Need help......

[L.West]

I still don't understand how to keep my temps correct with summer upon us. I moved and now have my snakeroom on the second floor of my house - it gets pretty warm up there (I try not to use my air due to expense).

During the day my room temp climbs to 89 degrees - should I turn off my flex watt?? Then, if I turn off the flex watt I worry because the room temps drop thru the night into early morning down to 78/79 degrees - is that too cool for them without their flex watt running??

One thought I had was to turn off the flex watt for the summer but turn on my oil filled heater set to keep the room from falling below 85 degrees in the morning hours.

Please, if someone could tell me what I should do that would be great.

[The Serpent Merchant]

If the flexwatt is on a good thermostat it should regulate itself automatically... If the room gets hot enough that the probe reads the set temperature it will power down the flexwatt.

A room that hot really isn't healthy for ball pythons. They need a thermal gradient. If their tubs are 90 degrees with no escape from the heat I have a feeling you are going to have issues.

Is there any way to cool the room even to 82ish? Fans/small window unit A/C's?

[L.West]

Thanks Aaron, I thought I read on here that some keepers maintain a room temp of 85 degrees and they don't run flex watt??

I regulate my tubs with helix therms.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I have read that as well but I don't understand their reasoning. The point of a thermostat is to keep the temperatures in the proper range. If the room gets hot enough it simply won't run the heat source. But then at night when it cools off it will kick back on, and keep the temps where they need to be.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I have read that as well but I don't understand their reasoning.

"Resting" the equipment and energy/cost efficiency.

Why run your equipment if it's not necessary?

Of course it won't make a huge difference is you have a handful of animals however when you have more than a handful it does.

[kitedemon]

I know a couple of breeders whom just use an ambient temp control no not spots. The idea is to provide optimal core temp to the animals so there is no need to thermoregulate at all. there are a couple of issues with this logic the first is one of control. The single breeder I have been in a snake room who does this have very rigid temp control, he sees a 1/2 ºC (1ºF or so) variation up or down and has very accurate thermometers.

The second is a guess, what is the ideal core temp for a given snake? Babies it is lower than sub adults and adults that means three rooms not just one. The idea core temp is also a bit of a guess, some say 85 some 88. There is little to no hard evidence on the matter. I have adopted two of the 'problem feeders' from this breeder and after a year one has never refused (2300 gm female) and the other refused only a few times. I provide them a gradient why they eat for me and did not feed for him is anyones guess but mine is those individuals didn't like the temp HE decided was the best temp for them.

[The Serpent Merchant]

"Resting" the equipment and energy/cost efficiency.

Why run your equipment if it's not necessary?

Of course it won't make a huge difference is you have a handful of animals however when you have more than a handful it does.

But when the temps are actually warm enough the flexwatt will be off anyway. And if it gets too cold it will kick back in until it warms back up. You will save on energy costs either way.

[L.West]

So my goal would be to keep my flex watt set to my desired hot side temps and then keep the room temp as close to 84/85 as I can with using a fan to cool the room a bit in the heat of summer.

Is this correct??

[The Serpent Merchant]

That's what I would do.

[L.West]

Thanks Aaron, what is the perfect room temp and then what is absolute highest safest room temp.