advice before buying a thermostat

Brently · 10-01-13, 09:10 AM

I am looking for some advice before I buy my thermostat. I have my eye on the spyder robotics herpstat II. I am finishing making an 8ftLx3ftHx2 1/2ftD wooden enclosure. I plan on buying a 160 watt RHP to mount on one end. I am curious if I will need both probes of the herpstat II? I am not sure if on the other end of the enclosure if I will need a heat mat or some sort of belly heat to keep a thermal gradient. I have never had an enclosure this size before. I keep the house around 75 in the summer and probably around 70 in the winter.

Will the RHP be able to appropriately heat that area or will I need supplemental heat on the cool side to keep it in range?

formica · 10-01-13, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brently

I am looking for some advice before I buy my thermostat. I have my eye on the spyder robotics herpstat II. I am finishing making an 8ftLx3ftHx2 1/2ftD wooden enclosure. I plan on buying a 160 watt RHP to mount on one end. I am curious if I will need both probes of the herpstat II? I am not sure if on the other end of the enclosure if I will need a heat mat or some sort of belly heat to keep a thermal gradient. I have never had an enclosure this size before. I keep the house around 75 in the summer and probably around 70 in the winter.

Will the RHP be able to appropriately heat that area or will I need supplemental heat on the cool side to keep it in range?

there are allot of factors which can affect how much heat is distributed around the enclosure, with a 160W you should be able to heat it very well - however, it really depends where your basking spot is, where the panel is, and where the probe is, if for eg you are using the RHP to heat a spot on the floor of the enclosure, then the RHP will have to put out allot more heat to reach 2ft below, than if you where to heat an area just inches away from the RHP - if that makes sense?

What are you keeping in the enclosure, and how are you planning on setting up the panel?

theres no real way to know for sure until you try it out, get your warm end sorted with a good basking zone, then take measurements, and adjust if you need to, or add a heat mat if you need to, its the only way to know for sure, because every enclosure, room, house and climate is diffrent

Chris72 · 10-01-13, 09:22 AM

On an eight foot enclosure it can only help make your life easy to have two probes if you think you might ever have/need two heating devices.

Another factor is: will you ever be adding to your collection? If so the cost per probe should be considered.

If you find the 8 ft unit is truly stable on one heat source (probe) then you have a spare. If you might have a couple of new additions in the next year you could consider a herpstat-4 for optimal cost per probe. (On a high end unit)

.

Brently · 10-02-13, 07:42 AM

I appreciate the responses. No I don't plan on expanding the collection, at least not in any foreseeable future. I unfortunately don't have the time, knowledge, or resources to be able to have a lavish collection of herps. I believe I will go with the herpstat II and then get an RHP and just kind of see what and where is best to mount it for the hot side and then if I need to add a heat mat on the cool side then so be it.

Terranaut · 10-02-13, 09:20 AM

I tend to stay away from thermostat threads since a member on here tried to tell me I don't understand thermoregulation but anyway....I have a viv 1/2 that size using an 80watt rhp in a 73º room and my cool side sits just above ambient external temp. My guess is that you will be heating your cool side in the winter. Even with a 160watt panel the sidesand bottom on the cool side will be to far from the heat source.
Now if you insulate your enclosure the losses will be minimized.

HoldenC · 10-02-13, 02:40 PM

Wouldn't a height of 3 feet create a vertical temp gradient? You could install the RHP in the center of the enclosure and set the probe a couple inches off the ground. I can't imagine 160 watts not maintaining 80 degrees in a 8x3 wooden box, in a 70 degree room.

Just thinking out loud.\

Brently · 10-02-13, 02:45 PM

I forgot to mention earlier this enclosure is for a RTB.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terranaut

I tend to stay away from thermostat threads since a member on here tried to tell me I don't understand thermoregulation but anyway....I have a viv 1/2 that size using an 80watt rhp in a 73º room and my cool side sits just above ambient external temp. My guess is that you will be heating your cool side in the winter. Even with a 160watt panel the sidesand bottom on the cool side will be to far from the heat source.
Now if you insulate your enclosure the losses will be minimized.

Thank you for this information. Would you suggest using a heat mat/file watt/heat cable or something similar on the cool side with an adtitional probe? Or would another smaller RHP be something worth looking into and then just set the temp on that side to my desired temps?