Trouble with temps in new rack

[bks2100]

I got a combo rack from a local company that's a 6 shelf combo rack. Each shelf is either 2 15 quarts or 1 28 quart. It's a pvc rack with recessed 3" heat strip (belly heat). I have a herpstat 1 hooked up with the probe on the tape on the 3rd shelf from the bottom. It's under a tub, but I used some reflectix tape (small piece) to hold the cable right before the temp probe. I have my 4 snakes in 15 quart tubs on the top shelves (they're all less than 500g). I'm using a single layer of paper towels for now.

My question is, is it normal to have to set the herpstat to almost 100 and still not get 90 degree readings? I'm using an infrared gun to check temps and I'm checking the tub itself and not the paper towel. I am pulling the tub out about half way to check the temps and all along where the heat tape is has different readings ranging from 83 to 90 (a couple times out of the 20 or so times I've checked all the tubs there's been a 92 spot. Am I overthinking this? It doesn't help I'm still kind of new to bps so my two smaller snakes are usually climbing on a little ledge in the tub and when their tails fall off it makes a weird thump noise and one of my bigger females won't stop dumping her water (water always empty and paper towel always soaked, but bowl still upright). I've just seen a ton of videos on rack set ups and thermostats that are set to 92 for a 90 degree hotspot and I'm not sure if theirs is different due to higher ambient temps (my room is usually mid to upper 70s but the cool side of tubs is still 80) or that I'm doing something wrong.

[BrianDallek]

Depending on where your probe is it can vary, but your setting on your thermostat will never be the exact floor temp in the tubs. The important thing is that your thermostat keeps it steady at one temp while your tubs stay steady at its temp. That said 100/90 is a pretty big difference. My first guess would be that the 3" tape is having to work harder cause it is so thin. I have no idea why rack builders are using such small tape! I prefer thicker tape working less hard and providing a bigger even hot side. I would use 6" tape in your setup, which is why I build my own racks. My floor temps are 80cool-90hot with ambient temp at 83-85ish and humidity at 55-65%.

So I think you are fine as long as your reading your hot side floor temps correctly without any substrate over it.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Can be normal.
Also depends on the room temperature.

[JoshSloane]

Depending on where your probe is it can vary, but your setting on your thermostat will never be the exact floor temp in the tubs. The important thing is that your thermostat keeps it steady at one temp while your tubs stay steady at its temp. That said 100/90 is a pretty big difference. My first guess would be that the 3" tape is having to work harder cause it is so thin. I have no idea why rack builders are using such small tape! I prefer thicker tape working less hard and providing a bigger even hot side. I would use 6" tape in your setup, which is why I build my own racks. My floor temps are 80cool-90hot with ambient temp at 83-85ish and humidity at 55-65%.

So I think you are fine as long as your reading your hot side floor temps correctly without any substrate over it.

Totally agree with this. Unless you have a dedicated snake room with ambients in the high 70s, low 80s, 3" heat tape is ridiculously too small. When you are taking temps is the tub still in contact with the heat tape, or is it off it for some time? Is the probe in physical contact with the heat tape?

In the future check out Beeger Boxes or Boaphile racks. Beeger boxes uses much larger heat tape than the competition, up to 11" in 41 qt tubs. Boaphile uses two separate 3" strips per tub.