Thermostats?

wanting to get a thermostat. My temps are beautiful, but the season will change soon and I am going to be put into a mental institution for obsessive monitoring. I just hate wasting anything, ESPECIALLY my money, so I wanted to be well advised before purchasing. My personal funding is pretty low right now, but you know, Jackson is my baby and if he's healthy and comfy I'm happy.
-How exactly do they work? (I don't mean electrically or technically, just what do I need to do with it?) Do they require an UTH or an over tank heat lamp?
-Is there a particular brand you would stay away from?
-Is there a particular brand that you really like? (Remember, I am a bit tight on the funds right now...)
-Is there anything else I ought to know about this...?
Thanks so much, any advice is appreciated!

Thermostats regulate the under tank heater to a specified temperature regardless of the room temps. They do this by using a temp probe to measure the temps and then gradually applying heat to your heating device. Now this is within reason, a UTH can only deal with so much temp difference in a certain room. This keeps the hot side temps where they should be at a nice steady temp. Some of the less expensive but proven brands are Ranco and Johnson. The more expensive proportional brands that have been proven reliable are Helix and Herpstat. I personally use Herpstats and have had great success with them. I can't comment specifically on the other brands besides what I've read from other herpers. Lastly, you should know that a thermostat is an important part of keeping herps. Your animals safety directly correlates to using a thermostat. Too cold or too hot can seriously impact the health of your snake.

Regards,

B

A thermostat will make you be able to set a desired temperature and it will make your UTH turn off when it reaches that temp. They range for $20 and higher. Amazon has a hydrofarm thermostat for a decent price and its digital. I will purchasing this exact one too

hydrofarm is great for the money i have one going right now but its just a stopgap mesure untill i can affored the ve-300....

Agreed hydrofarm works good for the money but ill be upgrading to something better like the ve-200 or 300 eventually.