A good thermostat maintains a set temperature regardless of what the outside environment does. That's the whole point of having a thermostat. IMO the Repti-Temp barely even does that, not to mention the lack of safety features built it. If the fuse that turns the power on and off blows, the thermostat runs at full power. Not a very good scenario when live animals in confined spaces are involved...it's just a bad product overall. If you used one of the better thermostats for just a week, trust me, you'd agree.