Thermostats?

[Kathleen]

I know there's a ton of topics out there on this subject but I got really overwhelmed wading through them and I thought I'd ask specifically about my situation. Sorry about the redundancy!

I have one juvenile ball python (Freddie!) in a 20 gallon long. There's a UTH on the hot side and a light fixture (60 watt red bulb) on the cool side. I have almost no issues keeping the cool side at about 82 degrees but I experience (minor but still...) fluctuations on the hot side.

I want to invest in a good thermostat (not a rheostat or dimmer). What kind would be best for my set-up? Is it possible/should I hook both the UTH and the light up to a thermostat? I am not savvy with electronic devices at all and I need all the advice I can get on this.

[SatanicIntention]

For the UTH, I would go with a Johnson or Ranco thermostat. They are very reliable and don't fluctuate all that much. I'm using a Johnson Controls right now to run my incubator

All you would need to do is plug the thermostat into the wall, plug the UTH into the thermostat, and secure the probe to the UTH using some foil tape(found at WalMart, $6). Set the thermostat to about 95, and using your digital thermometer, measure what temperature it gets inside the enclosure. Wait a few hours for it to stabilize and adjust the thermostat as needed.

Example: If it's 88 in the enclosure, bump up the thermostat 3-4 degrees and see what the temperature is in the enclosure in an hour. It's ok if the thermostat is set to 100 or more for you to get proper temps in the enclosure.

What you don't want to do is attach the thermostat probe INSIDE the cage. If your snake happens to spill water, this would cause the thermostat to bump the temps up since it thinks the enclosure is too cool. This can cause a hazard to your snake and he could get burned(it's a possibility, but it's there).

SO! Secure the probe to the UTH and you'll be good to go.

[starmom]

Yep, t'stats- lots of opinions. I would use a Helix. Others will suggest Herpstat. Then there is Johnson also. Just look at these products and choose the one that is most in your price range and will do what you need for now and in the future.

[Kathleen]

@SatanicIntention: Thanks for the in-depth reply.

@Starmom: Thanks for the reply.

I've seen a lot of people recommend Reptile Basics. Is this a good place to order a decent thermostat for a reasonable price or should I shop around?

Also, if my temperatures on the cool side are almost perfectly stable, should I worry about connecting the light fixture to a thermostat?

[nevohraalnavnoj]

@SatanicIntention: Thanks for the in-depth reply.

@Starmom: Thanks for the reply.

I've seen a lot of people recommend Reptile Basics. Is this a good place to order a decent thermostat for a reasonable price or should I shop around?

Also, if my temperatures on the cool side are almost perfectly stable, should I worry about connecting the light fixture to a thermostat?

reptilebasics.com is great! they come highly recommended.

If your temp in your house is stable enough where you know a 40 watt blue bulb, for example, will keep the cool side right where you want it then there should be no problems! The other thing you can do is put the cool side bulb on a rheostat (less expensive than a thermostat) and then have the hot side UTH on the thermostat. Or, if you really wanna throw some money at it, two thermostats won't hurt (but are probably not necessary). The hot side thermo is the important one.

JonV

[nevohraalnavnoj]

[QUOTE=Kathleen;792037]
I've seen a lot of people recommend Reptile Basics. Is this a good place to order a decent thermostat for a reasonable price or should I shop around?
QUOTE]

There isn't much variation in price on good thermostats, the only exception being if you can find them used (which is sometimes hard to do).

JonV

[td30]

The only way I was able to get my cool side (also ambient) temp to stay where I wanted it was to heat the room. I keep all my enclosures in a converted laundry room where is is easy to keep the ambient temp at about 82 with an oil filled heater on a johnson thermostat. This way I only have to worry about heating a hot spot in each enclosure with one thermostat for all of them. The rest of the room is the cool side. I know this may not work for a lot of folks, but just in case you have a open large closet or small room you could spare. Also, as I mentioned in another thread, I am a huge fan on the Herpstat (ND in particular).

[dr del]

Also, if my temperatures on the cool side are almost perfectly stable, should I worry about connecting the light fixture to a thermostat?

Hi,

Just a quick point on this. Don't connect a light to an on/off thermostat like the Ranco or the Johnson as the light turning on and off will not only drive you batty it will seriously reduce the lifespan of the bulb.

They can be connected to proportional thermostats though as those simply dim down the bulb - but I would also add an inline dimmer so that it can be slightly adjusted seperately to the UTH.


dr del

[Kathleen]

Thanks for all the replies.

Is that what a Helix is -- a good example of a proportional thermostat?

[dr del]

Hi,

Yep Helix and Herpstats are proportional - rich also has the manuals for them online so you can have a little read of the blurb too to see what each one is designed for.


dr del