Space heaters

Well cooler times are headed our/my way. I have been keeping careful eyes on tub temps and adjusting the heating/cooling of the house to provide the best temps.

I was just wondering if anybody recommends a certain oil filled heater for they're herp room.

Model names and numbers would be nice as well as where you aquired it. Hopefully this would be helpful to me and to other people in search of a good heater.

Thanks everybody!!

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

Well cooler times are headed our/my way. I have been keeping careful eyes on tub temps and adjusting the heating/cooling of the house to provide the best temps.

I was just wondering if anybody recommends a certain oil filled heater for they're herp room.

Model names and numbers would be nice as well as where you aquired it. Hopefully this would be helpful to me and to other people in search of a good heater.

Thanks everybody!!

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A necessity for any serious herp keeper! (most of the time ;) )

I run an oil-filled heater with a Ranco...keeps the ambient temps perfect year-round.

Where did you get yours at? Model? I've seen some of em with digital thermostats also.

Howd you set it up? Thermostat probe on the heater or suspended somewhere in the room?

Thanks for the reply!!!

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

A necessity for any serious herp keeper! (most of the time ;) )

I run an oil-filled heater with a Ranco...keeps the ambient temps perfect year-round.

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

Where did you get yours at? Model? I've seen some of em with digital thermostats also.

Howd you set it up? Thermostat probe on the heater or suspended somewhere in the room?

Thanks for the reply!!!

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You're thinking along the right track.

I think it is a basic Honeywell? oil-filled heater. Walmart and Target stock up on them in the fall so that'd be the best place to look.

I don't particularly trust "cheap" thermostats that come with the units, so what I do is I plug the Ranco into the wall, and the space heater into the Ranco. I turn the dial up on the space heater to about 75% on the 600w setting. I set the Ranco to 82 degrees and place the probe about 3' up the wall and mount in there. Works like a charm.

Can you use electric heaters? I'm having issues with temps now, also, and have decided to convert my downstairs bathroom into a herp room, and need some heat.

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Originally Posted by ChroniclesofYarnia

Can you use electric heaters? I'm having issues with temps now, also, and have decided to convert my downstairs bathroom into a herp room, and need some heat.

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The oil-filled heater is electric...it doesn't actually burn oil...its a sealed metal radiator looking thing and the oil helps it radiate the heat more efficiently.

Like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HZ70.../dp/B000BCEQ2A

but the one I have is just a basic unit...32.99 at wally world.

And also, I'd stay away from the "blower" type electric space heaters. They are basically a hair-dryer that sits on the floor. Dries out the air and seems like a huge fire-hazard.

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I run an oil-filled heater with a Ranco...keeps the ambient temps perfect year-round.[/

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Same here.

This is the heater I have http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B000JGCQRK

Yeah those blower ones really dry out the air. Hence the reason to get an oil filled.

The oil space heaters Brad mentioned are great, we have an issue with humidity here, in particular, a lack of it. So I sit a stainless steal pot with water in it on top of the space heater to add humidity to the room! :)

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

The oil space heaters Brad mentioned are great, we have an issue with humidity here, in particular, a lack of it. So I sit a stainless steal pot with water in it on top of the space heater to add humidity to the room! :)

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Great idea...I love old school :carrot:

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Originally Posted by lord jackel

Great idea...I love old school :carrot:

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It's not exactly high tech, but it works for us.... and costs nothing at the same time....LOL :)

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Originally Posted by Sputnik

It's not exactly high tech, but it works for us.... and costs nothing at the same time....LOL :)

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That is the reason I like it...too much "tech" is just more stuff to break down. :)

I plan to try your idea this year.

Yup, I'm looking to get a space heater soon as well. Gotta love those Colorado winters, and this will be the first one with two snakes. :)

Great info, everyone, thanks. So the oil-filled is the way to go and there's a unit for under 35 at WM? Great to hear! I can't afford those 50+ ones. Also, that idea with the pot of water is awesome! Saves from having to get a humidifier that just dries out fast and won't work. My question for that would be: is it safe to put the pot up there on the radiator part or are you putting it on the front where the heat isnt being put out directly? I'm really nervous about things melting and overheating and such. :)

I would think a metal pan on top would be your best bet.

I need to go get one of these things as soon as possible. I hate keeping the whole house so warm.

Does the one at walmart have a digital thermostat? I'm not too excited about having to use another thermostat with a space heater.

Or is anybody/everybody that's using that one having good luck with it?

Hi everyone, I am in Iowa and have been playing the electric heater game for about a month now. One thing I have found is that the thermostats on these units are totally unreliable. I have gone through three different units, the latest one is a $50 DeLonghi (a nice brand) with thermostat. Even it is off by up to 3 degrees, which can be quite a bit considering ambient cage temps are tied to ambient air temps. The problem is that the temp probe is in the housing next to the heating unit. So it always reads its own heat. Even if the heating coils aren't on it still reads the heat coming from the unit itself.

It became clear that I had to get an external thermostat, so I just ordered a Ranco from Rich at reptile basics today. I wanted to hook my Delonghi up to this one, but it has a safety where every time the power cuts it will NOT turn back on. This makes it impossible to use with external thermostats. (And I was also very surprised to find my room cold after the power went out early in the day and I didn't return until night).

I went to Wally world and got a $30 rotating ceramic Lasko model (the one with nothing digital). This one turns back on if the power gets cut, i.e. a thermostat is controlling it.

All in all my advice would be to get a very basic/analog heating unit (ceramic, radiator, micathermic, whatever) with a nice Ranco/Johnson thermostat controlling it. It probably cost me $100, but it will be worth it.

JonV