thermostat for room heater?

snakekid6996 · 10-20-14, 07:33 PM

I want to use a small room heater to heat my room with the snakes for the winter. I want to keep the room around 75-80F. I'm a bit tight on money atm. I have a room heater now, but it doesn't have a built in thermostat. Would it be possible to use a hydrofarm thermostat with the room heater? or would that be dangerous? Is it worth a try or should I spend the extra $50 on a heater with a thermostat?

kwhitlock · 10-20-14, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snakekid6996

I want to use a small room heater to heat my room with the snakes for the winter. I want to keep the room around 75-80F. I'm a bit tight on money atm. I have a room heater now, but it doesn't have a built in thermostat. Would it be possible to use a hydrofarm thermostat with the room heater? or would that be dangerous? Is it worth a try or should I spend the extra $50 on a heater with a thermostat?

Check the wattage of the room heater vs the max wattage for the thermostat you plan to use. If you use one that isn't capable to handle to power of the heater bad things can happen.

toddnbecka · 10-20-14, 08:55 PM

Better to spend a little more on a heater with a thermostat than depend on an untested arrangement.

IW17 · 10-21-14, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddnbecka

Better to spend a little more on a heater with a thermostat than depend on an untested arrangement.

I would never trust a built in thermostat on a heater. Not for use in a room with animals. As far as using a hydrofarm, I've never looked into it. Honestly as long as your not overloading the unit, too many watts, I don't see an issue. Are you just trying to keep the temps up, or are you trying to use the room temps as your primary heat source?

snakekid6996 · 10-22-14, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IW17

I would never trust a built in thermostat on a heater. Not for use in a room with animals. As far as using a hydrofarm, I've never looked into it. Honestly as long as your not overloading the unit, too many watts, I don't see an issue. Are you just trying to keep the temps up, or are you trying to use the room temps as your primary heat source?

I'm trying to keep them temps up and use it as a primary heat source. The room drops onto the 50s in the winter.

mrgrimm · 10-21-14, 04:29 AM

If you could find a timer to plug it into that handles the current maybe that would be cheaper than a t-stat?

**millertime89** · 10-22-14, 02:23 PM

Don't trust the built-in t-stats on the heaters. Space heaters require very high output. These have 1000 watt output which will work for most heaters on low.
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/91...FWqCMgodPG4AVA

What I would do is get a smaller radiant heater as it doesn't dry out the room nearly as bad as a normal space heater. Something like this. It has 600 and 900 watt settings as well which my be sufficient.
Pelonis 1,500-Watt Electric Oil-Filled Radiant Portable Heater-HO-0218H at The Home Depot

Then a Dwyer t-stat from RBI which can handle 1500 watt output.
Dwyer Thermostat-Prewired: Reptile Products You Can Trust | Reptile Basics Inc

Edit: the other thing to consider is whether the wiring in your place can handle the output as well. I periodically pop fuses and have to reset them. Best way to avoid this becoming a major issue is to have the space heater on a separate circuit from as many other things as possible and always have the normal cage heating elements set up as a backup, just in case. I love using room heat but there are different challenges to consider as opposed to traditional cage-heat.

Zoo Nanny · 10-22-14, 04:44 PM

I bought two DeLonghi radiant heaters a few years ago when my furnace broke down. It was the middle of the winter, ice cold out and I had a house full of parrots and lizards. I was shocked at just well the heaters worked. Within a half hour the room temperature will reach a comfortable 70 f. This is an 11' by 17' room. I don't know how warm it will go as I've never tried it hotter. I set mine at low and midway. It has three settings of low, medium and high and a dial for each to set within the range. It cycles on and off to maintain the temp in the room with it's built in thermometer.

**millertime89** · 10-22-14, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoo Nanny

I bought two DeLonghi radiant heaters a few years ago when my furnace broke down. It was the middle of the winter, ice cold out and I had a house full of parrots and lizards. I was shocked at just well the heaters worked. Within a half hour the room temperature will reach a comfortable 70 f. This is an 11' by 17' room. I don't know how warm it will go as I've never tried it hotter. I set mine at low and midway. It has three settings of low, medium and high and a dial for each to set within the range. It cycles on and off to maintain the temp in the room with it's built in thermometer.

Radiant heaters are definitely the way to go for room heat.

snakekid6996 · 10-22-14, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoo Nanny

I bought two DeLonghi radiant heaters a few years ago when my furnace broke down. It was the middle of the winter, ice cold out and I had a house full of parrots and lizards. I was shocked at just well the heaters worked. Within a half hour the room temperature will reach a comfortable 70 f. This is an 11' by 17' room. I don't know how warm it will go as I've never tried it hotter. I set mine at low and midway. It has three settings of low, medium and high and a dial for each to set within the range. It cycles on and off to maintain the temp in the room with it's built in thermometer.

I have one but it doesn't have a thermostat I don't think. I need one with a thermostat that's reliable. I sometimes have to go a few days without being home. Also, most of the heat towers with thermostats I've seen say they have a built in 8 hour shut off timer. Does anyone know if this is optional or automatic? That wouldn't be good. I don't want to have to come home or get up every 8 hours to turn it back on

**millertime89** · 10-22-14, 09:00 PM

DO NOT USE THE BUILT IN T-STATS ON SPACE HEATERS.

Seriously. They're trash. I set one to ~78F and have seen swings from 75 to 91. If you use a simple on/off t-stat and just set the heater to the "on" position so that when it gets power it turns on you'll be set.