Quote Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents View Post
i really would suggest forgetting about the rheostat, i've had nothing but problems with them. they're wildly inaccurate and require too much tinkering. 104 is still much too hot for a ball python.

not sure if it will burn your snake, but it's not worth the risk.

invest in a thermostat. i think one of the cheapest ones is a Repti Temp 500R. i have a couple of them, they're much better than rheostats even if they're not as accurate as a more expensive proportional thermostat like a Herpstat or Helix.
If I had the means to get my hands on a thermostat right now, I would have a thermostat and not the rheo. As it is, I'm taking it back because there's no way it's ever going to get the mat cool enough for long enough for me to feel safe about it. I'll try a dimmer for now and get a thermostat as soon as I can get one.