Multiple thermostats for one rack?

[mattchibi]

I am planning on getting this rack from Animal Plastics: http://www.animalplastics.com/Sterilite/1754.htm



The feature that sold me on this product is the fact that it holds both 15 quart and 32 quart tubs, perfect for my current situation. Now before everyone tries to convince me to build my own rack system, I have already thought of this option, but for now, I have opted to buy one because I dont feel completely comfortable housing new snakes in something that I built myself, for now. At the moment, I have a small normal girl I plan on putting in the 32 qt tubs. In two weeks, I will have a lesser girl hatchling I plan on putting in one of the 15 qt tubs. Pretty soon, I will have a pastel girl in one of the 15 qt's too.

I believe they zigzag some 4" flexwatt (or 3") all the way up the seven shelves (or at least thats how boaphile does it). My million dollar question is do I need two thermostats for this setup? I was once told that I should never use the same thermostat for multiple enclosures, UNLESS the tubs and heating elements are exactly the same. This makes 100% sense to me; however, seeing as they zigzag the flexwatt all the way to the top, it seems pretty impossible to use two thermostats. Sigh, I guess this is another reason why building your own racks works so much better.

[PitOnTheProwl]

yes and no

you can run one thermostat for that rack

OR

you can and should run two...........you set your thermostat that regulates the temps for you and have it plugged into a backup thermostat (on/off type) that will shut the whole thing down if your regular stat fails.

[kitedemon]

A failsafe is a great plan, especially with a rack. There are more than one post here about a pulled off probe that went unnoticed the results are catastrophic. A fail safe prevents all of this type of calamity.

Hosted on Fotki

Racks need warm rooms to work well. When a rack is in a cool space the typical methods fly out the window. My rack is in a cool space and I need hot side and cool side heaters but more than that upper and lower sets too as the top is very different than the bottom. I have a four probe rack but in the case of a prewired rack and that situation the heating would have to be completely re-done for a set up like mine.

[mattchibi]

So let me get this straight, kitedemon brought a lot of factors that may or may not have confused me a little more but also opened my eyes, because I think since we both live in Canada, we face the "cold room" epidemic.

In response to using racks in a warm room. I have a space heater that will heat up my small snake room to 80 in about an hour, I have yet to buy a thermostat for this heater because it actually has an on/off thermostat of its own. I have found it very effective for the time being and if I set it just a little lower than the temps I want, there is very little chance of overheating the room. That being said, I should probably get a t-stat for it.

Secondly, in response to how you two said I should set up this rack. I have two Herpstats at the moment, I bought them because I realized they would have to be bought sometime or another, I'll have multiple racks and incubators in the future, so they were just an investment. That being said, I plan on using my regular Herpstat for an Incubator down the road. I have a Herpstat ND that I will be using for this rack. So is this how I would setup all of it?

1) All of flexwatt from AP rack plugged into my Herpstat ND. Set the temps to 90 F.
2) Buy an on/off thermostat. Plug the Herpstat ND into the on/off thermostat. Set the temps to 100 F? (Wouldnt it be more cautious to set it to around 97?)
3) Make sure the temps at the back of the tubs are 90~, and that my space heater is keeping the front of the tubs at 80~.

This will 100% work? I am just anxious now as to whether or not I should even order that rack anymore. And I also thought that you could only plug in HEATING elements into thermostats. I didnt know you could plug a thermostat into another on/off thermostat.

So let me get this straight.. is this how it works: Both of the t-stat probes are directly on the flexwatt. The Herpstat ND will be telling the flexwatt to go to 90 F degrees. If for some reason the Herpstat probe falls off or malfunctions or goes above 90.. as soon as it hits 100, the on/off t-stat will turn everything off? And when will it turn the power back on? I dont really understand the concept LoL

[PitOnTheProwl]

So let me get this straight.. is this how it works: Both of the t-stat probes are directly on the flexwatt. The Herpstat ND will be telling the flexwatt to go to 90 F degrees. If for some reason the Herpstat probe falls off or malfunctions or goes above 90.. as soon as it hits 100, the on/off t-stat will turn everything off? And when will it turn the power back on? I dont really understand the concept LoL

You will have some temp loss but I would prolly set the safety to around 97 also.

The safety will cycle just like it would normally tuning off and on the faulty t-stat.

[mattchibi]

Hey guys,

Say I were to change my mind, and instead of a juvenile/hatchling rack from animal plastics, I am thinking of going with Boaphile's 15 quart sweater box racks & leaving my normal girl in her tank for the moment. The tubs are included which really cuts the costs down for me.

Would I still need a failsafe on/off t-stat? I am most likely getting the 8 x 15 qt tub rack, and putting my hatchlings in there. If all the tubs are the same size and heating is uniform throughout, would I still need the extra thermostat? Imo i believe just a herpstat would be fine for now, as I dont have $80 to spend on a ranco, but i could be wrong. I guess thats why I ask you professionals

[kitedemon]

There is always a chance to catch a probe on a tub or just pull the cord plain and simple if the probe moves off the heat you have a problem. I use failsafes on everything it makes me feel more secure at night. The temp of the fail safe will depend on the efficiencey of the heat set up. I use 100 in the rack because I loose about 3-4 degrees to the air and tub substrate so if it was set to 97 it would trip sometimes on a cool night when the heater is on more than usual. Try it when the rack arrives no set up is exactly the same.

My snake room is heated to about 69ºF my place is old and has seaweed 'insulation' in bags inside the walls 80º takes two 1600watt oil heaters running full blast 24/7 and just shy of a grand a power bill. I had to adapt everything to that reality. The rack is a pain in the butt. If I had the room it would be gone in a second. Your heater will likely work with the built in t-stat the concern is about the relitively poor quality of it some use a johnson or ranco to control them and some use the built in as a primary and something else as a failsafe. Just keep an eye on it and don't use too high a power unit so if it sticks on full bore it isn't scary hot.