Zoomed Repti-Temp Rheostat

No no no no no no no

I used it before, and I had a temp spike over 100F. You're better off purchasing the ReptiTemp 500R thermostat that you can purchase at http://www.reptilesupply.com/

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

I used it before, and I had a temp spike over 100F. You're better off purchasing the ReptiTemp 500R thermostat that you can purchase at http://www.reptilesupply.com/

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Thanx everyone for the feedback/help.........;)

If you need some sort of temperature control in the meantime while you're waiting on a thermostat (which I'd highly recommend over a rheostat), you could at least save some money just by getting a regular rheostat (lamp dimmer) at Home Depot instead of spending extra for a "reptile rheostat". Lutron brand makes one for about $10 which is about half the price as the reptile ones I've seen.

It's a $20 lamp dimmer with worse quality than the $8 ones you find at Walmart. In my opinion (as owner of a ReptiTemp Rheostat, a ReptiTemp 500R Thermostat, and a Ranco Thermostat) your heat control is something that you need to "go big" or go home on. If you can't afford a $70 thermostat to ensure the well being of your snake, you can't afford to own a snake. I wouldn't even bother with the 500R though some people have had good luck with it (I'm not one of them).

If you add up what I have spent on heating expenses so far trying to "cheap it out": $20 for the rheostat, $30 for the 500R, and then $70 for the Ranco, I could have bought a Herpstat proportional thermostat from the get-go. With $10 left over!

That said, the Rheostat is better than nothing, but make sure you monitor it, because if the room temp changes, your in-cage temps are going to change because the rheostat doesn't adjust itself obviously.

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Originally Posted by Crawdad

It's a $20 lamp dimmer with worse quality than the $8 ones you find at Walmart. In my opinion (as owner of a ReptiTemp Rheostat, a ReptiTemp 500R Thermostat, and a Ranco Thermostat) your heat control is something that you need to "go big" or go home on. If you can't afford a $70 thermostat to ensure the well being of your snake, you can't afford to own a snake. I wouldn't even bother with the 500R though some people have had good luck with it (I'm not one of them).

If you add up what I have spent on heating expenses so far trying to "cheap it out": $20 for the rheostat, $30 for the 500R, and then $70 for the Ranco, I could have bought a Herpstat proportional thermostat from the get-go. With $10 left over!

That said, the Rheostat is better than nothing, but make sure you monitor it, because if the room temp changes, your in-cage temps are going to change because the rheostat doesn't adjust itself obviously.

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Thanx for the info...yeah I'm most likely going to get a Johnson or Ranco...and use a "dimmer" until i receive the Thermostat...going to have to order it online,cause I dont think(asked around) any local stores around here carry them(Johnso,or Ranco)...yeah sometimes trying to be a lil cheap will end up costing more....

I have herpstat made by spider robotics and helix. you get what you pay for. I started with a 500 r which broke over time. when your snake gets burned, its usually the thermostat that fails not the heat source. even with one snake buy good equipment, that snake should be around for years, buy something that will last.

My nob self bought one thinking it would control the heat on my UTH. It didn't, with the rheostats turned all the way down, it just took longer for the UTH to heat up to a 125 degrees! I returned it. Junk.

The above posters are right; thermostats are much more accurate than rheostats, but also much more expensive. I have been using rheostats for the past few years and have had no problems as long as I monitor the temps closely. (This is with the cages elevated a half inch above the UTH to allow oxygen flow.)

However, I would most certainly not trust the Zoomed rheostats. I use these:

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...g/Rheostat.jpg

$10 at Home Depot and more reliable than the more expensive Zoomed ones. ;)

A word of warning about cheap thermostats. I had two Repti-temp 500 thermostats fail within a month. I have also had two BAH-1000sc thermostats fail within a month. I used them to control flexwatt under 10 gallon aquariums for feeder insects for my lizards. I never put more than 100 watts through them. I don't know if it is just my bad luck, but I would never put my animals on a cheap thermostat. Spring for a Johnson Controls or a Ranco at least for your snake.

As far as rheostats go, they work in a pinch, but they are a pain in the butt. Make sure to check the temps a few times a day the entire time it is in use. Get one at a home improvement store instead of a pet store. You will spend less and get much better quality.