I'm having SERIOUS temp issues.

I've been battling with my set-up (two bp tubs) for ages to finally get steady temps. The accurites are reading 90-93 on the hot side, and 75-80 on the cool side. That's after what seems like a month of moving stuff, tweaking stuff, etc. Well, I got a temp gun (finally) the other day, so I thought I'd try it out. I open the tubs and take a reading. It's telling me that the tubs are 70-71 on the cool side, and 80 on the hot side... wtf? That's a HUGE temp difference, and dangerously low if it's reading properly. All batteries are new. What gives?

I'm heating with flexwatt and a Ranco therm. all from Reptile basics. They aren't old equipment by any means.

When you open the tub, you pull it off the heat source. Unless you're able to stick your arm in and get a temp gun reading where the tub still touches the heat tape, the gun will read really low. It happens with my tubs as well, and I'm using a Herpstat. Acurites, all new, read the proper temps and the gun readings are at least 10 degrees lower.

Soon I intend to make a rod to attach the gun to with a press bar to push the button so I can get readings where the tub is still on the heat pad. THEN we'll see what's going on in there...

Actually, no. Not with my tubs. Since it's only the two, they are sitting on the floor (not in a rack) over the heat tape. When I open the tub I don't slide it out of a drawer. I just ... open the tub. So it's still sitting over the heat source.

Try putting the temp gun about 2inches from the surface that your taking a temp from, the closer the better, lots of different things can effect the infa red readings..

Ah, a good point. WHERE are you placing the end of the gun when you take readings? If you hover it in the air, you're getting the ambient air reading. To get an accurate reading of the warm and cool spot temps, you have to pretty much touch the end of the gun to the floor of the tub.

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Originally Posted by Argentra

Ah, a good point. WHERE are you placing the end of the gun when you take readings? If you hover it in the air, you're getting the ambient air reading. To get an accurate reading of the warm and cool spot temps, you have to pretty much touch the end of the gun to the floor of the tub.

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temp guns do not measure air temp they only measure surface temps!

if those tubs are not covered somewhat on the sides and top by some sort of insulator your temps will be low

I've just been holding it about 2 inches above the floor of the tub and taking one measurement for the hot side, one for the cool side. I was under the impression that that would give me air temps for that position.

So, since I don't have my tubs somehow insulated, they're never going to get hot enough? What about inside of a rack system - is insulation not needed because there are walls on and around the tubs?

Some temp guns wont measure a surface accuratly if it is too far away when trying to get a reading, some of the lower end temp guns need to be very close to the surface to get accurate readings.

When you use the heat gun, hold the trigger down and move the gun throughout the heated area. You might just be measuring in a cold spot. Also, whatever substrate you're using, (newspaper for me) if the paper is lifted off of the tub just slightly, then the temp measured isn't accurate. Measure the tub itself and if it's in the temp range you're looking for, then you'll be fine.

Where is you're accurite probe measuring from?

This is ridiculous. So many differing views and experiences on the temp guns. I don't see how they can be of any use to anyone when everyone says they need to be used differently. The Accurites are measuring what I expect the temps actually are. When I put my hand in there, it FEELS like 80 (or whatever temp the Accurite is reading). I feel like I should just chuck the temp gun. :rolleyes:

The body of the Accurite is sitting just in front of the cool side hide, and the probe is sitting on top of the paper, inside the warm side hide. I have it pinned down with a small rock. She moves it around a bit but never enough to push it out of the hide. It works for me.

try putting a second thermometer in there and see if it stays close to your original.

try this faq on temp guns from proexotics http://www.tempgun.com/FAQ.html#1

i stress these 2 questions and copyed from their site:

How close do I have to be to an object to take its temperature?
The invisible Infrared sensor of the Temp Gun “shoots out” in a cone shape. The farther away you are from your target object, the larger the spot you will be measuring. The PE-1 unit has a Distance to Spot ratio (D:S) of 1:1, meaning at 1 inch away, you are measuring a spot that is 1 inch in diameter. At 1 foot, you are measuring a spot that is 1 foot in diameter.

The PE-2 and PE-3 units have MUCH TIGHTER CONES. The PE-3 D:S ratio is 8:1, meaning at 8 inches away, your spot is 1 inch. At 10 feet, you are measuring a spot that is a bit over 1 foot in diameter.

The PE-1 works great at shorter distances. In the RC world, measuring engine temps, the PE-1 at $25 works fantastic. The PE-1 also works great for many general use needs, like cooking and food temps, or basking temps for animal setups. If you need to measure from a bit further away (or a lot further away) then the PE-2 at $45 is a good choice. If you need to measure from a distance, and have high temperature reading needs, then the PE-3 at $75 is the unit for you!


How far away does the Temp Gun shoot?
All of the non-contact Temp Guns on the market use Infrared technology to get a reflected surface temperature from the desired object.

The infrared beam “shoots out” in a cone shape, narrowest right at the sensor of the Temp Gun, meaning the farther away you are, the wider the area you are temping out.

So the usable distance of a Temp Gun is largely dependent on the object you are shooting.

If you want to shoot engine head temps in an RC Car, you are trying to shoot an area about a quarter of an inch in diameter, right in at the glow plug. For such a tight reading, you want to be as close as possible.

If you are shooting the tire temps on a Stock Car, you have a much larger area, and you can be further away.

For road or track temperatures, you can shoot from a few feet away and get an accurate reading. Remember, the closer you are to your object, the smaller the area that you will be reading.

For our use in reptile breeding at Pro Exotics , I typically shoot cages and animals from 8-12 inches away.

With the PE-1 Temp Gun, anything over 2 ft is really too far, as you will be taking a wide angle “average” temperature of an area, as opposed to a particular spot or object.

Try the PE-2 at $45 for a 6:1 cone or the PE-3 at $100 for an 8:1 cone that can read accurate temps at a much further distance.

NOTE: The red laser that is available on some of our Temp Gun models DOES NOT measure temperature! It is a separate beam that simply serves as a pointing device. The surface temperatures are measured using an invisible infrared sensor. The red laser can shoot a very long distance, across the hall, across the building, across the street. The INFRARED sensor only shoots (effectively) a short to medium distance, depending on the model's D:S ratio. So while you can use a “laser gun” and see a red dot on the wall 50 feet away, you ARE NOT measuring the temperature of that far away wall, but rather a general average temperature of a large area (from 50 ft). No infrared temp gun is any good at measuring empty air ambient temperatures.

shoot your arm pit. (seriously) what temperature does it read?