Kane mat rehostat

[Ray--Opo]

Just installed a 18"×28" Kane mat with a rehostat recommended. With the rehostat set at the lowest setting. The temperature reads 103°. The rehostat is mounted outside of the night box. It is currently 74° outside. Does it matter if the rehostat is mounted inside or outside of the box. I do have the rehostat plugged into a surge protector strip that also has a 40 watt RHP plugged in. Just can't figure out why the mat temperature is so high.

 

[Len B]

Just installed a 18"×28" Kane mat with a rehostat recommended. With the rehostat set at the lowest setting. The temperature reads 103°. The rehostat is mounted outside of the night box. It is currently 74° outside. Does it matter if the rehostat is mounted inside or outside of the box. I do have the rehostat plugged into a surge protector strip that also has a 40 watt RHP plugged in. Just can't figure out why the mat temperature is so high.

Do the Kane mats operate the same as the Stanfield mats that they run about 30 degrees higher than the surrounding ambient temperatures if no controller is used? If so and you basically have the rheostat turned down to it's lowest setting then it's working properly. That's why I use lamp dimmers so I'm able to reduce the wattage going to the mat below 120 watts and get the temperature I'm looking for. The only problem I see putting the rheostat outside is being open to the weather elements.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Yes the Kane mat also will get 30° higher than the ambient temp. I will be mounting rehostat inside. What type of lamp dimmers do you use? I will be calling Kane tomorrow to see if I have a faulty rehostat.If 103° is the lowest I can get. That doesn't seem correct.

 

[Tom]

Just installed a 18"×28" Kane mat with a rehostat recommended. With the rehostat set at the lowest setting. The temperature reads 103°. The rehostat is mounted outside of the night box. It is currently 74° outside. Does it matter if the rehostat is mounted inside or outside of the box. I do have the rehostat plugged into a surge protector strip that also has a 40 watt RHP plugged in. Just can't figure out why the mat temperature is so high.

I don't recommend the rheostat. I recommend you get a thermostat and run the Kane mat on that. Turn the rheostat all the way up and plug it into your thermostat. Set the thermostat where you want the temp to be, and let it turn the Kane mat on and off as needed. Mount the thermostat's probe on the other side of the night box far from the heating elements. Don't worry about the surface temp of the mat. It won't get too hot and your tortoises body will absorb all that heat and get warm to the core. The Kane mats have built-in redundant safeties to prevent over heating. When your tortoise is warm enough, it will move off the Kane mat, but still be in the warm box, and the Kane mat will continue warming the air in the box.

Remember that these mats were designed to keep piglets warm on cold nights. If its safe for newborn piglets and their giant sow moms, it is safe for your big ol' tortoise.

For these things to work, they have to get warm. An 80 degree surface on the mat would not warm your tortoise up very well. Try this: Place a big rock the size of your tortoise on the heat mat. Temp the top of the rock, and then come back and temp the top of the rock every hour all day. That is a better representation of what is happening. The heat generated by the mat is passing into the object that is laying on it. The top of that rock will never get over 100 if your thermostat is set to 80-86. Adjust your thermostat by the air temp in the box, not by the surface temp of the mat. The surface of the mat has to be hotter than the set point of the thermostat to bring the air temp in the box up to the set point.

 

[Ray--Opo]

I don't recommend the rheostat. I recommend you get a thermostat and run the Kane mat on that. Turn the rheostat all the way up and plug it into your thermostat. Set the thermostat where you want the temp to be, and let it turn the Kane mat on and off as needed. Mount the thermostat's probe on the other side of the night box far from the heating elements. Don't worry about the surface temp of the mat. It won't get too hot and your tortoises body will absorb all that heat and get warm to the core. The Kane mats have built-in redundant safeties to prevent over heating. When your tortoise is warm enough, it will move off the Kane mat, but still be in the warm box, and the Kane mat will continue warming the air in the box.

Remember that these mats were designed to keep piglets warm on cold nights. If its safe for newborn piglets and their giant sow moms, it is safe for your big ol' tortoise.

For these things to work, they have to get warm. An 80 degree surface on the mat would not warm your tortoise up very well. Try this: Place a big rock the size of your tortoise on the heat mat. Temp the top of the rock, and then come back and temp the top of the rock every hour all day. That is a better representation of what is happening. The heat generated by the mat is passing into the object that is laying on it. The top of that rock will never get over 100 if your thermostat is set to 80-86. Adjust your thermostat by the air temp in the box, not by the surface temp of the mat. The surface of the mat has to be hotter than the set point of the thermostat to bring the air temp in the box up to the set point.

Thanks Tom, the first Kane mat I used a thermostat but I taped the probe the mat. It was a hassle so that's why I went with the rehostat. Is there a need for having the rehostat set to the highest setting? Or should I eliminate? Now I need to find the best place for the thermostat probe. Should the probe be near the floor or if I can find a good area about halfway down from the floor?

 

[Tom]

Thanks Tom, the first Kane mat I used a thermostat but I taped the probe the mat. It was a hassle so that's why I went with the rehostat. Is there a need for having the rehostat set to the highest setting? Or should I eliminate? Now I need to find the best place for the thermostat probe. Should the probe be near the floor or if I can find a good area about halfway down from the floor?

Yeah, taped to the mat will never work. What was the air temp in the box when you did that?

I suggested setting the rheostat to its highest setting to essentially eliminate its influence. Let the thermostat control the mat based on air temp in the box, instead of the rheostat.

 

[Len B]

This is what I use. Most people don't understand my system of heating my tortoise houses. I like it because I can keep a constant temperature without everything running wide open. With a thermostat it's either running at max or nothing at all. Like giddy up and woah. You don't get the cold temps I do so maybe a thermostat will work down there if you can find the right place to put it.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Yeah, taped to the mat will never work. What was the air temp in the box when you did that?

I suggested setting the rheostat to its highest setting to essentially eliminate its influence. Let the thermostat control the mat based on air temp in the box, instead of the rheostat.

I was keeping the air temp around 85°. I can't remember what I kept the Kane thermostat at. But tried to keep the mat at 85°. It worked well when Opo was 15 to 20lbs. But when he got bigger the tape thing was a hassle.
He is in a new box this winter. So by trial and error I will get everything dialed in.

 

[Len B]

Yes the Kane mat also will get 30° higher than the ambient temp. I will be mounting rehostat inside. What type of lamp dimmers do you use? I will be calling Kane tomorrow to see if I have a faulty rehostat.If 103° is the lowest I can get. That doesn't seem correct.

Yes the Kane mat also will get 30° higher than the ambient temp. I will be mounting rehostat inside. What type of lamp dimmers do you use? I will be calling Kane tomorrow to see if I have a faulty rehostat.If 103° is the lowest I can get. That doesn't seem correct.

To set the dimmer it helps to have a kill a watt and a temp gun. With the KAW you can see how much wattage is being fed to whatever you are working with. Here's what I use.

 

[Ray--Opo]

To set the dimmer it helps to have a kill a watt and a temp gun. With the KAW you can see how much wattage is being fed to whatever you are working with. Here's what I use.View attachment 351016

Now I read this after writing you a book on a PM.
Thanks again, I have a infrared temp gun now I need to get a kilowatt meter.