Help! Mid-sized Boa, big enclosure, big climate problems:

[Bruin30]

I will try to be as specific as possible, but we all know that I'll never be able to give you ALL the details each of you wants to try to help answer. I am at a loss, here, so please try anyway. Thanks

7 foot Boa, 5 yrs old, Female BCI, not breeding. Big tank 4 feet high (yes, she climbs) 6 feet long, 2.5 feet wide.

Hot side, BIG water pond (soaking, etc.) 4 feet below 2 Ceramic Emittent Heaters, 3 in winter (yeah it's cold here.-- I run a humidifier into the top of the cool side during winter, too.)

Cool Side, Small water "bowl," for drinking. --- She definitely knows the difference, believe it or not.

Substrate varies: can't nail this down, either. Currently using the Recycled, pressed paper balls.

1) CEH Wires KEEP burning at the porcelain in the top-- every 6 months or so. Never mind the poor snake-- I'm afraid I'm going to burn MY OWN house down one of these days! Ideas for keeping the wires off the ceramic fixture, and maybe keeping these things going longer??

2) I haven't heard too much about the heat panels. Although I found some prevoius posts on these, I haven't found answers to the following:
a) Mount it under the substrate but in the tank?
b) Thank God it won't burn the animal-- what about the substrate?

The bottom of the tank isn't quite Plywood-- more like particle board-- and most of the "hot" side is covered by the pond anyway-- so I'm not really sure I want to mount a Panel UNDER the tank... the side is an option, though, as it's plexiglass. Again, the intention was that the CEHs would do the trick, & would spread enough humidity around, too, from helping the pond evaporate. ...that's not really happening, either, though. Man, is it dry in there, some days!

Thanks for your attention, ideas, etc. I REALLY have been struggling, here.

Thanks again,

Steve