Thermostat help

We're running some tests on coolers at work, and want to build our own environmental chamber to simulate desert conditions.

We'd build a fairly well-insulated box with both a heating element and a cooling element, so that we could have temperature fluctuations between 80-130 °F.

What I'm trying to track down is a method for automated temperature control. Does anyone here know if the thermostats used for reptile heating are worth looking at to make a controller mechanism for this environmental chamber?

I'm trying to imagine how the cooling element is controlled.. I sort of assume that all the thermostats designed for use with reptiles are designed to be used with heating elements and not cooling elements..

Wouldn't a house thermostat work? Since newer buildings control temperature by running heat and AC against each other simultaneously.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

We're running some tests on coolers at work, and want to build our own environmental chamber to simulate desert conditions.

We'd build a fairly well-insulated box with both a heating element and a cooling element, so that we could have temperature fluctuations between 80-130 °F.

What I'm trying to track down is a method for automated temperature control. Does anyone here know if the thermostats used for reptile heating are worth looking at to make a controller mechanism for this environmental chamber?

I'm trying to imagine how the cooling element is controlled.. I sort of assume that all the thermostats designed for use with reptiles are designed to be used with heating elements and not cooling elements..

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i think ranco has a heating and cooling feature on another model.
also i know a herpstat2 and pro both have a cooling feature

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Originally Posted by mrshawt

Wouldn't a house thermostat work? Since newer buildings control temperature by running heat and AC against each other simultaneously.

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Perhaps, but most do not go higher than 99 degrees, which is another issue.

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Originally Posted by nixer

i think ranco has a heating and cooling feature on another model.
also i know a herpstat2 and pro both have a cooling feature

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My Ranco has heating and cooling but you can only run one feature at a time to the best of my knowledge. You have to manually select heating or cooling mode.

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Originally Posted by DM1975

My Ranco has heating and cooling but you can only run one feature at a time to the best of my knowledge. You have to manually select heating or cooling mode.

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There's a ton of other Ranco models made though.


OP should look into seeing if they have one that can heat and cool in one mode.

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Originally Posted by Buttons

There's a ton of other Ranco models made though.


OP should look into seeing if they have one that can heat and cool in one mode.

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If they do that would be a good one to get. My Ranco thermostat is outstanding.

Just did some quick research about the Ranco Thermostats and found this....

**link removed**

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Stage Models and Inter-stage Temperatures

Their electronic temperature controllers may include both one and two stage models. On the two stage ETC’s, each of the stages can be set up independently from each other, therefore eliminating the unpleasant task of manually calculating inter-stage temperatures. The ETC two stage models can be set up with overlapping heating or cooling stages for a better configuration.

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It seems Ranco's 2 stage ETC can do heating AND cooling. :gj:

I used to have almost the same temps working with monitor lizards. I had 2 banks of heaters and a timer on one of the banks.
When the first bank was on it was a constant 85 degrees. When the second bank turned on it jumped to 120 on the hot side.
The timer i used was your basic wall plug in light timer from home depot.
It was simple and effective. And the thermostats i used were ranco.
:cool: