Really crappy heat mat???

[nightwolfsnow]

I got my thermostat in the mail today so I could use my heating pad. I have the thermostat probe foil taped(tape on the wire not the probe) to the bottom of the warm side of the tank with the heating pad centered over top of the probe. Then I have the probe for my thermometer directly on the glass underneath the substrate over the middle of the heat mat. The thermostat is reading 98-100 and the thermometer is only reading 77-78??? That doesn't seem normal to me. I know there's nothing wrong with the thermometer, plus the thermometer on the cool side is only reading 73 ambient temp.

The heating pad is the one that came with the 10 gal basic tropical kit from Petsmart
http://www.petsmart.com/reptile/terr...6-catid-500028

My thermostat
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...f_rd_i=desktop

Probe thermometer
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/1718441...lpid=82&chn=ps

[PitOnTheProwl]

If your thermostat probe is not taped to the mat and its dangling under the mat you are not getting a true reading so start there.

[nightwolfsnow]

If your thermostat probe is not taped to the mat and its dangling under the mat you are not getting a true reading so start there.

My thermostat probe is between the glass and the mat it self. I'll go take a picture.

[bcr229]

Your t-stat probe should be sandwiched between the heat mat and the bottom of the tank. It sounds like you taped it underneath the heat mat.

[nightwolfsnow]

The cord closest to my nails is the one for the thermostat probe. The layers from top to bottom are glass, thermostat probe, heating pad.

[PitOnTheProwl]

I am taken back by someone that has listened!!

How long have you had it running? Do you have anything in the tank yet?

[nightwolfsnow]

I am taken back by someone that has listened!!

How long have you had it running? Do you have anything in the tank yet?

XD I'm one of those people who does a lot of research. I've been reading and looking at diagrams of setups for about a month. Which is why I'm confused.

The heating pad has been on for about 5 hours now. I have the thermostat turned up to 103 now. I'm afraid to turn it up any higher but the thermometer is still only reading 77.7-78 when the thermostat kicks it into heating, and drops to 76 when its not. I really don't understand how there is only a 3 degree difference between the glass over the heating pad and the ambient temp of the cool side. Is the heating pad not powerful enough to emit heat through the glass? I did notice when taking the picture that because of the thermostat probe the middle of the heating pad is not flush against the glass. Could that be the reason? Should I move the thermostat probe closer to the edge where the cord for the heating pad is? Yes my bp is already in there :/ and I don't like the temp being so low especially since he's in the cool side hide. I do have another heating pad rated for a 20 gal tank on my anole tank. Should I swap them?

[frostysBP]

Do you have a heat gun... That is the best way to tell.. My tstat is get to 93 thermometer prob reads 83 heat gun reads 90

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[nightwolfsnow]

Do you have a heat gun... That is the best way to tell.. My tstat is get to 93 thermometer prob reads 83 heat gun reads 90

Sent from my LGL15G using Tapatalk

No I don't have a heat gun :/ But 102 and 77 is a pretty big gap.

[bcr229]

Do you have a heat gun... That is the best way to tell.. My tstat is get to 93 thermometer prob reads 83 heat gun reads 90

This, I have that same thermometer/hygrometer. It's great for reading ambient temps, not so much for surface temps since the round surface curves away from the flat bottom of the tank. A heat gun or IR thermometer will tell you the surface temperature.

You can get a heat gun at Lowes or Home Depot, they're about $25. They're also fun to play with, I spent an hour running around the house measuring the surface temps of everything from light bulbs to the HVAC vents when the AC was on.