5ºF to a sheet of cardboard sound right to me. The herpstats are accurate to 0.9ºF not 0.01ºF that would be the deal of the century if it were. I would trust the herpstat probe over a accurite (IMO 100% junk +/-4ºF how is that good?) and IR guns.
You started gaining 10ºF then after changing the substrate you lost 5ºF the only explanation I could think of is there is something else causing the gain (fluorescent lighting can do so)
If you met to say when set at 90ºF you get 80ºF inside this makes more sense, if the paper is not in direct and full contact with the floor it may not heat fully. The accurite measures the air temp and IR gun the surface I would be suspect if they were exactly the same. Paper is an excellent insulator all that cellulose blown in insulation is a testament to how efficient. It not surprising to lose a a bunch of degrees what are the ambient air temps in the middle of the enclosure? with the light on and off (40min to cool) ? Ambient air temps will have great impact on the loss to the substrate. It is quite possible that the ambient air temps are the culprit in either case (gaining over the T-stat or loosing)
Reply With Quote