Humidity discrepancy on warm vs cool side

[Ksovich]

I have been having some issues with humidity. My humidity on the warm side is usually about 55 – 60%. However, my problem is that I can’t seem to get the humidity down on the cool side and I am having temp issues at night. I am using tubs and have an 11” piece of flexwatt on the warm side and a 4” on the cool. The room humidity is usually between 50 – 60%. I put an acu-right on both sides just to check the humidity on both sides. I too live in western Washington and the day time temps are perfect but at night they drop to about 70. Now this would be okay if I was starting the breeding routine, but I don’t plan on doing that until mid-fall, giving the females a little more time to put on that last bit of weight. I have holes in the lid and around the sides. Has anyone else experienced 20% or so humidity differences from warm to cool? Any other suggestions? Oh, we will be getting a space heater if we can’t get the temps under control soon. We are in the process of remodeling and we are working on our actual bedroom and are living in the spare. When we get the spare empty, that will be the snake room, they will be in the “closet” area and we have all of the material to build a rack. Just don’t have the rip saw we need for some of the wood. I can’t think of what else to add, any questions I will gladly answer. Thanks in advance!!

[SatanicIntention]

The temps drop to 70 even with the two sets of flexwatt? Are you turning anything off?

[Ksovich]

Nope, everything is on all night. Both sets of felxwatt are on different thermostats....Helix I think (I am out of town and can't double check on the brand but I am quite sure it's a Helix).


PS: Love the names of your snakes

[CntrlF8]

I'm in your area... Puyallup, actually.

I know what you mean about having a hard time maintaining steady temps in your tubs. I'm using an RBI rack, and it's definitely difficult in our area unless you have a room dedicated to it.

are you using a rack, or just tubs? I would suggest building a rack if you haven't already, and I'd be willing to lend a hand in doing so.

Now, as far as your temps go... Is there a reason why you're using two different thermostats? Since it's a proportional, you can use one to maintain both sides by using a dimmer/rheostat to dial down the cool side. I'll probably be doing this if I feel the need to add cool side flex to my rack. I can help you with that, also, if you need.

And finally, humidity... I can see in my head how it would be entirely possible to have "wet" spots within a tub, since the air is more-or-less stagnant, or at least flowing very slowly. It's the same with temp within the tubs.. The only way to make it the same throughout is to homogenize the air somehow, which basically means add a fan to make it circulate and mix evenly. That's how stable, constant temps and humidity are maintained in an incubator.. Not really an option for actual housing, though, since flowing air is going to bring in fresh, cool air and completely screw up your temps.

[Ksovich]

I'm in your area... Puyallup, actually.

I know what you mean about having a hard time maintaining steady temps in your tubs. I'm using an RBI rack, and it's definitely difficult in our area unless you have a room dedicated to it.

We are working on doing this actually. Just have to finish our bedroom so we can move out of the snakes room.

are you using a rack, or just tubs? I would suggest building a rack if you haven't already, and I'd be willing to lend a hand in doing so.

They are just in tubs currently. We have all the material to build the rack but we need a rip blade for the saw we have or we need to figure out a way to extend the depth to which the hand held can cut too. The hand held is not our so we have to get the owner to come out and mess with it but she lives about an hour away and we are all busy. I am out of town currently, another reason that boyfriend is not working on it because I am not there to beg and plead for the help But his b-day is tomorrow and his mother, the owner of the saw, will be in the area so I will take matters into my own hands and beg and plee with her. Good thing they like me and would take me as a daughter if they could get rid of thier son lol

Now, as far as your temps go... Is there a reason why you're using two different thermostats? Since it's a proportional, you can use one to maintain both sides by using a dimmer/rheostat to dial down the cool side. I'll probably be doing this if I feel the need to add cool side flex to my rack. I can help you with that, also, if you need.

The one controling the cool side is actually a rheostat that I got when I had one snake. When I got more, I got the helix instead. We went to homedepot in Puyallup and lowes and they both said they didn't have the plug in dimmer that wasn't a touch 3 way one. They are big fat liars it was just closing time and I didn't have time to wander the whole store. I went the day I left town and found one but didn't have enough time to set it up before I left. So there is a dimmer waiting for me at home.

And finally, humidity... I can see in my head how it would be entirely possible to have "wet" spots within a tub, since the air is more-or-less stagnant, or at least flowing very slowly. It's the same with temp within the tubs.. The only way to make it the same throughout is to homogenize the air somehow, which basically means add a fan to make it circulate and mix evenly. That's how stable, constant temps and humidity are maintained in an incubator.. Not really an option for actual housing, though, since flowing air is going to bring in fresh, cool air and completely screw up your temps.

Well this is where I am actaully a little confused. My warm side has more holes at closer intervals and the temp and the hum is perfect. But on the cool side I have less holes on the sides of the tub but holes in the lid. The temps are lower then optimal but higher humidity. This is the part that puzzles me a bit. The 2 different humidity readings were there before the holes in the lid on the cool side, and that is why I added the holes. Since the air is stagnant...wouldn't the humidity be basically the same on both sides (I took the the water out for a few hours to let it stabalize then played around with moving the water to different places. When I had the water on the warm side, the humidity was still good and too high on cool side...and the same was true even when I moved the water to cool side...I just don't get why it is working this way ) I don't want to try the rice bag thing yet until I gert them in thier rack and new room.

Thanks for the help offer...I may have to take you up on that if I can't twist boyfriends arm this weekend.

[fishmommy]

I must first admit that I didn't read all that because I am very rushed at the moment...but I thought I would point out in case it helps that humidity measurements usually are *relative* humidity. Relative humidity is dependent on temperature. So, if you have a closed system with a certain humidity at one temperature, you will see the measurement change as you heat or cool the system, even though no moisture is escaping/entering.


Dunno if this has bearing on what you are seeing...if I have said something stupid because of my rush, please forgive me

[Ksovich]

I guess the reason I am so confused is because the humidity is higher on the cool side and that seems backwards to me. Isn’t it supposed to be higher on the warm side? I don’t remember, sorry it has been a VERY long week and a half and I am just plain confused now.

[bigballs]

you mentioned getting a space heater if your situation doesnt work out but i think the reason why your situation isnt working out is because you dont already have one. get a space heater then get rid of the cold side flexwatt. if the whole reoom is heated to lets say 82-84 then you only need a strip of flexwatt to create a hot spot in each tub.

[BostonMacK]

I guess the reason I am so confused is because the humidity is higher on the cool side and that seems backwards to me. Isn’t it supposed to be higher on the warm side? I don’t remember, sorry it has been a VERY long week and a half and I am just plain confused now.

I experience the same thing in my enclosure. I have a digital thermometer on both sides of the cage. The hot side will read 38% while the cool side will be 50-55%. This makes sense to me because I have a RHP on my hot side and it dries the air/substrate out on that side of the cage. He spends most of his time on the cool side so I have been making sure that stays around 50% even if the hot side is lower. I too have wondered how you actually know if humidity is right in your cage seeing they are almost always lower on the hot side. I am going to buy a hygrometer in the hear future but I know I am just going to be that much more anal when i get it.