Rheostat/UTH question

So I finally got the AcuRite and measured the hot temp today. The UTH was getting up to 125F O_O

Well I got a rheostat to regulate it and my question is this: Should I turn the knob to Low or Med or High? And how long do you think it takes before it brings the temp to 93? As in how long should I wait till I turn the knob back down some or up some?

You only got a rheostat with 3 settings? That doesn't sound so good. I think your best bet is to get a thermostat as rheostats take a lot of adjustment.

You really just have to play with the rheostat and find what works for getting the correct temps. If it gets too hot, turn it down, if it gets too cool, turn it up.

Test it out. The UTHs can take up to an hour or so to get to their hottest, depending on the room conditions.

I would have told you to get the Lutron 300W lamp dimmer instead. It's cheaper, and works a lot better. Instead of getting the 3 settings, you have a slider for infinite control. I've heard stories of the rheostat (is it Zilla or ZooMed?) still not being cool enough even on the low setting.

The zoomed rheostat (which she might have) is fully adjustable but has little stickers that say "low", "medium" and "high"

Well its got more places I can put the knob, but those are the main ones. Its already bringing her temp down, but it seemed like the best value. Ive been home for about 20 minutes and its brought her temp from 125 to 120, but I have it still close to high. I just didnt know how long it would take before it 'set' the temp.


I didnt really like the dimmers because the ones I checked out that werent expensive didnt really have settings as much as you pushed the knob wherever and then checked it. I really wanted to get something that was made for UTH's and made for reptiles. I just felt it would be better.

Anyway, its a ZooMed, so yeah full adjustable. I have it sort of between Med and High and its brought her temp down, so I think I'll wait and hour and then see if I need to re-do it. If it doesnt work I can always take it back :)

I hope your bp wasn't on the 125 degrees... :O

No no, she wasnt. She hasnt been on it...pretty much since we moved a week ago. I dont think at the old place it worked that well because now when I touch it it really does feel that hot and even the other digital therm I have never read that high till now. She has been avoiding being on that side for a few weeks now and I never knew the UTH's could get that hot till I read a thread prob...yesterday? Where someone said theirs reached like 130ish. I was like holy cow! So I got the AcuRite today, measured, and about 5 minutes later went and got the rheostat. I just thought she didnt need the heat but when I fed her a few times and kept noticing she didnt used the heat to digest I knew something had to be wrong.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...-WH&lpage=none

Is this what youre talking about? The rheostat has it down to 105.1, but im not sure if it will go any lower, so tomorrow when Lowes is open I an pick this one up, if this is what you mean...and it will work :p

I did have the Lutron rheostat before my thermostat came in the mail. I tried it with my UTH and it worked pretty well. Without it, the temperature reached around 120 degrees. =P Anyway, the Lutron worked well but there was alot of tweaking..almost every other hour I was adjusting it. With alot of adjustment I could keep the temp where it needed to be.

do you have a heat lamp and uth on

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MsPrada

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...-WH&lpage=none

Is this what youre talking about? The rheostat has it down to 105.1, but im not sure if it will go any lower, so tomorrow when Lowes is open I an pick this one up, if this is what you mean...and it will work :p

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Yeah, that's it. Plug a light bulb into the dimmer first, so you know which way it adjusts. Everyone gets it backwards at first.

Lol! Well I went out and got it today and took the rheostat back. It dropped the temp to 100 but that was still too much. I have the Lutron plugged into the UTH right now, I have it in the middle to see where I need to get it for 93 degrees. Thanks for the suggestion!