Reptistats are garbage!!!

I use the 500R Thermostat and have had NO problems. only used on 2 vivs but it actually works well at keeping them at 2 different temps. I plugged in the UTH for the 2nd viv (which I wanted a 5 deg lower high temp than the other AFTER the first vivs temp raised 5 deg and it maintains the heat pretty well with NO need for adjustment

I use a Helix on my racks now, but still use the reptitemp 500R on a couple of setups. I really have had no problems with them. You could just have a bad one, that happens with Helix and Herpstat too at times. The only time i've had temps shoot up like that was when the probe came off of the heat source and it didn't shut off. That was my fault though.

Yeah, check probe placement first. If that wasn't the problem, I would see about taking it back and getting it replaced.
I personally don't trust the ZooMed thermostats, but it could be just a bias due to their making so many other questionable products.

im using the 500R on two cages right now. i have it on my chondro cage and its ok...just ok. for the ball setup im using a UTH and tried placing the probe directly on the UTH and can't get the temps high enough. tried again last night right after this happend and could only get the temps up to 84ish with the stat on full blast. it kept kicking off before it would reach any higher temp. so my probe is attached to the thermometer in the warm end of the tub. it was working great until last night. its working fine now. not sure why it did that. the probe was in the same place as before.

the biggest problem i have with them is the temp swing. it goes from 89 down to 85 before it kicks on again. thats too much IMO. correct me if im wrong but the proportional ones shouldn't have that kind of variance.

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Originally Posted by Lucas339

im using the 500R on two cages right now. i have it on my chondro cage and its ok...just ok. for the ball setup im using a UTH and tried placing the probe directly on the UTH and can't get the temps high enough. tried again last night right after this happend and could only get the temps up to 84ish with the stat on full blast. it kept kicking off before it would reach any higher temp. so my probe is attached to the thermometer in the warm end of the tub. it was working great until last night. its working fine now. not sure why it did that. the probe was in the same place as before.

the biggest problem i have with them is the temp swing. it goes from 89 down to 85 before it kicks on again. thats too much IMO. correct me if im wrong but the proportional ones shouldn't have that kind of variance.

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The heat pad itself might not be powerful enough to reach the temps you want it to, from the sounds of it. Id look at finding a better heating pad that can reach the temps you want it to.

You have to understand that in mass produced electronics, a certain amount of them will fail. The manufacturer tries to keep the number low, and some companies do better than others. But even the best, high-end electronics will have a failure rate.

It doesn't mean the thing is garbage. You were unlucky, and got a faulty one. It could happen with the most expensive thermostat you can buy.

It's important to replace it immediately though, because a faulty thermostat can be quite dangerous.

Proportional thermostats have far less varience than analog thermostats, and they make help the heating equipment last longer too.

when i put the probe in the warm spot i can get the temps right up. i have another on the way. a different kind though.