| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| LAsweetie |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 13:06:22
How should a thermostat be set up in a viv?
Thanks |
| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| J6pkp |
Posted - 07/10/2010 : 18:33:02
Thank you everyone yet again for great advice! My digi therm came today so that's my task tonight!!
I just stress alot, can you tell?? |
| gregDT |
Posted - 07/10/2010 : 12:44:35
One thought I had. Our body temperature is 37C and the heat mat should be around 30C. So in theory we should not feel the mat to be warm. However 37C is our core body temperature. Our extremities (hands) are not going to be at that temperature. They will be several degrees lower. And easy way to observe this is to think about how you would take your temperature, you'd stick the thermometer under your tongue. So (with clean hands) put a finger in your mouth and under your tongue. It should feel warm i.e. your mouth is hotter than your hand. In fact your mouth is at about your core body temperature, hence it's where you shove the thermometer.
Therefore when you touch the heat mat it may indeed feel warm. As an example I came home a few days ago when it was quite cold and rainy. I went straight to the vivarium to change the water and noticed the cactus I use to pin down the heat sensors had moved. So I put my hand on the mat and it felt quite warm. However the sensors were still firmly pressed against the mat and the temperature read 29.9C. Obviously I hands cold hands from being outside.
So sometimes heat mats can feel quite warm to the touch. As mentioned a digital thermometer is always the answer. |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 07/10/2010 : 11:03:51
ignore what the dial on the stat reads and go by what the thermometer reads
i personally put the stat probeon top of the substrate above the heatmat, and rubber-band it to the thermometer probe, so no, the probe doesn't need to be in direct contact with the mat! |
| elament |
Posted - 07/10/2010 : 08:15:33
First of them dial thermometers are rubbish. When you get your digital one you may be in for a shock just how far out the dial one is. Second it shouldnt feel really warm. Human body temp is 37 odd degrees if it feels very warm to the touch then its running too hot. TBH i no expert on fauns i got vivs but i have no doubt a faun expert will be on shortly to advise you properly
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| J6pkp |
Posted - 06/10/2010 : 21:14:30
Oh the dial on the thermostat is at 31 |
| J6pkp |
Posted - 06/10/2010 : 21:13:02
Just to drag this up, I've searched but getting confused. I have a large plastic faun with the heatmat underneath. My new stat is up and running but when I put the probe under the faun on top of the mat it would go off quickly.
So out came the drill and put a hole in, put the probe IN the faun under the substrate (as best I can!!) but it's still going off after a while before the faun floor gets properly warm! (still waiting for my digi therm so using my dial therm on faun floor).
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!! |
| elament |
Posted - 01/03/2010 : 16:12:56
The actual sensor in the end of the sensor wire is about an inch long (same with most thermometers) so if you only have the tip touching the surface of the mat only a part of the sensor is in actual contact. With it laying flat far more of the sensor is touching and therefore your stat should be far more accurate. If your thermo probe is attached to your stat probe when you lay them flat you may get a bit of a shock just how much higher your temp actually is (I did) so your stat may need a tweak.
Cheers
Steve
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| newsnakekeeper |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 17:45:09
ok thanks for that HB will lie my stat prob flat when i get back home |
| HannahB |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 17:17:02
quote:
Originally posted by DannyBrown91
I found i had more control over the temps if i put the probe inside the faun under a bit of substrate.
it probably is but iv found that my stat temps are slightly out and because i can see a reading on the temp probes i set my stat so that the temp inside the faun is 28/29..
plus im not going to drill holes or anything inside a faun - knowing me and my diy skills id end up with a hole too big!
quote:
Originally posted by newsnakekeeper
is there any particular reason why the stat probe should be placed flat on heat mat rather than touching it i ave always placed the tip of the probe onto the mat
if its just the tip touching the surface and its being suspended from above ive found that it can get knocked easily and then isnt getting an accurate reading as to when to turn on or off..
plus i think its easier if its weighed down by a hide or something when its flat  |
| newsnakekeeper |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 17:13:51
is there any particular reason why the stat probe should be placed flat on heat mat rather than touching it i ave always placed the tip of the probe onto the mat |
| LAsweetie |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 16:55:04
Thanks everyone, i wondered why mine wasn't working lol
Hannah |
| DannyBrown91 |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 15:13:14
I found i had more control over the temps if i put the probe inside the faun under a bit of substrate. |
| HannahB |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 14:35:54
lol not a prob steve...great minds typing alike and all that |
| elament |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 13:37:56
Yes it also needs to be laying flat as apposed to just the tip touch the mat
It is also advisable to attach the probe for your digital thermometer to the probe of the stat using rubber bands for accurate mat tempreture
Edit: Sorry for the echo hannah we posted at the same time |
| HannahB |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 13:36:40
yes
if you have a plasic or glass viv and the heat mat is outside the viv then make sure that the probe is inbetween them BUT that the thermometer probe thats inside the viv/faun is touching the bottom where the heatmat is and that you adjust the stat according to the thermometer
if you have a wooden viv and the heatmat is inside then make sure that the probe is on top of the mat, people usually attatch the thermometer probe and the stat probe together with an elastic band |
| LAsweetie |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 13:21:01
Thank you, so does the probe for the thermostat need to be touching the heat mat?
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| HannahB |
Posted - 28/02/2010 : 13:12:13
on the thermostat itself theres a cord with a plug on the end..that goes into the mains..
theres a cord with a plug receiver on which is what you plug the heat mat into..
and then the other cord with a wierd probey looking thing is the temperature probe.. iv got mine situated on top of the mat but under the fauns for my hatchlings and then inside the viv on top of the mat for my royals
does that make sense? |
