Am I using my thermostat right?

[Drew]

Well I bought a Zoo Med Repti Temp 500r, I know I know, could have got a better model, but lets just put that aside, it was within my budget, which is small. Right now I have it set up in an empty container to try and get it to the right setting. I had it set in the middle like the instructions said and hooked up my heating pad. Temps hit 98 degrees and the light never turned off. I then turned the knob down closer to low, and the temp kept rising. I thought this thing was supposed to cycle on and off, but mine is still getting over 100 degrees without it cycling on and off...

What am I doing wrong?

[lillyorchid]

I'd ditch that since I've not heard anything good about that and buy a ranco and a piece of flexwatt. You can't go wrong with those!

[xdeus]

What am I doing wrong?

You're using a ZooMed Repti-Temp 500r.

It sounds like you just have a failed unit. There's not much to a thermostat other than plugging in the heat source, plugging the therm to an outlet, placing the probe, and setting the temp. If you did all that and it still won't cycle on and off, I'd return the unit and get a different one. Personally, I would get a rheostat before I trusted a cheap thermostat.

[JLC]

Gotta agree with Lawrence here. As you've already experienced, those t-stats are notorious for failure. But better to find it out in an empty tub, then have it fail after you've already put your buddy in there.


If you're stubborn ( ) you can just exchange it for another one...and keep trying them until you actually find a working unit. But I think you'd be much safer just getting your money back, and then going to Home Depot or Lowes and getting a lamp-dimmer-switch. You'll have to monitor your temps frequently and adjust as necessary...but in the meantime, you can save up for a more reliable t-stat like Johnson or Ranco.

[Drew]

Well I already returned it and I am looking at a better brand to buy, I get paid next weeek so it will be pretty soon when I buy it. The problem with the dimmer switch or rheostat is I am out of the apt a lot and the tempurature fluctuates a lot, for example yesterday it was 75 degrees outside and now it is 29, that cold front hit oklahoma hard, on another note I am looking forward to the 7-9 inches of snow we are supposed to get tomorrow.

Anyway back on topic, I dont have time to moniter the temps that closely so a ranco or somehting similiar is on the way, lesson learned

[6StringSamurai]

What are your opinions on the ESU 1000watt thermostat? Is it at least better than the Zoo Med Repti Temp 500r?

[J.Vandegrift]

The ESU 1000watt are pretty good for the price. I used those when I was first starting out. I never had any problems with them. I bought mine from Big Apple herps and it was called the BAH-1000 but it looks to be the same thing.

[tropheusfreak]

I bought the zoomed themostat to run 2 6ft sections of flexwatt until my herpstat pro and flexwatt order got here. Well mgreptiles took 2 months to ship my order so I got stuck using the zoomed for my female balls. I had it set up at 93 exactly in the tubs. Temp was good for 2 weeks then one day I was checking temps and the tubs were 128 degrees. No bad burns but two of my girls scales turned brown. I would spend the money and get a johnsons controls thermostat for around 70.00. I got the raw unit and wired my own stuff to it. I could of had some terrible burns. I put the zoomed in the garbage. Another thing the herpstat pro rocks spyder is awesome at what they do. I would highly recommend their therms any day.