Thermostat problems?

Hi guys,

I have been having some problems with my heat mat/thermostat combo for the past month or so, however now that the temperature has dropped cold outside I need some immediate help! The problem is not the viv being too hot, but rather far too COLD...

I am using a Habistat mat stat and have only had it for 12 months or so... is it possible that this is preventing the warmth? I have it cranked up to about 38C (supposedly) but this morning I was only getting 18 on the warm side (!!)

I will plug the mat straight into the mains to see if I can get anything warmer in the meantime but just wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem?

(Aspen substrate, about 3cm deep)

Thanks all!
Sammi

Is the UTH inside the viv or outside? I know wooden vivs are popular there. How are you measuring the temp? And where? Is it heating at all?

It is a glass bottomed viv resting on a wooden base, the mat is on top of the wood and under the glass (its a temporary viv), the mat itself is pretty hot, so perhaps the glass is holding all the heat? It just seems weird that I wasn't having this problem earlier, although he was in a different room then ...

2 digital thermometers, one at each end. Temperature fluctuates with the weather

Can you put a probe directly over the mat, and see what it measures?

Yeah, I am at work for the next 5 hours but I will test it when I get home

Ok so I got home about 6, the glass at the bottom of the viv - with mat plugged into the thermostat - was only just warm to the touch, temp reading 19c.

I unplugged from the stat, and plugged the mat in on its own to see if it would do any more on its own. It's now 11.50pm and reading 22 directly over the mat.

I do have a spare mat, if I don't get any change over night I may try the other one tomorrow, thinking now perhaps the mat is giving up?

Sounds like your mat may not be working, how is it attached to the bottom of the vid and how well? Duct tape? Sticky pad?

Just woke up to 22, I will plug in the spare mat now and see what happens! It's sandwiched between the glass viv and a wooden base, and there is a bit of duct tape sticking it down onto the wood

I've never heard of one "losing strength,' they always just stop.