feel of the scales, because why would that change if there were things plugged in vs. not plugged in? Like i said, it is a subtle feeling, maybe because of the unpredictable texture of the substrate/rocks in his tank its harder to feel it on those. Consequently, if i just touch/hold him, i cannot feel this... its when I lightly skim his body with a sensitive part of my hand. This would provide more evidence for the capacitance effect I describe next.

Anyways... got a new UTH just now... still same thing. I think I know what is happening though. I think the tank itself is acting like a big capacitor. Why I think this:

What is a capacitor? it is two conducting surfaces with a large surface area separated by an insulator. Well.... we have 1) the surface area of the heater (conductor), 2) the damp soil (conductor), 3) the glass as an insulator separating the two. So basically, I think the UTH is just inducing a small capacitance of stray current onto the soil.

It can't be anything else! two UTH from two different stores, both aren't going to be defective. and i've removed the thermometer all together...

so what do i do? I'm emailing Exo-Terra about this right now! I am livid that they do not have a customer service phone line.

Please, anyone with an exo-terra UTH, i'm no idiot with electronics... i urge you to carefully check if you are having a similar problem.

Keep this in mind. I expect this capacitance effect relies on a dense moist substrate like the expanding soil, as more airated substrates (like bark pieces) might not have the surface area against the UTH to produce a like effect. Nor would I expect bark pieces to be as conductive as moist soil.

I strongly doubt the integrity of this product...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by spudz11

L.J.: don't remember saying i got it cause it was cheap, it wasn't cheap... its new with plastic frame.

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Opps I am sorry...my bad. Too many people this week using big tanks I got them confused.

Since you think it it acting as a big capacitor why not try gounding the tank? Stick a copper nail in the substrate with a wire and ground it to your outlet...that would tell you real quick if you hunch is correct (in that your snake wouldn't vibrate anymore)

spudz, yes older homes had outlets with no ground protection. a long time ago electrical products were made "polarity sensitive" the hot leg had to be the hot and the negative the negative. most of todays electronics are not polarity sensitive.



vaughn