thermostat probe placement

So I have my thermostat probe directly under the UTH on the outside of the tub and notice by doing so it creates quite a gap between the tub and uth. I'm still playing around with the temps and I keep having to turn it up. I have it set to 96 and inside,using a temp gun, it's reading 90. I continue turning the thermostat up, correct?

There are a few ideas on probe placement your description is one method it works well in stable room temps but needs attention in rooms that change the temp often.

Under variable room temps I usually place the probe inside directly over the uth. The probe must be secure it must not move under any conditions or placement. I use hot melt glue to hold it firm. This internal placement keeps the temp stable even as the room temps change and does not require adjustment at all.

Against the heat tape outside of the tub, but not under the tub.
There's just too much risk putting a thermostat probe inside any enclosure imo.

I'm in a cool room and the temp always fluctuates.

If your room temperature is not stable then I would drill a hole in the back of your tub (or the side that the flexwatt is on) the hole should be 3/8" in diameter. You then insert the thermostat probe into the tub through this hole, and hot glue it to the bottom of the tub. Do not use tape at all, or apply hot glue on the probe itself. If you cover the cord of the probe that is in the tub and add just a drop to the tip of the probe it should not move at all... but you should check that the probe is still secure at least once a week. This should solve your temperature problems. If the probe is in the tub I would set the thermostat for 90 degrees.

I have my probe inside the tank. I drilled a hole in the tank, inserted the probe and then I duct taped the cord on the OUTSIDE of the tank. That way, the probe has extra security and even if it happens to move back and fourth inside the tank (which is doesn't, but just INCASE), it will always be over the UTH and it cannot slide all the way out onto the floor, which would be death. As long as the tape is on the OUTSIDE, this is a good method in conjunction with hot gluing, and I want all the security I can get.

This new phenomenon will come to bite someone badly one of these days :(

It has not been an acceptable practice to put thermostat probes inside enclosures, why is it all of a sudden ok, because of hot glue?

I have to agree...hot glue CAN and WILL come loose. Sounds like a burn waiting to happen when one day your bp gets a little feisty...

ive places it on the heat tape and measure the tus and bumped up the thermostat accordingly

I have a question then. I'm using zoo med carpet. My thermostat should get here tomorrow. I was going to place the probe between the carpet and glass and secure it there. With the hide and everything thing else, my snake can't get under the carpet ( also have Velcro strips on the bottom of the carpet in a few places ). This should be fine shouldn't it ? I don't see anyway for my BP to get at the probe. But I'm a newbie so ....

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Originally Posted by Kyle7676

I have a question then. I'm using zoo med carpet. My thermostat should get here tomorrow. I was going to place the probe between the carpet and glass and secure it there. With the hide and everything thing else, my snake can't get under the carpet ( also have Velcro strips on the bottom of the carpet in a few places ). This should be fine shouldn't it ? I don't see anyway for my BP to get at the probe. But I'm a newbie so ....

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you would be amazed at what these guys can get into if they want to. i would put it between the uth and the glass. will the snake knock it loose with it under the carpet? maybe maybe not but it definitely wont if its between the heater and the glass so why risk it?

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Originally Posted by shadow120

you would be amazed at what these guys can get into if they want to. i would put it between the uth and the glass. will the snake knock it loose with it under the carpet? maybe maybe not but it definitely wont if its between the heater and the glass so why risk it?

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I've already put it on. Ive read that it's not good to take it back off. Any safe way to get it off to attach the probe ?

Probes being pulled by anything snake or cat doesn't matter it is bad. I also suggest a failsafe back up system. the interior placement has been recommended by Dion the designer of herpstat for ages. I'd guess it is not that new. if you use an exterior placement why use a thermostat? If the temps change dramatically up and down why not just use a rheostat and change it daily?

If I cannot pull the probe loose with out a putty knife how can the snake? Probes MUST be secure no matter the placement. If it gets pulled by a cat or child or owner or snake the result can be the same. In any placement you should be able to pull the cord to breaking the wires before the end moves. A fail safe IMO is not optional I always use fail safes and the placement of the second probe is between the heat and cage so the chances of pulling both in separate locations is very very low lower IMO than both probes together, where the cords might also be together and get pulled together. A sharp tug on the probe should result in broken probe wires and an alarm due to probe failure no matter where it is.

I use all three methods interior, over and under exterior placements and The most accuracy comes from the interior the under (channeled) is next and between is the worst for accuracy. i change temps on the exterior placed probes once a week on average in the winter.

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Originally Posted by Kyle7676

I've already put it on. Ive read that it's not good to take it back off. Any safe way to get it off to attach the probe ?

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Are you speaking about the probe or the UTH? The UHT should never be inside!! If you are speaking about the probe I use a putty knife and heat gun to remove the probes. Removing the uth you can try the same but have a spare on hand just in case.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

Are you speaking about the probe or the UTH? The UHT should never be inside!! If you are speaking about the probe I use a putty knife and heat gun to remove the probes. Removing the uth you can try the same but have a spare on hand just in case.

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No, the UTH is under of course. I was going to put the probe on the inside of the tank under the carpet so I went ahead and put the UTH on before I got my thermostat. Now I'm wanting to take off the UTH to put the probe between it and the glass like recommended but I've read that will damage the UTH. Didn't want to waste $20 when there might be a way to take it off without damaging it

interior probe placement I'd recommend with a glass tank in a regular room. The glass is a great insulator so the temp under it will not correlate to the temp inside well. It will take vigilant monitoring to keep the temps from changing. i disagree that the snake could move a well attached probe. The accounts I have read about probes being pulled all mostly come from exterior mounting and being pulled by kids dogs and doors being the most recent. My opinion do what you feel is best. I have removed a few UTH and have a 50% success rate I'd have a spare handy in case.

I also recommend a fail safe thermostat in case.

Tape it with aluminium foil directly on the heat source :gj:

Taping or hot gluing it in the tub is asking for trouble if the snake pees or tip his water dish over it will cool down the probe and make the temps shoot up.

We all need to remember that each of lives in a completely different climate, each of us has a different budget to allow for heating and cooling of our homes, and we all have different number of snakes and different ways of housing them. There is no need to make blanket statements like "using interior probes is wrong." Yes, there is absolutely a wrong way to use probes. There is also a right way: Fail safe methods of securing them and daily checking on said methods to make sure they are still in place. There are as many RIGHT ways to care for reptiles as there are WRONG ways.

Deborah,
I agree this was my largest concern, so I tested it. I took a herpstat ND and a 11" flexwatt and placed the probe like I usually do and the substrate I use and poured one full water bowl that I use (I have never had a snake tip one they are low and wide and super heavy but...) about 3 oz maybe 4 oz as I said full one I use there was no point in measuring it my test. The result was yes the probe cooled very quickly so did the bottom and the HS said 100% for about 20 min the effect was the temp slowly lifted to about normal temps in about 45 min. The water acts as a heat sink there was no spike at all. I also tested pudding on the probe (poo simulation) this caused a small spike it hit 98º on the bottom it lasted for 10 min before the probe settled down. I used a data logger to keep track of the results.

I tested placing the probe between the heat source and glass (1/4 plate) and use a data logger to record the results. When the sun hits the wall of my place the temp spikes up the probe being insulated from the room over heated the glass to 107º for 8 min and then it started to slowly drop down over 15 min. The afternoon the sun is blocked by the ridge behind me and the temp drop rapidly this saw a fall in temps to 81º for 30 min before the probe caught up this is a single day cycle. I would have to alter the temp settings fairly frequently to keep the temps with in safe limits. Yesterday we saw a 18ºC drop in outside temps that is 2 adjustments to keep it ok. Today is 10º different again so again one more. Tonight is not such a large jump so it is fine. This is exactly my point everybody says there is big spikes if water pee poo is spilled but I have tested it and never been able to make it happen nor have I ever recorded it. My question is have you?

I have absolute control over all my temps they are consistent to 0.5ºF cool side temps and war as well as control over ambient temps. Is it necessary? I can't say but if you believe they 'live' in termite mounds (I don't buy it myself but ignoring that) the temps should be basically stable with in a degree. I don't believe this but many do, I don't believe that a 10º variation is good under any circumstances so the only way i have to protect against this radical shift (as I work 8 hours an day and cannot sit and watch temps all day) is an internal placement. I am sure that in a regulated snake room this is unknown, I don't have one it costs too much.