UTH Heat Variations

[Jbabycsx]

I had my snakes out earlier and decided to do a test on the UTH to check for even heat distribution. I’m using a dimmer (I know it’s bad. My VE-100 will be here Thursday.) I turned the dimmer all the way up. The lowest temp I could find on the pad was 112. The highest was 137. Do you all see this much variation in the different spots of your pads?

Just for information, I run the dimmer on the lowest setting and check it with the heat gun several times a day normally.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dianne]

Yes, I see that type of range as well. For my corn cages I have uth on a Herpstat 2. The thermostat is set to 90, and interior surfaces range from 79-87F.

[dakski]

First, great job getting the thermostat for Thursday and for using the dimmer in the meantime. Both smart moves. Please ask if you are not sure how, or where, to place the thermostat probe.

Secondly, UTH can have pretty decent dispersion of temps as Dianne said. Some of it has to do with wiring and some has to do with where they stick the best, etc.

Most under tank heating elements have some variation though. My 6FT X 2FT Boaphile tanks use heat tape and on the hot side, the heated area is about 1.25FTX2FT. If my goal for the hot spot is around 89-90F, I usually get a range of 87 or 88F to 89-90F. I get a bigger difference on the roughly 8 inch by 4 inch UTH I use for my quarantine tank. It can range from 87-90F within that small range.

I should note the hot side is used in conjunction with a radiant heat panel as well (RHP) in my Boaphile tanks. It covers 75% of the heat tape on that side. However, the tanks are large enough, and it gets cool enough in the winter here in CT, that I have a smaller (2FT X 1FT roughly) heat tape on the cool side. It never runs in the summer, but in the winter, when it's 68F in the reptile room, it kicks on a little. I have it set to 78F for my BP, Boa, and my Blue Tongue Skink. Even that, with no RHP, ranges from 77-79F.

Long way to go for a simple answer of, yes, there can be noticeable heat variations with UTH. However, they should not be 20F if set for lower temps, like an 88-90F hot spot. A large one may read 90F and 86F, but if the range is any greater than that, I would get another one.

[CALM Pythons]

....for the life of me I can’t figure out why they don’t make these heat mats with Settings. Even the heat tape thats sold doesn’t reach those kind a temps... that’s just ridiculous and it’s been like that since I can remember. The Rocks I had 25 years ago were probably the same we were all just too ignorant to know.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk