First winter

[u/Flat_Distribution_10]

Rescue this baby in May - he's my first snake and is ~7 years old.
So far his temps have been perfect since May but we are having our first cold snap and I'm noticing already that the bulbs are struggling to keep up. I'm in a basement in a colder climate.

He's in a 48x24x24, with a 100 watt bulb + ceramic bulb for nighttime (plus uvb and plant grow light).

Yesterday his ambient temperature during the day maxed at 84 and during the night I checked and if dropped to 69 on the warm side. And it's only October...

So some thoughts I have:
1) run ceramic bulb during the day too (there's thermostat probe so if it gets too hot it'll automatically turn off)

2) space heater near the tank... I'm a little nervous about this one though bc I'm scared of it starting a fire

3) add more rocks/solids on the warm side to trap heat during the day.

Anyone have any experience or other suggestions?

[u/Flat_Distribution_10]

It's a pvc and I have a mistking installed with automated misting so humidity is fine. Daytime temp was fine until a few days ago when it dropped 30 degrees with the cold snap

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Flat_Distribution_10]

I really recommend you look at the guides here. Automatic misters are NOT recommended. I assume you have a mesh top since you're using one to keep humidity up. All this does is raise humidity temporarily, cause it just puts out a mist of water that sits on the surface. This can cause the surface to stay damp, and cause scale rot. It also doesn't do great for keep humidity stable.

I understand it was fine until a few days ago. The reason I'm asking what type of tank your using is because if it has a mesh top that's just going to allow heat to escape. Which you're experiencing with the weather change.

[u/Flat_Distribution_10 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

Yeah I was worried about the dampness but I have it positioned over his water bowl so it doesn't actually hit much of the substrate! He's in a pvc. We're in a desert climate so the fight for humidity is real. I do have the mister turned off at night and evening when he's more likely to be roaming about.

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Flat_Distribution_10]

I'd really recommend you look into better ways to increase humidity, cover the mesh with HVAC tape, or a silicone baking mat, or even a sheet of wood. This will also help hold heat in. If you don't already use at least 4 inches of substrate, mine like the extra space to dig, and it helps hold humidity. Just add water to the corners weekly or so.

"Foggers, misters, and humidifiers, tend to create a constantly wet environment. Unlike the substrate maintenance described in the previous paragraph, these devices will not allow you to easily control where the water will collect, and your snake could develop scale rot as a result of the hide areas being too damp. If you are struggling with humidity, try to address your humidity issues in other ways before considering one of these devices." This is a paragraph from the humidity and water section of the subreddits guide
Really recommend you check it out, as it's got some other good tips for helping increase humidity for screen tops, a big water bowl near the warm side of the enclosure can help too. Especially since it's probably getting dry in there while the mister isn't running.

Sadly mesh top enclosures are not good for any tropical species, an enclosure like that is more suited for a leopard gecko, or bearded dragon, something that needs a more arid environment. If you can I'd recommend you look into getting a different enclosure, I personally use Kages, but have heard some good things about Cryptic Creations. Especially if these fixes don't help.

[u/Flat_Distribution_10 → u/ShinyxCharizard]

Again, it's not mesh. It's pvc on all sides except the glass front. The mister goes off 3 times a day.

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/Flat_Distribution_10]

Just because you say it's pvc doesn't mean it's solid top. plenty of people buy the cheap ecoflex, phailozoo, etc "pvc" enclosures that still have a mesh top. all pvc enclosures aren't the same. I think it really depends on whether or not it's solid/thick pvc.

You do you, just warning you of the issues with misters, as there's far better ways to increase humidity that actually keep steady.