Temperature just not getting there..

[Licespray]

Hey guys and gals.

Just joined, throwing in the towel and saying I need help with setting up..
So got a 150w CHE, the base is rated to 200, so no worries there, and picked up a new reptile one brand thermostat. I’ve set it to 29 and I’m just trying to test to see how it goes with heating the enclosure (hence why the thermostat temp probe cable is going out the door rather than through a hole).
The CHE is getting hot, so it’s working, but it’s not working well. It didn’t get above 21 during the day, ambient temp in house being 16 or so, and as the temperatures are dropping tonight (it’s around 5) the temp on the probe got to 13, but has now dropped in to the 11’s.

So why the heck is it not working for me? What do I need to change, where am I going wrong? It’s frustrating that’s for sure. Attached is a pic of how the lamps in and where the probes currently sitting as I try and work things out.

Oh, the front cover is Perspex so hopefully that’s not just bleeding all the heat out.

And enclosure size is 4x2x2.

Cheers,
Troy.

 

[Herpetology]

Hey mate, a 200W Heater would be getting well in excess of 4-500c

It’s possible you have a dud, but try moving the thermostat probenup a bit, also you WILL NEED a cage around it

It can also be your thermostat settings, never used the one you mentioned, usually use habistat.. or microclimate, but either way it can’t be THAT wrong

 

[Licespray]

-4c air temperature and the probe was only reading 4c in enclosure. Heat lamp is definitely hot to the touch.

Heater is 150w.

The thermostat can only have one temperature set, it’s a simple thing

 

[Wokka]

If you can touch the heat lamp and its warm it has been on but 150 watts should be too hot to touch so I am guessing its a dud thermostat. By pass the thermostat and see what temperature you achieve. In my opinion 150 watts is too high for that cage even if the ambient is 16-5c. In summer you could cook your snake if the thermostat fails.

 

[Ceaz-]

I've used that thermostat before and don't think its very good. During the colder months I have found that because its an on/off device that when its off the heating element drops in heat very fast due to the ambient air temperature. So when the thermostat switches the element on again the temperature recorded by the thermostat is sitting at 20C when i've had it set at 35C so it takes a very long time for the element to reach the heat you need it to.

Would look into getting a Pulse Proportional stat from either Microclimate or Habistat

 

[Licespray]

What size lamp should I be running? Am entirely new to this.

And to add - am getting a cage for heating element. Just working it out first (there’s nothing in the enclosure).


I’ll try the thermostat that came with it. With the thermo and bulb that came with enclosure it reached 22C and the bulb (black ceramic one..?) was red on the end. Unsure what size it is as it’s faded off. I’ll try old thermostat with new bulb.


EDIT: wife just sent me a photo of the temp and it’s 29.5, maybe it took foreeeeevoor to kick in..?
Guess I’ll find out when I get home.

 

[Herpetology]

I used a 75w maybe 45cm diagonal of the branch, and it was a steady 30 with no thermostat, during summer 35~