Tstat for Space Heater

[want_pet+snake]

My snakes will be shipped soon so I need to get the snake room ready for fall. I have a Spyder tstat for the flexwatt but I would like a second tstat for the oil filled space heater. It has 2 settings: 600w and 900w. I plan to set it on 600 unless I really need the extra warmth.. since the room is heated somewhat during fall/winter I wouldn't think it should need the 900w setting. Do you feel the hydrofarm tstat would be good enough for this? Have there been any issues with them sticking open?

[PitOnTheProwl]

In a word, NO.

http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermos...stat-prewired/

You want a stat made to handle the higher wattage continually.
I love my VEs but I wouldn't even try to run an oil filled heater on them.

[Raven01]

Does the heater not have its own built in t-stat?
I am assuming you are using it only to maintain a higher ambient temp so that your primary heating for snakes isn't overworked.
The T-stats on most space heaters aren't ideal but should be able to hold a 75-78 degree room etc if that is what you need.

[cory9oh4]

Im sure you could save money by purchasing a new space heater with a built in thermostat opposed to buying a new thermostat for your pre-owned space heater. There are a few on amazon that would heat a small room effectively for about $50 that have a built in thermostat.

http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-751320-C...ef=pd_sim_hg_4
or
http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-755320-C...ef=pd_sim_hg_3

[The Serpent Merchant]

Im sure you could save money by purchasing a new space heater with a built in thermostat opposed to buying a new thermostat for your pre-owned space heater. There are a few on amazon that would heat a small room effectively for about $50 that have a built in thermostat.

http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-751320-C...ef=pd_sim_hg_4
or
http://www.amazon.com/Lasko-755320-C...ef=pd_sim_hg_3

Those built in thermostats are complete junk. A high quality external thermostat is always the best way to go.

[cory9oh4]

Those built in thermostats are complete junk. A high quality external thermostat is always the best way to go.

You're right about them being the solid choice. However, the space heater I linked first does a perfect job at maintaining ambient temperature in a small room that is connected to my home and receives some heat from the home heating system. It's not like were talking about direct heat for the snakes, just ambient.

[MrLang]

I can't speak for where you live etc, but what I do is plastic shrink wrap the windows shut, keep my whole house at ~70, and run a hydrofarm tstat to a 300ish watt small fan powered space heater (like 1 foot across) and it runs maaaayyybe 20% of the time to keep the room at 75. I mount the probe near the middle of the room but out of the direct blast of the fan powered heat. It works like a charm and I believe it's pretty safe for what the stat is able to handle.

[want_pet+snake]

OK here's my new plan, please let me know if you see any flaws.

I'll order two hydrofarms rated for 1,000 watt and run the heater at 600 watts.

I will plug Tstat #1 into the wall and set it at 10 degrees above the desired room temperature.

I will plug tstat #2 into tstat number one and set it at the desired temperature.

I will plug the oil radiant heater into tstat #2.

If tstat number 2 fails open, tstat 1 should still cut the power at temperature that are higher than desired but pose no short term risk.

It seems like two hydrofarms would still be cheaper than one ranco and would be safer because the odds of two tstats failing open at the same time would be low?

[MrLang]

I may have a poor understanding of electrical loads, etc. but it seems like a perfectly viable plan to me.

[SlitherinSisters]

Those built in thermostats are complete junk. A high quality external thermostat is always the best way to go.

And the ceramic heaters are absolutely not meant to run non-stop. When I was reading the safety warnings on the one I use in our living room it says to only run for 6-8 hours. That wouldn't work in a snake room where it would be running every day as much as it needed. Oil heaters are fine left running all the time, they are almost completely metal, those ceramic ones are almost entirely plastic. Just a word of warning.