Hmmm, interesting. I regulate all of my racks and cages with either Helix or Herpstat t'stats and there is still the one spot that gets higher than what the snake would like and so I just put the larger water bowl over it (helps with the humidity). All of the other flex watt areas are perfect- it's just the one spot and the temps are taken with my temp gun. I think this is just the nature of the beast (flex watt) however.