Heat Mat + Thermostat Set Up Not Working?

[Dev_DeCoste]

Hey everyone..

So I picked up a Zilla Thermostat today to control my heat mat (which is Zoo Med). When I ran the mat without a thermostat the thermometer read about 82 degrees throughout the whole tank. I set up the thermostat about 4 or 5 hours ago, set it to 90 degrees and since the thermometer has dropped down to about 65-70. I just cranked the thermostat up to about 100 to see if maybe there's a heat loss going through the substrate (Only have newspaper and maybe 1" of Aspen bedding). I also have 2/3 of the top tin foiled now for humidity... That's at least working out haha. Any ideas of what could be going on? Did I buy a dud or something? I was all excited to have my guys set up finally 100% complete and now he's all chilly and junk ha

http://www.amazon.com/Zilla-11939-Te...med+thermostat

http://www.amazon.com/Repti-Therm-Un...eat+mat+medium

Thanks!
Dev

[Archimedes]

You may need to mess with your temps to figure out what will work for your setup. Also, 1 inch of substrate is far too much for the heat on the UTH to reach the surface level, without the UTH being way too hot to avoid burning your snake if it burrows down. I suggest somewhere between a fourth and a half-inch.

[bcr229]

Where did you put the probe for the t-stat, and how/where are you measuring the temperatures? Also agreed that 1" of aspen is too much, if I have newspaper or paper towels in the tank as substrate I don't add any aspen or cypress.

[Dev_DeCoste]

Thanks. Yeah, the 1" was just an estimate but for accuracy's sake I just stuck a ruler in there. Got about 1/2" in the fluffier areas but I'd say packed, about 1/4". Currently have the thermostat set to 102 area. It also auto shuts off if the temp hits 110 and the dial goes up to 110. It's also supposed to blink when the heat mat reaches temp after about an hour but it still hasn't started blinking..

[Dev_DeCoste]

The probe is on the side of the tank closer to the floor on the hot side of the tank. The temperatures are being measured by 2 thermometers. One on the hot side, one on the cool side. I only added the substrate to help with heat/humidity. Mostly heat...

[Archimedes]

I picked up a temp gun from Petsmart to assist in my temp monitoring, and it's helped me worlds to determine accurate surface temp. I suggest one, because while 101 seems high, that may be giving you 90 on the surface where your little buddy's belly is sitting. Every setup is different.

[Dev_DeCoste]

Yeah, I can definitely use a new thermometer that's a given. Im just thrown off by the air temp lowering so drastically. If the surface is 90 the air shouldn't be close to 30 degrees cooler, should it?

[Crazymonkee]

That's the kind I have and it works excellent for me but mine is on heat tape.... mine is set at 95, temp on floor is 90
The green light stays on constantly that is the power indicator light, the red one comes on when it needs to heat up the turns off when it reaches temp...there's no blinking
The uth really only heats the surface not the air.

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[Dev_DeCoste]

Thanks.. The red light hasn't turned off once in the 6 or so hours now its been plugged in though. I have the probe basically touching the substrate, too.. I'll have to get a new thermometer ASAP I suppose?

Also, do you use any substrate, a glass tank, newspaper, etc?

[Crazymonkee]

Mine is in my rack, right on my heat tape, tubs, aspen bedding.
Technically the probe should be between the heat mat and the tank

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