Decent thermostat.

[Gio]

There's no reason to use the quotation marks around "lesser" in your reply - there's really no comparing the quality/safety differences between the two thermostats. I just asked a question as to why you chose one over the other for each specific application. It makes sense that you wouldn't want a light going on/off all of the time - it would drive me crazy too.

I do question, however, that a Hydrofarm will always fail in the OFF position. From what I know (without personal experience), it depends on which part of the thermostat fails as to which position it will fail in. Is this not true?

Thanks for your help!

No worries, I quoted "lesser" because a lot of the time the general assumption is that inexpensive means cheap, or doesn't work well.

I don't think I compared the quality and safety between the two thermostats did I? I said the Hydrofarm was keeping temps spot on as well as the Herpstat did. I don't think there is that much more to say, it is what it is. I own two Herpstats for a reason, but this was a nice discovery.

I'll reread the manuel, but I believe IF it fails, the whole thing is done. There are a lot of scenarios, but for another $31 you can attach a backup I guess.

The whole point of my post was my surprise at how well the less expensive unit kept temps, and I think there is some value to that because not everybody can afford a Herpstat. How often do you see new owners with no temp regulation?

We all make assumptions now and then, and maybe some felt my situation was different than it is. My basement can have very dramatic temp changes. In the summer the AC can drop temps down there even though I have covered all of the vents. There is no dimmer switch that will combat the associated ambient temp drops in the tank during that time, hence the Herpstat-I must control the lamp. The same can happen in the winter, with the heat or lack there of. Even though I have a large space heater, room temps can vary and I prefer to regulate total cage temps with the Herpstat.

Dimmer switch adjusting is a crapshoot in a setting like this. I don't have the time nor do I have the availability to be constantly regulating temps through trial and error using a dimmer when my room temps change. Also as previously mentioned, I use a night drop and with the Herpstat it happens automatically, every night, same temps, same times.



This whole topic got off track, though maybe through genuine concern, and that's OK, BUT, it's not the point of the original post.

The point was, and still is: If you need an inexpensive, yet consistent thermostat for a UTH, the Hydrofarm does well.