Flex Watt doesn't seem to penetrate tub?

We just built a new rack and are using 4" flex-watt. The rack held temps great the first night. Our hot spot as indicated by the temp gun is 82. We are running everything to a Helix. The Helix is set at 98 and the Helix probe is resting on the flex watt tape.

The bottom of the tubs when slid out are warm to the touch. However, inside the tub (where the snake is laying) is significantly cooler.

Do I need to upgrade to 11" flexwatt? I don't know how to get the hot spot or ambient temps up. The flex watt does not seem to be penetrating through the tubs.

Slide the probe a little further away from the Flex watt.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by coldbloodaddict

Slide the probe a little further away from the Flex watt.

---

We placed the probe in a dummy tub for a while in the hopes of raising temps but that didn't work either...? Am I asking too much of the flex-watt to raise the ambient temps in the tub?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snow_princess

We placed the probe in a dummy tub for a while in the hopes of raising temps but that didn't work either...? Am I asking too much of the flex-watt to raise the ambient temps in the tub?

---

I think you pretty much nailed it. I run 3" flexxwatt in my 32 quart racks. They do little to up the ambient temp, I heat the whole room to high 70's to get 80 in the cool side of the tub. Flexxwatt doesn't have that penetrating type heat, rather it seems to warm the surface of whatever it's next to. Don't get me wrong, it does some but the air temp of the room has to come up.

JonV

Are you using the hanging bottom config with a piece of flex watt in a piece of metal that the tub slides over for your rack or the solid bottom with flex taped down to it? The hanging bottom does not regulate temps well at all as far as my experience. (6 rack tub that needs redone!) If you are using a solid bottom and it still is not working try closing in the rear and sides of the rack to give the heat only one method of escape!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nevohraalnavnoj

I think you pretty much nailed it. I run 3" flexxwatt in my 32 quart racks. They do little to up the ambient temp, I heat the whole room to high 70's to get 80 in the cool side of the tub. Flexxwatt doesn't have that penetrating type heat, rather it seems to warm the surface of whatever it's next to. Don't get me wrong, it does some but the air temp of the room has to come up.

JonV

---

You know that is exactly what I told my bf we should do last night! I'm glad this happens to other people, I thought we had defective equipment or something...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gloryhound

Are you using the hanging bottom config with a piece of flex watt in a piece of metal that the tub slides over for your rack or the solid bottom with flex taped down to it? The hanging bottom does not regulate temps well at all as far as my experience. (6 rack tub that needs redone!) If you are using a solid bottom and it still is not working try closing in the rear and sides of the rack to give the heat only one method of escape!

---

The tape lies on top of the melamine board (so under the tubs). I think I'm going to raise the temps in the room and add flex watt to the back wall of the rack and see if that doesn't help. Thanks!

Move the probe 1 inch from the tape, this should heat your rack up more. laying the probe on the tape only keeps the tape at the temp your looking for. You want the area heated to that temp

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snow_princess

The tape lies on top of the melamine board (so under the tubs). I think I'm going to raise the temps in the room and add flex watt to the back wall of the rack and see if that doesn't help. Thanks!

---

I use the flexwatt for back heat it works great with the helix, i keep it set to 94 and it heats the tub to 89:taz:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snow_princess

You know that is exactly what I told my bf we should do last night! I'm glad this happens to other people, I thought we had defective equipment or something...

---

Lol, sounds like one of those "I was right and you were wrong" deals. Man I hate those! :)

But yes, I have found increasing ambient temp of the room to be the number one factor in maintaining consistent temps. Otherwise you are using heating lamps (dry out the cage) or using flexxwatt on the cool side (killing a fly with an elephant gun).

I believe just a couple degrees above room temp should be sufficient. The Barkers let their room get down to about 75 degrees ambient.

I may go that low eventually, right now I have lots of babies and want to keep em warm.

JonV

Yeah she did tell me we should try that last night. I have a piece of hard board that I'm gonna put on the back of the rack. Are some of you suggesting that I should take the flex out from under the tubs and try letting it run hotter than needed to heat the air in the rack. Right now I have it under the tubs. It can get way to hot if I let it. I just dont want to burn my snakes. Trying to find the balance!

thanks for all your help btw!!

Our Racks are similar and I placed hardboard on the back and 3 inch flex watt for belly heat. I then put a piece of flashing over the top of the flex watt to disperse the heat plus to protect the flex watt from wear.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...t=58302&page=3

I'd start double checking all the connections on the flexwatt. And if you had it setup in a dummy tub. Your temps should be spot on.

Are you insulating the probe or anything?

I personally would never move the probe off of the flexwatt. If there's a draft the thermostat reading drops. And kicks the temps up even higher, how high who knows.

What's your room temperature?

I have my flex under the belly running at 92 degrees surface temp when measured in the tub. Ambient temps are a function of the fact I keep the room at 75+ degrees.

JonV

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Halfdawg

Our Racks are similar and I placed hardboard on the back and 3 inch flex watt for belly heat. I then put a piece of flashing over the top of the flex watt to disperse the heat plus to protect the flex watt from wear.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...t=58302&page=3

---

I got the hardboard on today! I never thought about the flashing to disperse the heat. Do you use anything to hold the heat tape in place while removing or replacing the tubs. I think my problem might just the normal cycle of the day:
noon 89.3
1300 93.6

Be careful when moving the probe off the tape because even if its an inch away the tape it can get in the range of 110-120deg to reach the 98 degrees the helix is set too. I tried this and it melted a dime size hole in one of my Iris tubs. I placed the probe back on the flexwatt and just bumped the temp up on the helix.