Right thermostat for room heater?

[mpkeelee]

I am getting rid of my ceramic heater to upgrade to an oil-filled heater. Reptile Basics has the Ranco ETC-111000 pre-wired with "Room Heater" option. Is this the best one to get? Also, if u can suggest an oil-filled heater I would really appreciate it, there are so many.

[VEXER19]

This seems like it will be just a matter of opinion or preference. No one knows your set up the way you do so your best bet is to have to do the crappy thing and research and check reviews. Sorry I dont know much about the topic but if there is one thing I have learned is that self research is usually the best route into buying something that fits you needs and desires. Just remember or just consider something over said and cliche but I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for. Good luck and congrats on the hatchlings!

[Vypyrz]

I am getting rid of my ceramic heater to upgrade to an oil-filled heater. Reptile Basics has the Ranco ETC-111000 pre-wired with "Room Heater" option. Is this the best one to get? Also, if u can suggest an oil-filled heater I would really appreciate it, there are so many.

For running an oil-filled heater, the "Room Heater" option is your best bet. Last year, when I decided to switch to a room heater, I called Rich at RBI and asked about the difference in the wiring and if I could use one that I already had that was wired with the power strip. He explained to me that, while the thermostat itself, was capable of handling a 1500 watt load and that the weak link was the power strip, which does not have a high enough wattage rating to handle the draw from the heater. The "Room Heater" option is basically a heavy duty extension cord wired in place of the power strip. So, instead of buying another Ranco, I just went to Home Depot and got a heavy duty extension cord and some little, flat metal clips that crimp onto the wires, and pretty much just un-wired the power strip and re-wired in the extension cord. You can order it already pre-wired, or, do it yourself. Here is the link to a good tutorial, if you choose that option:

http://www.rcreptiles.com/blog/index...1000_thermosta

As far as the heaters go, you are right, there are quite a few brands and models to choose from. I didn't think that I would need all of the fancy digital stuff so I just got a basic one from Lowes. It is a Pelonis brand and cost somewhere around $35 or so. One important thing to keep in mind with regards to the heaters is that they usually have three power settings which draw different wattages. If I remember correctly, my settings/watts are somewhere like Low/325 watts, Medium/750 watts, and High/1500 watts. So as not to possibly overload the Ranco, I always just keep mine on the Medium power setting. Also, these heaters have built-in thermostats. Mine doesn't show actual temps on the scale, so I really don't know what the max temp on the built-in thermostat is, but I just set it between 3/4 and Max to keep the heater from turning itself off before the Ranco, then I set the Ranco to 80F.
You may have to get a little creative when it comes to where and how you place/mount the Ranco probe. I wasn't real sure about at exactly what height I should have the probe. All of my enclosures are between 18"- 36" off the floor, so I just kind of went with a happy medium of about 28" off the floor for the probe. Now if you have some of those tall racks or cage stacks, you may have to experiment a little to find what works best for you, and I'm sure some of the other members who have larger rooms and set-ups will chime in on what is working for them.
I also initially wondered if one heater would be enough. My snake room is a spare bedroom that measures approximately 15' X 15', and with the heater in the center of the room, it has no trouble keeping the room warm, as long as I keep the door closed.
When I first hooked everything up I had wires going everywhere and it looked a mess...



I found an old piece of melamine shelf in the garage, added a few hooks and fasteners from this assorted picture hanging hardware kit that I had...



And made a nice mounting board to keep everything uncluttered and out of the way...



I also wasn't sure how hot the bottom would get, and since it was only a couple of inches off the carpet, as a safety precaution, I have it sitting on another piece of melamine...



Hopefully this will help, or at least give you some ideas...

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Reptile Basics has the Ranco ETC-111000 pre-wired with "Room Heater" option. Is this the best one to get?

Yes, it's grounded and perfect for oil filled heater, I have been using this for years and would not use anything else.

[L.West]

I use the Honeywell Oil filled heater - purchased at Walmart for $70. This model is all digital with a built in thermostat. Because it has a built it thermostat - I had to set the heater to what I wanted the room temp to be and then set the Ranco to 82 degrees - which basically means that I am relying on the built in thermostat to control the heater but in the event that it fails - the Ranco will shut it down if it gets to 82 degrees. So far, everything is working great.

[mpkeelee]

Vypyrz, thank you very much. that really helps. i may have to steal your design with the melamine, it looks nice and neat. I need the exact setup as you. Im using our 3rd room and its about the size of yours. It has good insulation and the doors have weatherstripping and a piece of rubber on the bottom to keep all the air in.

Deb and L.West, thank you. I saw two thermostats that were recommended but i wasnt sure. Ill be ordering the thermostat tonight and heading to home depot to pick out my heater.

[mpkeelee]

They only had the black Honeywell with the digital readout but it has a timer on it and I don't know how to turn it off. I can set it to turn off after 1-18 hours but I want it on constantly. If anyone here has it and I can't turn it off then I will take it back and hope they have a different one.

[snake lab]

I use the johnsons a 419 from reptile basics for my room heater and it works perfect