Hydrofarm Thermostat Help!!

[jhotch]

Okay, my Hydrofarm for my back heat is set at about 99, and that gives me a hot spot of between 89 - 92 on the back of my tubs depending on when I check it. Does your hot spot feel warm to your physical touch? Or does it feel cool?


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It feels kind of warm, I just left it for like 2 hours and came back my hot spot said 86!!! I took the tub off and gun the middle of the flex watt and it said 110!! its like no heat is transferring up to the tub, do you think because i have it on the thin plastic shelf and my room temps are lower it is affecting it?? Could i get a foam insulation board and put my flex watt on it then put my tub on that?? Thanks for all your help i'm trying to get this figured out as i was planning on getting her towards the end of the week!!!!

[jhotch]

Also where do you have your hydrofarm probe under the tub or beside the tub on the flexwatt?

[TheSnakeGeek]

i would tape the probe in between the flexwatt and the tub.

[jhotch]

i would tape the probe in between the flexwatt and the tub.

Yea that's where I got it

[nimblykimbly]

It feels kind of warm, I just left it for like 2 hours and came back my hot spot said 86!!! I took the tub off and gun the middle of the flex watt and it said 110!! its like no heat is transferring up to the tub, do you think because i have it on the thin plastic shelf and my room temps are lower it is affecting it?? Could i get a foam insulation board and put my flex watt on it then put my tub on that?? Thanks for all your help i'm trying to get this figured out as i was planning on getting her towards the end of the week!!!!

Also where do you have your hydrofarm probe under the tub or beside the tub on the flexwatt?

That could be, but it shouldn't lose that much heat, even if the plastic is thin. But I've never used a plastic shelf... However, I think that if you continue to have problems and we've ruled everything else out, you should get a piece of melamine or some similar type of thicker material/board cut to the size of your shelf and put your heat tape and tub on that instead of the shelf. Maybe that can create more insulation for your heat tape. If your room is pretty chilly, it could have a harder time keeping your temp up. Also, perhaps your heat tape is getting hot enough and switching the thermostat off before the inside of your actual tub gets to temp, but again you shouldn't have to set it so high just to get your tub hot enough. Is your temp gun accurate, by chance? If the tub hot spot feels warm to the touch, that sounds like higher than 86 degrees, also.

You're welcome - I hope we get this sorted out!

P.S. My probe is on the shelf right in front of the heat tape, within 1/8", between the back of the tub and the heat tape....

[jhotch]

That could be, but it shouldn't lose that much heat, even if the plastic is thin. But I've never used a plastic shelf... However, I think that if you continue to have problems and we've ruled everything else out, you should get a piece of melamine or some similar type of thicker material/board cut to the size of your shelf and put your heat tape and tub on that instead of the shelf. Maybe that can create more insulation for your heat tape. If your room is pretty chilly, it could have a harder time keeping your temp up. Also, perhaps your heat tape is getting hot enough and switching the thermostat off before the inside of your actual tub gets to temp, but again you shouldn't have to set it so high just to get your tub hot enough. Is your temp gun accurate, by chance? If the tub hot spot feels warm to the touch, that sounds like higher than 86 degrees, also.

You're welcome - I hope we get this sorted out!

P.S. My probe is on the shelf right in front of the heat tape, within 1/8", between the back of the tub and the heat tape....

I believe my gun is on its brand new!! I'm gonna go to Lowes Tommorow and get some melamine board and hope that helps I will update tomorrow! When I get the board should I put the probe under the tub or I saw on another thread on here where someone routed a slot to set the probe under the flex watt?

[nimblykimbly]

I would just put it on top of the heat tape, near the tub. I would think routing it under would trap a lot of heat and give an inaccurate reading...? I could be wrong though good luck! Will keep an eye out for an update!


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[kitedemon]

Part of the issue is you have nothing that is basically correct (accurate) in your heating system.

The Hydrofarm has an 8 degree window. (+- 4 degrees). The Accurite thermometer is the same an 8 degree window. If you check the specs on you gun you are likely to find it has a 4 degree window (+\- 2 degrees)

It guns are great tools but they reflect and refract like all light does so they really can only be trusted with matte objects that are about the reflectance of brown paper. Measuring flexwatt may not give correct readings.

I believe every set up should have one tool, thermometer, thermostat that is accurate. A few years ago I would have said less than 1/2 a degree f. Now I go for one full degree a two degree window. Sadly a certified thermometer that has this accuracy is almost always more costly than a high end thermostat that is better than one degree accuracy. I don't think you have anything wrong other than you have nothing that you know is right and this makes everything suspect. A herpstat is about 100$ for the base one this is how I would proceed. A better t-stat that you can be certain if it says it is 90 it is 89-91 or better.


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[jhotch]

Good news today I said to heck with the Plano shelf and built a small rack/cabinet with insulation and left it for an hour thermostat says 99 hot spot reads 98, obviously my room temps were to cool to let the tub heat up to 90! Now all I need to do is dial it in. Do you think there will be enough air flow?? Hot spot 90 cool side 82 and humidity 58

[nimblykimbly]

Awesome!! Glad that fixed the problem!


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