RHP size for taller wooden enclosure?

[Zelg]

I have a wooden enclosure that I built that is approximately 2 feet tall, 2 feet deep and 3 feet long. Before I was done building it I contacted Reptile Basics and asked what they recommended for heating that size enclosure. They responded with their 40 watt RHP. Well now that my cage is set up and ready to be put to use, I'm seeing that my 40 watt RHP is constantly heating and wont get above 83.5 degrees at the floor. I'm thinking, with a hotspot below the RHP that might be sufficient but at the same time I'm not wanting to have the RHP on ALL the time.

I have I think 7, 2 inch circle vents. 3 in the back about half way up the wall and two on each end, also half way up. On the hot side I have tape over the 2 and I think tape over a back vent on the hot side. Obviously I want to keep some ventilation but I feel like I'll have to close all the vents to maintain a steady temp range.

I'm wondering if I should bump up to the 80 watt RHP....if that will heat the floor better? I'm assuming it will but before I spend $90+ for another RHP I thought I'd ask here first.

My BP is in a pvc "carpet cage"...that I think has a 40 watt in it and it heats up well and isnt constantly "heating".

Are there negatives to having the RHP on all the time, struggling to heat the enclosure?

Also, I understand that wooden enclosures dont hold their heat as well as pvc but my snakes room is heated to 75 degrees.

If I seal off more vents then I seem to have too much build up with the humidity.

Thoughts? Other suggestions? Kind of a rambling post I know but I think I got my point across

[chairman]

Add a shelf half way up below the panel? Many reptiles try to keep their body temperature at around 85, so that temp at the floor isn't really problematic. With a shelf you can probably provide a basking spot with a surface temperature around 100 and a thermal gradient going down to your room temp of 75.

[Andy_G]

How are you taking these temps? Temp gun? Probe? Both?

[Zelg]

A shelf is a good idea. I planned on adding branches and stuff but I think a shelf would be a good addition. Thanks.

Taking the temps, I have two probes, one at each end and I also have a handheld temp "gun"...not really a gun...looks like a key fob for a car. The probes are suctioned to the walls about 2 inches above the substrate. I guess with a proper basking spot, the temps are probably fine but I'm worried about the RHP over working itself by being "On" ALL the time. I dont know.