UTH, Thermostat & Timer

Just curious if anyone runs a UTH with a timer. I am wondering if I would run the UTH into the Thermostat then the thermostat into the timer or UTH into the timer then into the thermostat. Or does it not matter? I want to set up a UTH in the cage I am building for my beardies that will kick on at night when the heat lamp is off.

You shouldn't need the timer if your thermostat is doing its job, theoretically. But since you asked the timer is first in that chain. UTH heaters take time to heat up (so I read) I would think a proportional thermostat with a night drop would be a better option. Trick the clock so that it runs warmer at night.

I am planning on getting a proportional thermostat sometime around the 1st when I get my next GI Bill payment. I am looking at a Herpstat 2 so I can run both my BP tubs and the beardie cage. I believe that thermostat has the night drop function. Until then I am just using hydrofarms. My reasoning behind the UTH only kicking on at night was just so that they have their basking heat in the daytime and then at night they will have a warm belly spot to curl up and sleep lol Thanks for the feedback :D

It will be fine to have both running during the day, then just the UTH at night.

The Herpstat 2's night drop functionality can do what you are talking about.

The only way you could hook up a timer into a thermostat is to have the timer plugged into the wall, then the thermostat plugged into that and finally the heat source plugged into the thermostat. (The timer relies on electricity to run so if it is plugged into the thermostat and not the wall it will stop working every time the thermostat reduces power going to the heat source)

You have to be careful as some thermostats don't retain their settings when the power is cut. So if a timer plugged into the wall snaps off the thermostat will turn back on with the factory default settings. Higher end thermostats like the Herpstat line don't have this issue but they have night drop functionality which does the same thing.

The timer would be pointless. If the heat lamp is shining in the same area as the uth is located the tstat would cut the power to the uth when the lamp is on because the spot would be warmed to the tstat setting. Then at night when the lamp cuts off the tstat would boost the uth to again create the correct temp. Keep it as simple as possible so you have less things that can break or go wrong. A timer would just be a waste and I can't imagine it would be good to be cutting the power to any tstat repeatedly.

The Herstat is a good choice. I just ordered the 4, I'm excited!

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Originally Posted by KMG

The timer would be pointless. If the heat lamp is shining in the same area as the uth is located the tstat would cut the power to the uth when the lamp is on because the spot would be warmed to the tstat setting. Then at night when the lamp cuts off the tstat would boost the uth to again create the correct temp. Keep it as simple as possible so you have less things that can break or go wrong. A timer would just be a waste and I can't imagine it would be good to be cutting the power to any tstat repeatedly.

The Herstat is a good choice. I just ordered the 4, I'm excited!

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You have a great point here. Thanks :o)

The nature of a thermostat if the temp is high it will turn off if not needed. There is a method to reduce the day temp points with a herpstat or herpkeeper although the ecozone it is not easy the ve and helix don't have the ability. The T-stat has a built in clock and a night drop this allows a night time decrease in temps. The issue I have and you do is I don't want the temp to drop at night, I want to lift it. If you use an interior probe placement this is not needed but if not as many do this works great. Set the night temp you need (my temp is a cool side temp and I use 85º to hold an 80º surface at night then the night drop to what the day temp should be (my example is a 5º night drop.) Then set the time on the herpstat to 8am when it is 8pm night drop starts in the morning (when you choose) and changes in the night 12 hours backwards. This way I can regulate the deep room temp drop I get over night to hold a normal fairly even temp all night and day. (FYI the ecozone uses network time so you can't easily alter the clock incorrectly it will self correct.)

I use interior probe placement for the hot side so it is always the same.