Well, I found the problem with the mat. It burned itself out. I talked to the pet store I bought it from and apparently its happening to the zilla mats alot right now. Tomorrow, I get a new mat from a different brand, free of charge. Humidity and temps are stable right now, damp towel on the screen works amazingly well. And the rheostat is working perfectly. Decided I didn't want to mess up again and labeled the sides.