BCR229 is 100% right. Heat pads really do not radiate heat, so the ambient temperature will not go up much. They do, however, conduct heat, which is why they go on the bottom of the tank to provide "belly heat" when the snake crawls over them. That being the case, if you have the thermostat maxed out trying to heat the air that reads cool, you may have dangerously high surface temperatures that your snake will come in contact with. Your thermostat probe should be in direct contact with the floor of the tank directly over the heating pad; i even have a hide weighing mine down so it stays in place and to more accurately simulate the conditions of my snake is sitting there for long periods of time. This also why a heat gun is so handy, it measures surface temp, not air temp. Raising ambient air temp is something that is always a challenge, especially for those of us who do not have a dedicated snake room (if you do have one, the best thing is to just crank the heat and get the whole room the temp you want). Short of copy and pasting all the literature i went through while having my own heat crisis, i will just say that in my opinion radiant heat panels or "RHP's" are the best devices. They emit heat that is absorbed very efficiently by the surfaces within its range, including your snake, but unlike ceramic heat emitters, they do not get terribly hot to the touch. They do get pretty hot, but they are ceiling mounted so its not like the snake will just sit on it and cook and they are not hot enough to burn through brief superficial contact; you can put your hand on it for a few seconds without getting burned at all - this is NOT the case for the ceramic bulbs! Also, they use very little electricity relative to the amount of heat they emit compared to a light bulb or similar fixture. I hope this is helpful, i had a hell of a time dialing in my setup so i know how frustrating it can be.