Boaphile ranco thermostats?

Hey guys, just wanted some opinions on the Boaphile ranco thermostats. I'm thinking about possibly getting one since it's $100 and you can plug in more than one heat source. Just wondering if others have had experience with it and what heat sources your using yours with. If I do decide to get it I'll be plugging in THG flexwatt and radiant heat panels after I upgrade from glass tanks to Proline cages and won't need the heat tape anymore. Thanks for all the help guys :)


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Ranco thermostats are single channel thermostats. This means they can only control one type of heat source at a time. If you plug in both THG heat tape and a RHP, one or both won't work properly.

Boaphile doesn't actually make ranchos, they just sell them. You can find them much cheaper elsewhere.

Rancos are high quality on/off style thermostats. They aren't as good as proportional thermostats, but they are about as close as you can get with an on/off style thermostat.

I have experience with Ranco, Herpstat, and Hydrofarm.

Herpstat is much better than Ranco in my opinion. And if you're paying $100, you can get a Herpstat for the same price.
Rancos are On/Off type of thermostat. This means that it turns on when your probe reads too cold and turns off when the probe reads too warm. It's just constantly turning on and off to maintain that temp. This can give you some inconsistent temp swings. The Ranco says it's a +/- 1 degree temp shift, but I'm pretty sure it does do a little more.

The Herpstat is a proportional type thermostat. This means it maintains a constant temp by regulating the power going into the heat tape.

You can plug a power strip to both a Ranco or Herpstat and connect multiple heating elements of the same size to.

Last time I looked online I saw word that Hydrofarm was discontinuing the standard thermostat most reptile keepers use from them...

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Originally Posted by satomi325

You can plug a power strip to both a Ranco or Herpstat and connect multiple heating elements of the same size to.

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But not of different types like OP wants too. (which I'm sure you know Satomi, just making sure things are clear) The only thermostats on the market that can do that are the herpstat 2, herpstat 4, and the VE-300x2

Reptile basics sells Rancos for $63.99. Personally I would spend the extra $35 to get a herpstat intro, or better yet $45 to get a herpstat intro +.

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Originally Posted by Mephibosheth1

Last time I looked online I saw word that Hydrofarm was discontinuing the standard thermostat most reptile keepers use from them...

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That's probably a good thing. Hydrofarms are better than some of the junk out there, but they are still scraping the bottom. I have a couple that I mess around with and they are terrible. Inconsistent temperature readings, massive temperature fluctuations (well beyond the stated specs) And terrible build quality inside.

The only things that I have ever read about Ranco's, all involve problems and near fire... No thanks. I vote Herpstat.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

But not of different types like OP wants too. (which I'm sure you know Satomi, just making sure things are clear) The only thermostats on the market that can do that are the herpstat 2, herpstat 4, and the VE-300x2

Reptile basics sells Rancos for $63.99. Personally I would spend the extra $35 to get a herpstat intro, or better yet $45 to get a herpstat intro +.

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I thought she said she only wanted to use it for heat tape first. But when she switched to a RHP, she will only use the RHP.

So, she didn't mean both RHP and heat tape together on the same unit.

And using multiple strips of heat tape or RHP of the same wattage can be used on one Tstat unit.

Thanks for all the replies so far guys, and I won't be using heat tape and rhp's at the same time plugged into the thermostat. First just heat tape then rhp's after that once I get rid of these glass tanks I won't need to heat tape anymore. Keep all the info coming pretty please. :)


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by satomi325

I have experience with Ranco, Herpstat, and Hydrofarm.

Herpstat is much better than Ranco in my opinion. And if you're paying $100, you can get a Herpstat for the same price.
Rancos are On/Off type of thermostat. This means that it turns on when your probe reads too cold and turns off when the probe reads too warm. It's just constantly turning on and off to maintain that temp. This can give you some inconsistent temp swings. The Ranco says it's a +/- 1 degree temp shift, but I'm pretty sure it does do a little more.

The Herpstat is a proportional type thermostat. This means it maintains a constant temp by regulating the power going into the heat tape.

You can plug a power strip to both a Ranco or Herpstat and connect multiple heating elements of the same size to.

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I didn't know you could plug in a power strip to a Herpstat. How would the probe situation work since a Herpstat 1 only comes with one probe can the other one go probeless since it will be plugged into the thermostat.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

I didn't know you could plug in a power strip to a Herpstat. How would the probe situation work since a Herpstat 1 only comes with one probe can the other one go probeless since it will be plugged into the thermostat.


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Rancos also only have 1 probe. It's the same issue, you can only plug in identical heat sources, and even then it is risky. (too risky for me) The only time you can get around it is with multichannel thermostats like the herpstat 2 and the herpstat 4 that are literally 2 & 4 herpstat 1's crammed into 1 box.

Herpstat 1: 1 outlet and 1 probe, 1 temperature set

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...1.gif~original

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...3.gif~original

Herpstat 2: 2 outlets, 2 probes, 2 temperature sets

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...a.gif~original

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...0.gif~original

herpstat 4: 4 outlets, 4 probes, 4 temperature sets

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...b.gif~original

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...e.gif~original

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

I didn't know you could plug in a power strip to a Herpstat. How would the probe situation work since a Herpstat 1 only comes with one probe can the other one go probeless since it will be plugged into the thermostat.


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Its how people use racks or multiple heating elements on one thermostat. But you have to make sure the heating elements are exactly the same(same size/wattage) or this won't work.

Yes, one enclosure will have the probe to take temps. The second, third, etc enclosures will be probeless and using the first enclosure to regulate its heat since it should be the same.

This works well for heat tape. I don't have any experience with RHP, so I can't comment on it.

Ideally, you should use a thermostat that can regulate multiple enclosures individually, but a power strip works too.



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Quote:

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Originally Posted by satomi325

Its how people use racks or multiple heating elements on one thermostat. But you have to make sure the heating elements are exactly the same(same size/wattage) or this won't work.

Yes, one enclosure will have the probe to take temps. The second, third, etc enclosures will be probeless and using the first enclosure to regulate its heat since it should be the same.

This works well for heat tape. I don't have any experience with RHP, so I can't comment on it.

Ideally, you should use a thermostat that can regulate multiple enclosures individually, but a power strip works too.



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Thanks so much for the info, I'll probably end up going with a Herpstat 2 or VE-300x2, there are just so many different thermostats I like to learn about them all first :) but I'd love to hear even more about the ranco though.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

Thanks so much for the info, I'll probably end up going with a Herpstat 2 or VE-300x2, there are just so many different thermostats I like to learn about them all first :) but I'd love to hear even more about the ranco though.


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Have you talked to Bob at Pro-Products yet?

If you are going the Pro-Line route, Ed and Bob will probably set pretty well for one heat source. Your RHP. Bob is the man to talk to, and chances are you will only need one heat source unless you have a unique situation.

As far as Stats go.

Aaron (Serpent Merchant) pointed me in the Herpstat direction from day one. I think it's probably the best purchase I've made. So much so I bought another one when I got my BC.

Good for you for researching like this. You will be dialed in when you are ready.

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Originally Posted by Gio

Have you talked to Bob at Pro-Products yet?

If you are going the Pro-Line route, Ed and Bob will probably set pretty well for one heat source. Your RHP. Bob is the man to talk to, and chances are you will only need one heat source unless you have a unique situation.

As far as Stats go.

Aaron (Serpent Merchant) pointed me in the Herpstat direction from day one. I think it's probably the best purchase I've made. So much so I bought another one when I got my BC.

Good for you for researching like this. You will be dialed in when you are ready.

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That's exactly the route I'm going :) I'll only need the rhp to keep the Proline cage heated properly I've just been wondering what would be the best thermostat for rhp's and heat tape. I've heard that rhp's don't really need a proportional thermostat and will work just as well with an on/off so that's why I'm still looking around and researching them all. And trying to get as many opinions as I can :) Bob says that any thermostat will work with his rhp's so that leaves a lot to look through.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

That's probably a good thing. Hydrofarms are better than some of the junk out there, but they are still scraping the bottom. I have a couple that I mess around with and they are terrible. Inconsistent temperature readings, massive temperature fluctuations (well beyond the stated specs) And terrible build quality inside.

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Are there other affordable options available for novice herpers?? I know most of the people I talked with before I got Mycroft didn't mention thermostats, so my parents freaked out when they heard I would need a thermostat for the UTH

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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

That's exactly the route I'm going :) I'll only need the rhp to keep the Proline cage heated properly I've just been wondering what would be the best thermostat for rhp's and heat tape. I've heard that rhp's don't really need a proportional thermostat and will work just as well with an on/off so that's why I'm still looking around and researching them all. And trying to get as many opinions as I can :) Bob says that any thermostat will work with his rhp's so that leaves a lot to look through.


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A proportional thermostat will produce more accurate/stable temperatures in a cage vs a on/off style thermostat. The only time that a on/off style thermostat works better than a proportional thermostat is with heat sources like mercury vapor lamps that cannot be dimmed. These heat sources must be powered by 120 volt AC and usually require some sort of electronic ballast to regulate the power flow.

The other thing to consider in a thermostat is what safety features it has. Most on/off thermostats like hydrofarms/rancos don't have any. They have to way to detect if a heat source has failed or if a probe is no longer functioning. They also lack the ability to handle errors. A Herpstat on the other hand has multiple layers of safety. It has a mechanical device inside that can cut all power going to heat sources in the case of an error to prevent overheating/fire. It also has software to detect if a heat source has failed or if a probe has failed. In any error situation a herpstat will emit an audible alarm and in certain cases deal with them.

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Originally Posted by Mephibosheth1

Are there other affordable options available for novice herpers?? I know most of the people I talked with before I got Mycroft didn't mention thermostats, so my parents freaked out when they heard I would need a thermostat for the UTH

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In that price range there really isn't anything good. You have the zoo-med/exoterra thermostats that are junk. The hydrofarm is probably the best at its price point but that really isn't saying much. These devices aren't cheap to properly design/manufacture. Personally I view the herpstat intro + to be a really good deal for what you are getting. From an electrical engineering perspective I can see how complex of a device it is and I am all too aware how much time/effort goes into a product like that. I also know from working in the electronics industry how expensive high quality low volume manufacturing is. From my perspective as a reptile keeper I can see how important a good thermostat is, for a number of reasons. I listed a few in my post above. All that said I can see how somebody looking in from the outside wouldn't understand why a good thermostat costs so much, or why it is worth the price, especially when parents/others who aren't a part of the hobby are involved in the decision process.

I do think however that improvements can be made on the budget thermostats. They would need to cost a little more for development and higher quality components/manufacturing, but could still be kept reasonable. For instance the rancho thermostat that this thread is about was designed for the AC/heating industry and industrial manufacturing. It's designed to handle far more power than most reptile keepers will ever need and is built to withstand conditions that a reptile keeper will never need it to. These things add cost for no added value to us. I think that a high quality on/off thermostat could be manufactured in low volume in the $40-$60 range.

Thanks for all the really detailed posts guys keep them coming please :) i think threads like this should last for quite a while since thermostats are the most important tool you need and there are so many to choose from so why not talk about them in great detail.


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I have herpstats and rancos. The herpstats are better but more expensive. My rancos work fine and keep temps very well. The ones that I have, have been in use for 8 years. I have never had an issue with them. I paid 65 each for them and bought them prewired. The only thing I wouldn't recommend them for is an incubator.

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I started with Rancos and I've thrown away more then I can remember at this point. In my experience most last a couple years and then start giving error messages. I've replaced them all with Herpstats.

Personal opinion is that they are horrible. I've had several of them, all dead now. Some of them took some of my snakes with them when they died. I will never own another Ranco.

I have used both Ranco and Johnson thermostats successfully with both tubs and tanks. I have upgraded to Herpstats over the years because I like the proportional ones. I do still use a Ranco to run the space heater in my Reptile room. The thing to remember is this, the Ranco and Johnson thermostats were designed for more industrial and commercial type heating and air conditioning applications in mind, we have only adapted them to reptile applications. And, in most cases, they perform well. But, as with most anything mechanical or electrical, there is always a chance for failure. I know there are several people who use them as back-up thermostats for their primary thermostats, which are proportional.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Personal opinion is that they are horrible. I've had several of them, all dead now. Some of them took some of my snakes with them when they died. I will never own another Ranco.

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Man I'm really sorry that happened to you and your snakes :(


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

Man I'm really sorry that happened to you and your snakes :(


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Yeah it's terrible when that happens especially when it's due to the failure of a piece of equipment. I know I'm not the only one around here who's lost animals due to a ranco failure, there was a thread about it here some time ago and I remember that there were a few others with similar experiences. Funny thing is that I've also got several Johnson thermostats (which are very close to the same thing) which I got about the same time and THEY are all still working just fine. It's NOT just because we're using them in a way they weren't intended for, I really believe that the Ranco's are just an inferior product.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Yeah it's terrible when that happens especially when it's due to the failure of a piece of equipment. I know I'm not the only one around here who's lost animals due to a ranco failure, there was a thread about it here some time ago and I remember that there were a few others with similar experiences. Funny thing is that I've also got several Johnson thermostats (which are very close to the same thing) which I got about the same time and THEY are all still working just fine. It's NOT just because we're using them in a way they weren't intended for, I really believe that the Ranco's are just an inferior product.

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Oh wow that's so interesting. That those two thermostats are so similar but one performs better than the other. Definitely questionable mechanics on the ranco side. And after hearing everyone's replies I can agree with you that the rancos are an inferior product. Maybe not for industrial use but for us hobbyist a gamble.


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For that price you can get a refurb herpstat in ebay

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Originally Posted by bigt0006

For that price you can get a refurb herpstat in ebay

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I know, I almost got one recently! Someone was selling a discontinued Herpstat 2 and it had gotten up to $95 on the last day but someone had an automatic bid on it or something and got it for $115. Ugh I was so pissed! >.< but I'm on the look out for one. I'll probably just get a new one off the SR site but hey might as well try to find a good deal for one first. If I could save $100 bucks why not try and save $100 bucks. Oh and if you see anymore before I do let me know :)


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http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/08/5ytapeqe.jpg

Last one they guy had 65 a month or 2 ago

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I wouldn't run a "refurbed" anything.................... just my 2cents

Its factory refurbished

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Yeah it's terrible when that happens especially when it's due to the failure of a piece of equipment. I know I'm not the only one around here who's lost animals due to a ranco failure, there was a thread about it here some time ago and I remember that there were a few others with similar experiences. Funny thing is that I've also got several Johnson thermostats (which are very close to the same thing) which I got about the same time and THEY are all still working just fine. It's NOT just because we're using them in a way they weren't intended for, I really believe that the Ranco's are just an inferior product.

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Please dont take this the wrong way, I dont mean it as an attack at all, but I feel like this is worth mentioning.

This reason is exactly why the frequency neglected topic of minimum neccicary wattage is so important. Thermostats fail. Some brands/types more then others. Some have safety features, some dont. The best safety measure in the world is appropriate wattage. You want the smallest amount of heating output possible to still get the thermal gradients you need, and no more. In the event of thermostat failure, your animals are only mildly overheated, instead of dead. All my set ups are run on stats, and before any animals move in I know exactly how hot that setup can get unregulated, and it is never enough heat to kill anything. I dont know why no one ever talks about this, but I think its very important

Btw I learned this concept from the boaphile ;)

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Originally Posted by CryHavoc17

Please dont take this the wrong way, I dont mean it as an attack at all, but I feel like this is worth mentioning.

This reason is exactly why the frequency neglected topic of minimum neccicary wattage is so important. Thermostats fail. Some brands/types more then others. Some have safety features, some dont. The best safety measure in the world is appropriate wattage. You want the smallest amount of heating output possible to still get the thermal gradients you need, and no more. In the event of thermostat failure, your animals are only mildly overheated, instead of dead. All my set ups are run on stats, and before any animals move in I know exactly how hot that setup can get unregulated, and it is never enough heat to kill anything. I dont know why no one ever talks about this, but I think its very important

Btw I learned this concept from the boaphile ;)

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You're assuming that the animals died because they were overheated. That did happen one time, but another time I actually lost animals because the thermostat failed a day after feeding. A couple of the snakes that were digesting their meal suddenly had NO heat and the half digested food started to rot and they bloated up and died. One time they did overheat, because there was suddenly no regulation of the temperature and the heat tape was going at full speed. However, I don't know where you get this heat tape, but the only kind that was available to me and most other people at that time only came in two wattages. You could either get flex watt heat tape at 10 watts per foot or the wider stuff at 20 watts per foot there were no other choices available. (and by the way, one of the snakes that died from bloat was in a boaphile rack)

I had never considered the possibility that no heat could be just as lethal as too much heat. That totally sucks man.

I know im significantly in the minority on this, but I really dont care for flexwatt at all for a number of reasons and view it more as a neccicary evil in some situations then an effective standard for heating. But then again I have significantly different husbandry standards then a lot of people. Its a luxury of having a smaller collection

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I agree that flexwatt has plenty of problems, but at the time that was the best thing available. The first rack I ever built was heated with hot water (Melanine shelves with a groove routed for 3/4" vinyl tubing that was hooked up to a small pump sitting in an aquarium that was heated with an aquarium heater. Hot water from the aquariumm was pumped up to the top shelf and drained back and forth through the rest of the shelves until it drained into the aquarium again) It actually worked pretty slick but I was never able to get it very hot. Worked okay for corn snakes though.