Flexwatt gives inconsistent temps

[skaplan86]

So I just set up a tub using flexwatt and have found that the temps are really inconsistent... I can get it to run at 92 on the warm side for a few hours and then I come back and its down to like 83... I don't have a thermostat so I'm just using a dimmer and a thermometer. Its attached to the bottom of the tub with foil tape and just sitting on a desk. I'm using newspaper for substrate.

The temp in the room does not fluctuate that much. I got the flexwatt assembled from RBI so i'm pretty sure its wired properly.

Any ideas?

[twh]

So I just set up a tub using flexwatt and have found that the temps are really inconsistent... I can get it to run at 92 on the warm side for a few hours and then I come back and its down to like 83... I don't have a thermostat so I'm just using a dimmer and a thermometer. Its attached to the bottom of the tub with foil tape and just sitting on a desk. I'm using newspaper for substrate.

The temp in the room does not fluctuate that much. I got the flexwatt assembled from RBI so i'm pretty sure its wired properly.

Any ideas?

dimmers are crap IMO,get a quality thermostat and your temps will hold steady.BTW herpstats are now on sale,there's a ad here.have fun!

[hawaiianice99]

the problem is your dimmer, there is a reason they are so cheap, its cuz they suck. get a thermostat and that will solve your problem.

[starmom]

Yup, it's not the flex watt

[simplechamp]

Are you absolutely sure the ambient room temps don't fluctuate too much? Even with a dimmer that seems like a big range if the room only fluctuates a few degrees.

[skaplan86]

I don't think its the dimmer. The dimmer is like 2 weeks old, but its possible that it could be defective. Still i think there may be a prob with the flexwatt.

I flipped over the tub and hit the flexwatt with a IR thermometer and got different temps all over it ranging from 96 down to 82... its not evenly heating.

I also moved him to a different area of the room because he was about 7 ft away from a window (but its usually closed). I moved him somewhere that there is no direct line between the tub and the window

[aeio540]

I have used both thermostats and dimmer with some degree of success. My ball has a CHE that keeps ambient temperature around ~85 deg F and ground temperature at about 90-95 deg F warmside - 80-83 deg F cool side. The biggest problem I have is humidity problems but it just means i have to check his enclosure more often. The dimmer works great for him. With my BCI I use the thermostat and flexwatt. I find that due to the amount of of bark that she pushes around, the temperature may not be ideally consistent throughout but they stay around 87 deg F in the warm area, 83 deg F in the cool. Without the thermostat I had serious temperature variances. I don't even have that expensive of a thermostat, I bought one online but I did notice a much easier time keeping the temperature where I want.

Hope this helps.

[skaplan86]

couldn't add this as an edit so just make another post...

It seemed like the flexwatt might not have been attached very well, I lifted up the tub and some of it wasn't stuck on completely, I just went foil tape crazy on it and made sure its on there really tight and even. Hopefully that will help with the stabilization.

I'm not counting out that it could be the dimmer, but my levels were fine when i was using the dimmer on a UTH but when I switched to flexwatt my levels are goin whacky...

[JimNAZ]

I flipped over the tub and hit the flexwatt with a IR thermometer and got different temps all over it ranging from 96 down to 82... its not evenly heating.

I just changed over to Flexwatt from heat cables/pads and I too get inconsistent readings on the same piece of Flexwatt when I use my temp gun. I realize that there may be some reflection going on but I try to measure a specific spot the same way every time. I get a range of temps with up to a 10 degree difference.
I am using a shelving system for my tubs (not a closed rack) but my room has a heater and stays between 82-84 degrees. Each piece of Flexwatt is 12" and hard wired with a plug. I have a total of 12 pieces with 6 plugged in to a power strip for a total of 2 strips. Yes I too am using dimmers for each strip. (I am not debating whether dimmers are the way to go but it is what it is right now and a T-stat is in the very near future.) I am not overly concerned because in general the tape is doing what it needs to do within my set-up. I am just curious because it seems that I may not be the only one experiencing temp fluctuation within a piece of Flexwatt.
I also use 4 separate digital thermometers to measure different (separate) pieces of tape and they all are different. I could chalk it up to the Zilla gauges I am using but wonder about when I start using the T-stat. I have to have the power strips the way it is already set up. If the Flexwatt fluctuates so much within a set on the power strip, do I use the piece of tape that has the highest temp to place the temp probe?

Thx

[Jyson]

dimmers are crap IMO,get a quality thermostat and your temps will hold steady.BTW herpstats are now on sale,there's a ad here.have fun!

Agreed