Questions about heatpads/uth, heat bulbs and thermostats

mysticmoon · 02-25-16, 06:03 PM

So I have a bit of an issue. My house is very hot, and my parents don't run the air conditioner. Also I'm not allowed to adjust the temp. It is consistently 80 degrees in my house, and drops to about 78 at night. As a result if I leave my under tank heaters on the temperatures inside the tanks reach about 90-95 degrees, which is too hot. I have a Sinaloan Milk Snake and 3 Rosy Boas, and all spend most of their time on the cool side of their tanks. Because it's been so hot I turned off all the heat pads for now and I am planning to order some thermostat add ons. My questions are:

What is the best/most affordable thermostat for heat pads?

How do you heat your snakes and why?

Will my snakes be okay and live healthily with just an under tank heater?

Do snakes need a constant "warmth" source or will they be okay with no warmth and just a room temperature of around 80 degrees?
(I am curious because since most snakes are nocturnal, wouldn't this mean that they never come into contact with any real warmth in the wild?)

Are heat lamps/ceramic heat emitters better for snakes?
(I've used heat lamps in the past, but they burn out so fast that I stopped. Also my snakes never spent much time underneath them, now I realize that they were probably too warm.)

Do heat lamps require thermostats too?

~~~

Sorry, lots of questions. Thank you for reading

jpsteele80 · 02-25-16, 06:15 PM

1. Cheapest temp control is a rheostat (or how ever you spell it) but you will need a temp gun to measure

2. I only use RHP's because i think its the most beneficial way to heat your snake

3. Yeah you snake will most likely be ok with only a UTH, better than a bulb drying out the air

4. Yes snakes need constant warmth, they are cold blooded but a room temp of 80 degrees will suit most snakes just fine unless you have a burm or something that might need a smidge more heat than that.

5. Heat lamps suck, stay away from them and yes a heat lamp will need a dimmeron it to control the heat.

macandchz · 02-25-16, 06:52 PM

dear mysticmoon i only use uth and my snake has done fine with it.

mysticmoon · 02-25-16, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

1. Cheapest temp control is a rheostat (or how ever you spell it) but you will need a temp gun to measure

2. I only use RHP's because i think its the most beneficial way to heat your snake

3. Yeah you snake will most likely be ok with only a UTH, better than a bulb drying out the air

4. Yes snakes need constant warmth, they are cold blooded but a room temp of 80 degrees will suit most snakes just fine unless you have a burm or something that might need a smidge more heat than that.

5. Heat lamps suck, stay away from them and yes a heat lamp will need a dimmeron it to control the heat.

Thank you for answering all my questions, I really appreciate it.
Also, what is an RHP, and what is the difference between a rheostat and a thermostat?

mysticmoon · 02-25-16, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macandchz

dear mysticmoon i only use uth and my snake has done fine with it.

Thanks for the feedback macandchz

jpsteele80 · 02-25-16, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysticmoon

Thank you for answering all my questions, I really appreciate it.
Also, what is an RHP, and what is the difference between a rheostat and a thermostat?

No problem, but those are just my views and you should see what others have to say but pretty much everyone will tell you to stay away from heat bulbs. A RHP is a radiant heat panel and a rheostat and thermostat are pretty much kinda the same thing

mysticmoon · 02-25-16, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

No problem, but those are just my views and you should see what others have to say but pretty much everyone will tell you to stay away from heat bulbs. A RHP is a radiant heat panel and a rheostat and thermostat are pretty much kinda the same thing

Good to know, thanks again

**EL Ziggy** · 02-25-16, 08:26 PM

I agree that most snakes need an external heat source that's regulated by a thermostat. I believe rhps are the most efficient heat source but uths, che's, and even heat bulbs can be used if done properly. I use uths for all my snakes and I boost the ambient temps for my carpets with red heat bulbs on a dimmer. I'll be switching to rhps when I upgrade their enclosures. I prefer ultratherm uths and as far as reasonably priced thermostats go, I like hydrofarms.

Ultratherm Heat Pads

Amazon.com : Jump Start MTPRTC, Digital ETL-Certified Heat Mat Thermostat for Seed Germination, Reptiles and Brewing : Plant Germination Heating Mats : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Albert Clark · 02-26-16, 05:04 AM

Rheostats are a heating control unit that is basically a on , off type. Meaning it powers the heating device you have but after several minutes the rheostat shuts off , then restarts. Thermostats have a proportional setting where they power a heating device continuously. Most thermostats can be used in a dimming mode as well.

DollysMom · 02-26-16, 07:38 AM

Inexpensive thermostats are usually on off. The popular, at least here in the US, Hydrofarm Jump Start thermostat is on off. It works well with UTH. I believe all the Herpstats and the more expensive VEs are proportional thermostats. Proportional thermostats are more expensive. Rheostats are basically lamp dimmers. They can be used to control lights, UTH, CHE. They do it by limiting the amount of electricity going to the device. Another name for a rheostat is a variable resistor (the electronic part that makes the rheostat work). It does not give exact temperature control because it does not account for changes in ambient temperature. All of the above have their places. Always check that the thermostat or rheostat is appropriate for the wattage of what you are attaching to it.

Added info: I forgot to mention that thermostats will have a temperature sensor or probe of some sort. A rheostat will not.

jpsteele80 · 02-26-16, 08:12 AM

If you can afford it my fried just get a herpstat and an rhp, you can't go wrong with those just set the probe in the spot you want it and set the temps on the controller and walk away and let it do all the work

Nightflight99 · 02-26-16, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DollysMom

Inexpensive thermostats are usually on off. The popular, at least here in the US, Hydrofarm Jump Start thermostat is on off. It works well with UTH. I believe all the Herpstats and the more expensive VEs are proportional thermostats. Proportional thermostats are more expensive. Rheostats are basically lamp dimmers. They can be used to control lights, UTH, CHE. They do it by limiting the amount of electricity going to the device. Another name for a rheostat is a variable resistor (the electronic part that makes the rheostat work). It does not give exact temperature control because it does not account for changes in ambient temperature. All of the above have their places. Always check that the thermostat or rheostat is appropriate for the wattage of what you are attaching to it.

Added info: I forgot to mention that thermostats will have a temperature sensor or probe of some sort. A rheostat will not.

This hits the nail on the hat. A rheostat will never make any adjustments to the setting (and thus won't ever turn on/off), whereas a thermostat will automatically adjust the temperature, using the setting as its reference point. Proportional thermostats are more expensive, but they also adjust the output many times per second, whereas a cheap on/off-thermostat simply turns the output on or off.

DollysMom · 02-26-16, 02:29 PM

Thanks Nightflight99. I appreciate your expanding and clarifying a few of my points.

eminart · 02-26-16, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Rheostats are a heating control unit that is basically a on , off type. Meaning it powers the heating device you have but after several minutes the rheostat shuts off , then restarts. Thermostats have a proportional setting where they power a heating device continuously. Most thermostats can be used in a dimming mode as well.

A rheostat, at least the type I'm familiar with, is simply a manual dimmer switch. It reduces power to your device to make it cooler. So, you have to use thermometer or temp gun to get it set right. Obviously, the temps on these will fluctuate with the temps in your house. For most basic reptile care, a few degrees up and down isn't a big deal.

But, there are two type of thermostats that do what Albert has mentioned above. One simply shuts off when it reaches the desired temp (or a couple of degrees above), then comes back on when the temps drop below the desired setting. These types of thermostats fluctuate a bit more than the much more expensive "proportional" or "dimming" type thermostats. Proportional t-stats reduce power to your device when it reaches a certain temp and adds power when it drops too low. This is the same theory as a rheostat, except these thermostats do it automatically. They're much more accurate and fine-tuned, and come with the price tag to prove it. They're nice, but not really needed for the average keeper with a couple of snakes.

*Edit* I should have read further. I see Nightflight already covered this.

mysticmoon · 02-26-16, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DollysMom

Inexpensive thermostats are usually on off. The popular, at least here in the US, Hydrofarm Jump Start thermostat is on off. It works well with UTH. I believe all the Herpstats and the more expensive VEs are proportional thermostats. Proportional thermostats are more expensive. Rheostats are basically lamp dimmers. They can be used to control lights, UTH, CHE. They do it by limiting the amount of electricity going to the device. Another name for a rheostat is a variable resistor (the electronic part that makes the rheostat work). It does not give exact temperature control because it does not account for changes in ambient temperature. All of the above have their places. Always check that the thermostat or rheostat is appropriate for the wattage of what you are attaching to it.

Added info: I forgot to mention that thermostats will have a temperature sensor or probe of some sort. A rheostat will not.

Thank you DollysMom! Very clear explanation. Funny you mentioned the Jump Start thermostat, I found it on Amazon a few nights ago and will be ordering some soon.

Thank you as well to everyone who answered, it is much appreciated and now I feel that I have a better understanding. I decided to stick with under tank heaters and am ordering some Jump Start thermostats.
Amazon.com : Jump Start MTPRTC, Digital ETL-Certified Heat Mat Thermostat for Seed Germination, Reptiles and Brewing : Plant Germination Heating Mats : Patio, Lawn & Garden