I know that there have been threads on this, but I need more input for my situation. I'm currently using an AP T8 to house two juvenile BPs with a divider. I bought it used and it already had two RBI 40 watts RHPs centered on each compartment and I added an 11" strip of flexwatt underneath the center to create a hotspot.

My room gets cold! Probably down to the 50s sometimes and even running an oil heater full blast the snake area will just stay in the low to mid 60s at best. My problem is when it gets this cold, the RHPs start working more. I use a herpstat and often see it pushing the RHPs with 30-70% power at these times. This causes the hotspots to heat up beyond where I would like. Most cold mornings when I go to check on the snakes, I find the hotspot at 94-96 degrees and the ambient/cold side where I set it (75 degrees at night). Along with this I typically find both BPs moved over to the cool side, which means it's probably too much heat (unless they just ate, then they live with the higher hotspot temp). When my room is 70 degrees and above, this is never an issue.

At worst the hotspot hit 97 degrees. The problem is, when it hits that temp, the HerpStat probe is only readying 89, which is what I have it set it. The herpstat probe is in the pre-cut channel under the T8 and is not able to read the surface temp of the floor and adjust the tape appropriately.

So here are the options I am considering:

1) Move the herpstat probe to the inside of the tank on the hotspot (it's a large hotspot so I can put it outside of the hide where it's less likely to get messed on).

2) Eliminate the UTH altogether. Move the RHPs both to the center so there is a heat gradient.

3) Keep the heat tape and move the RHPs to the cool sides (outward sides) of the T8 and use the RHPs to set the cool side temp only while the tape creates the hotspot.

4) Something cool that I haven't thought of. Heating the room over 70 isn't an option unfortunately.

Thanks in advance!

Here's a not so recent pic, but you get the idea. RHPs are centered over each compartment and the little white tab in the back holds the t-stat probe. Probe is currently only on one side, but temps stay even.