KingCampy
First Instar
Hello everyone!
I wanted to share my method for monitoring substrate temps in plastic bins with most wired thermostats.
Buy some cheap stainless steel milkshake straws they'll be big enough diameter for most temperature probes to go down.
Plug one end of the straw permanently with hot glue (if there's a slanted side that's the one I'd plug). Heat the other side of the straw with a torch lighter and use it to melt a perfect sized hole in one side of your bin, centered & 1 cm up from the very bottom.
Next, insert the plugged end of the straw into your substrate via the hole you just melted in the tub. Push the straw most of the way in leaving 1 cm or less of the straw poking out so that you can then hot glue or silicone around it to secure it in place.
Now you have a port in the bin that a temp probe can go in and out of as needed! And since it's low in the substrate and the metal straw has excellent thermal conductivity, you should get an accurate reading of the lowest layer of substrate directly above your heat pad.
After I insert the temp probe into the straw I do take the extra step of plugging it with a cotton swab so cold air isn't drifting into the straw and throwing off the reading. Probably not necessary, but just in case.
You do still need to have an air gap between the heat pad and the bottom of your plastic bin.
This method is working great for my panchlora bins so far, been using it since July.
Sorry I didn't take any pictures while building, but here's a couple from the finished product to help provide clarity.
I wanted to share my method for monitoring substrate temps in plastic bins with most wired thermostats.
Buy some cheap stainless steel milkshake straws they'll be big enough diameter for most temperature probes to go down.
Plug one end of the straw permanently with hot glue (if there's a slanted side that's the one I'd plug). Heat the other side of the straw with a torch lighter and use it to melt a perfect sized hole in one side of your bin, centered & 1 cm up from the very bottom.
Next, insert the plugged end of the straw into your substrate via the hole you just melted in the tub. Push the straw most of the way in leaving 1 cm or less of the straw poking out so that you can then hot glue or silicone around it to secure it in place.
Now you have a port in the bin that a temp probe can go in and out of as needed! And since it's low in the substrate and the metal straw has excellent thermal conductivity, you should get an accurate reading of the lowest layer of substrate directly above your heat pad.
After I insert the temp probe into the straw I do take the extra step of plugging it with a cotton swab so cold air isn't drifting into the straw and throwing off the reading. Probably not necessary, but just in case.
You do still need to have an air gap between the heat pad and the bottom of your plastic bin.
This method is working great for my panchlora bins so far, been using it since July.
Sorry I didn't take any pictures while building, but here's a couple from the finished product to help provide clarity.
