UTH isnt getting hot enough(plastic tub enclosure)

[Mc.mischievous7]

I would love if someone could help me in figuring out why my UTH isnt getting hot enough or how to fix this problem. I'm using a plastic tub enclosure. I'm using a zoo med UTH which is under the plastic tub. I am using a tsat and I have the probe under heath the UTH to of course get the most accurate temp. I do have a digital reader for my humility and temp also and that probe is inside the tub under the paper towels. I am using paper towels as my substrate. I am also using a temp gun as my temperature reader. I have my tsat all the up to the max of 108° but his hot side only goes to 85° Could I get some help in trying to figure out what is it that Iam doing wrong? Or how to fix this. Especially since it's about to be winter. I dont want my BP to be freezing to death. Should I buy a new UTH?

[Cheesenugget]

Sounds like either or both t-stat and UTH are faulty. Did you try a different t-stat to confirm?

Plastic or not, if they work correctly, there should not be such a huge gap in the dialed temp and enclosure temp.

[Mc.mischievous7]

I havent tried a different tsat as another tsat would cost me another $20^or up����

[bcr229]

Paper towels are light enough that they can float a bit over the tub and leave an air gap, which would allow air around the temperature probe and cause a low reading. Try running the setup for a while with a folded up towel, shirt, etc. on top of the paper towel over the UTH and thermometer probe, and then check the thermometer reading.

[SquirmyPug]

Check the temperature of the plastic bottom just over the UTH. Are you getting 85f ambient or hot spot?

If the temperature of the plastic is low just over the UTH try plugging the UTH into a receptacle without the thermostat to see if it's a faulty thermostat. Without the thermostat the UTH should get the plastic pretty hot. (Only do this temporarily to see if it's working)

[JRLongton]

What brand of Tstat? I've heard of people having similar issues with a cheap brand called Century (looks like a generic Jumpstart).

[Mc.mischievous7]

What brand of Tstat? I've heard of people having similar issues with a cheap brand called Century (looks like a generic Jumpstart).

Yea I'm using century.

- - - Updated - - -

Check the temperature of the plastic bottom just over the UTH. Are you getting 85f ambient or hot spot?

If the temperature of the plastic is low just over the UTH try plugging the UTH into a receptacle without the thermostat to see if it's a faulty thermostat. Without the thermostat the UTH should get the plastic pretty hot. (Only do this temporarily to see if it's working)

Yea Iam try this idea. I havent thought about doing this.

[Mc.mischievous7]

Paper towels are light enough that they can float a bit over the tub and leave an air gap, which would allow air around the temperature probe and cause a low reading. Try running the setup for a while with a folded up towel, shirt, etc. on top of the paper towel over the UTH and thermometer probe, and then check the thermometer reading.

I have done this with a towel and the temperature drops

[Mc.mischievous7]

Check the temperature of the plastic bottom just over the UTH. Are you getting 85f ambient or hot spot?

If the temperature of the plastic is low just over the UTH try plugging the UTH into a receptacle without the thermostat to see if it's a faulty thermostat. Without the thermostat the UTH should get the plastic pretty hot. (Only do this temporarily to see if it's working)

Sorry for asking this dumb question but what exactly is ambient temp? But I'm using a temp gun on his hot side.

[JRLongton]

If the temperature of the plastic is low just over the UTH try plugging the UTH into a receptacle without the thermostat to see if it's a faulty thermostat. Without the thermostat the UTH should get the plastic pretty hot. (Only do this temporarily to see if it's working)

Definitely try this experiment. If the UTH gets hotter without the Tstat than it does with, you know the Century is junk.

If you determine that the Tstat is to blame, then the least expensive and reliable Tstat is called Jumpstart, $35 on Amazon.