# heating issues...having a mare!!



## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

Hi 

I now have my habistat heat mat for my leo's viv. Its set up with a ministat thermostat that is set to 88 temperature.

Now for the nightmare, I also purchased a digital thermometer but I just don't know whats going on....thermostat clicks off when temp in viv is reached (as it did when I had the light instead of mat) but the thermometer reads 122?!!?

I have reset the thermometer several times and tried fiddling with the thermostat but the temp always reads 10-15 or more on the thermometer?

Have I got a dud thermometer? I don't want to fry my beautiful Millie, I know the thermostat works as I had no problems at all with the light. 

Please help


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## ChelsNLuke (Jun 23, 2012)

EmmaBlue said:


> Hi
> 
> I now have my habistat heat mat for my leo's viv. Its set up with a ministat thermostat that is set to 88 temperature.
> 
> ...


Sorry to ask, but are you sure it's not in farenheight....???

Luke


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

its reading 125 farenheight or 51 celsius.


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## ChelsNLuke (Jun 23, 2012)

EmmaBlue said:


> its reading 125 farenheight or 51 celsius.


Ohh that still is too warm, try setting your stat lower, the sensor might be dodgy.

and put the probe of the thermometer in some FREEZING water, see if it adjusts too that  if it's still reading higher than it should, dodgy thermometer, if not, dodgy stat  does the heat mat feel 51 degrees to you? If you touch it like 

-Luke


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

this is the thing I've tried messing with the stat and its still reading higher than it should! will try the freezing water thing, and see what happens. But the mat does not feel that warm to be fair can keep the back of my hand on it and its warm not burning

Have repti carpet on top of the mat and thats warm to the touch but not roasting.


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## ChelsNLuke (Jun 23, 2012)

EmmaBlue said:


> this is the thing I've tried messing with the stat and its still reading higher than it should! will try the freezing water thing, and see what happens. But the mat does not feel that warm to be fair can keep the back of my hand on it and its warm not burning
> 
> Have repti carpet on top of the mat and thats warm to the touch but not roasting.


Let me know how that goes and I'll see how I can help 

-Luke


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

just stuck the thermometer probe in a lemon that had been frozen and the temp reading dropped to -6 celsius.

I'm sooooooooooo confused, lol.


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## StaneyWid (Jun 2, 2012)

EmmaBlue said:


> just stuck the thermometer probe in a lemon that had been frozen and the temp reading dropped to -6 celsius.
> 
> I'm sooooooooooo confused, lol.


 
lolololololololololol aye ur no the only one


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

my thermostat goes up to 95 farenheight yet the the thermometer reading 122 again. I am at my wits bloody end!!


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## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

Were you using a ministat 100 for the bulb?

PK


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

its a microclimate ministat 300, and yes I did use it for the bulb also. (I had Millie given to me by a relative, and the bulb and thermostat was already in place. I swapped for a heatmat as I read this was better.)


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## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

EmmaBlue said:


> its a microclimate ministat 300, and yes I did use it for the bulb also. (I had Millie given to me by a relative, and the bulb and thermostat was already in place. I swapped for a heatmat as I read this was better.)


What wattage bulb did you use?

PK


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

60w was in there....a green one if that helps, lol


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## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

EmmaBlue said:


> 60w was in there....a green one if that helps, lol


 I would say you have broken the thermostat, a ministat is used for non-light emitting bulbs and heat mats.

I would highly suggest turning off the heat for tonight and buying a new stat tomorrow.

At the moment the heat is uncontrolled. (could be fatal)

There's lots of conflicting information online, weather a mini-stat 300 should support light emitting bulbs, however i would say if it had quite a lot of use then the switch to a bulb would of made it give up the ghost.


PK


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

Thanks so much for the help, do you think it broke when I switched from the bulb to the mat then? And does this mean the thermometer is reading true?! 

Also since I have a habistat heat mat would a habistat stat be the best buy?

So sorry about all these posts but I just want to get it right and with Millie being my first reptile pet I'm still very new to all this! 

Em x


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## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

EmmaBlue said:


> Thanks so much for the help, do you think it broke when I switched from the bulb to the mat then? And does this mean the thermometer is reading true?!
> 
> Also since I have a habistat heat mat would a habistat stat be the best buy?
> 
> ...


The reading is probably true, so best to cut the heat.

Well i have always used habistat and i find them great, i would highly suggest getting a habistat dimming thermostat, they can be used with everything mats,bulbs,ceramics and they have a 600w load. Also if you buy new they have a 5 year warranty. 

They are a little more but well worth the money, never had a moments trouble from mine.


Glad to help, we all start somewhere. :2thumb:


PK


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

To get my Ministat 100 to read 32*C on my digital thermometer I have to set it to about 27*C on the thermostat. They are notoriously poorly calibrated, which is why the use of a digital thermometer is always advised. Microclimate offer a pretty decent warranty so try and get the stat changed anyway as ministats are not suitable for bulbs, was the bulb not going on and off all the time?


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

funnily enough it was on and off a lot but I thought this was normal, temp reached and all that. 

I will get a new stat asap, live in a rural area tho so will have to wait for delivery...anything I can do while I wait as I don't want Millie going without heat for a few days  everything is going pete tong!!!!

Em x


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

EmmaBlue said:


> funnily enough it was on and off a lot but I thought this was normal, temp reached and all that.
> 
> I will get a new stat asap, live in a rural area tho so will have to wait for delivery...anything I can do while I wait as I don't want Millie going without heat for a few days  everything is going pete tong!!!!
> 
> Em x


It is right, for a heatmat. A bulb going on and off like that will not only drastically shorten the life of your stat by making it work harder, it will annoy the hell out of your reptiles! 

Leave the heat off and don't feed until your new stat comes, assuming it will be a few days or less : victory:

Edit - where was your thermostat probe?


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

will prob be the start of next week now by the time it arrives. Will that be ok? 

Thanks so much, again! 

Em x

PS- stat probe was in the middle of the viv at the top when the bulb was in, it is now on the warm side, at the bottom just above the repti-carpet


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

EmmaBlue said:


> will prob be the start of next week now by the time it arrives. Will that be ok?
> 
> Thanks so much, again!
> 
> Em x


I'm just wondering if it was set up incorrectly, where were your stat and thermometer probes?


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## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

4 days without heat is not good.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

pk93 said:


> 4 days without heat is not good.


Better than too hot though. It's not that cold at the minute so if she doesn't feed it should be ok. As long as leo isn't a tiny baby : victory:


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## pk93 (Jan 26, 2010)

mstypical said:


> Better than too hot though. It's not that cold at the minute so if she doesn't feed it should be ok. As long as leo isn't a tiny baby : victory:


Not cold by Manchester standards :whistling2:

-10 is a "nippy" day in Manchester.

:lol2:


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

pk93 said:


> Not cold by Manchester standards :whistling2:
> 
> -10 is a "nippy" day in Manchester.
> 
> :lol2:


Exactly. It's positively bikini weather here!


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## EmmaBlue (Jul 24, 2012)

I didn't have a digi thermometer till I got my heat mat, just had one of those dial things. 

Before set up was- substrate wood chips, thermostat probe in middle at top of viv, dial thermo just below thermostat probe and light top right hand corner. (no moist hide, no hot end hide)

Now set up is - substrate repti-carpet, thermostat probe bottom right corner, thermometer probe bottom right corner and heat mat right hand side of viv covering 1/2 the viv floor. (has moist hide half on half off heat mat, cool end hide, hot end hide and a drift wood bit to climb on and 2 plastic plants)

Still learning but improvements have been made.:2thumb:

EDIT: Millie isn't tiny baby, think she's approx 12 months old.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

EmmaBlue said:


> I didn't have a digi thermometer till I got my heat mat, just had one of those dial things.
> 
> Before set up was- substrate wood chips, thermostat probe in middle at top of viv, dial thermo just below thermostat probe and light top right hand corner. (no moist hide, no hot end hide)
> 
> ...


Ok, firstly, ignore the thermostat leaflet, and put the probe on the heatmat, directly. 

Think about it - if the mat has to heat up the viv to, say, 30*C, the thermostat will keep heating up the mat until the heat reaches the probe, which is miles away from the mat. For the probe to hit 30 and turn off, the mat will be much, much higher. Put both probes on the mat, see what happens.


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Here's mine when I had lino, the mat is under the lino directly under both probes. 










I was cleaning the viv which is why there's nothing in it :lol2:

Looks like this now


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## danbenb (Jul 24, 2012)

i agree with the above, if your thermostat probe is too far away by the time the temp is reached the heat source will be HOT... both probes thermostat and digi therm need to be on the heat source to make the hotspot the right temp... with my dragons it took some faffing around with the probes to get the basking area and hot area spot on


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