what do you guys use to control heat in enclosures (cost efficient)

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Sam123

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Hey y'all since I will hopefully be picking up a new snake in the next month or so, I was gonna ask how do you guys control the hotspot heat without buying expensive reptile made thermostats? are then any cheaper options, and also ive heard about people using timers to control the heat, how does that work?

kind regards
-sam

p.s Just gonna add a photo I took a while ago cause why not
1-DSC_7603.JPG
(photo taken at Taronga zoo)
 
I much prefer using thermostats but I understand not everyone does :)
I use at atmostat, but tricky to use at first but got them all sorted now :)


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I much prefer using thermostats but I understand not everyone does :)
I use at atmostat, but tricky to use at first but got them all sorted now :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you dont mind me asking how much was the atmostat?
Kind regards
-sam
 
If you dont mind me asking how much was the atmostat?
Kind regards
-sam

Umm I think about $129... Maybe $149 the cost doesn't bother me :) I just want my guys happy and healthy
Which you can achieve without a thermostat but I prefer to use one :)

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If you don't want to use a thermostat, you can use a timer, but you will need to purchase an infra-red temp gun. Get a timer with 15 minute increments, and then use the temp gun to measure the temps, and play around with the timer settings to get your basking spot right. We use manual timers over the electronic ones, as I'm not sure how they go in the event of a blackout. With the manual ones, if the power goes off, they just start working again when the power comes back on.
 
Hey Sam,
If you have a decent sized enclosure you can adjust the output of your heating source so it provides an optimal temperature beneath it.
For example an 80w heat globe may need a thermostat to regulate temperature by turning the light on or off (or dimming depending upon the type of thermostat). Whereas a 60w heat source may provide a near to optimal temperature at the hot spot whilst operating constantly.
Having said that the animal should have enough space so it can move away from the heat if it wishes.
Benefits of a thermostat are that it protects against changes in ambient temperature. If your 60w heat source provides a good temperature today when it's 15 degrees outside will it be too hot when ambient hits 28 degrees?
There are pro's and cons to both but whatever you choose be sure to arm yourself with a reliable/accurate means to m,easure temperature until you are happy with the consistancy.
While temp variation is not as big a deal as many would have you believe these animals can cope with cool periods very well but if they are too hot with no means to escape it the outcome can be serious & be brought about quite quickly.
I use a combination of both depending upon the animal, enclosure type & if its an animal I'm trying to breed, (using temp changes to simulate winter)
Diamonds for example, as adults I use no thermostats, heat globes on a timer. The heat globe will give me a hot spot of between 32 & 37 depending upon the time of year but the animal can perch close to the heat if they wish or move further away to a cooler part of the enclosure if they prefer.
Yound Diamonds I provide a 24/7 hot spot of around 32/34 which is controlled by a thermostat.

If you do decide that a thermostat is the better option I would suggest that the price should not be a consideration if you value your animal. Many of the cheap brands have a high failure rate & when they fail they seem to fail in a full on mode overheating your animal which in a small enclosure with have devastating results.

This is all my personal opinion of course and based upon my experience. I'm sure there are others who do things differently. It's really up to you.
 
Ultimately, if you're inexperienced with this kind of stuff, a thermostat will remove most of the risks, so it may end up being the cheapest option over time. Mucking around with timers has risks too - it won't automatically maintain the correct temperatures during heatwaves - there will be a very significant risk of overheating if the heat source is managed by timer when ambient temps are very high, unless you're on hand to manage the temps directly. I have to say I've lost a couple of animals when I've been at work during days which were unseasonal and unexpectedly very hot, using globes and timers before reptile thermostats were even though of as routine controllers. Not worth the risk in my opinion.

And then there's the matter of Sam123 living in NSW - timers are all but unavailable here at the moment, as discussed on another thread recently.

Jamie
 
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That's true Jamie, and something that I neglected to mention. Heatwaves need to be managed when using timers. When we know the temp is going to be over 35, and we are going to work, we turn all timers off for the day. If we are at home, we judge the temps during the day.
 
Cage design is the best way to go. If you have a large enough cage the animal can escape from excess heat. You should be able to chose the right size heat source for the expected ambient temperature, but use the minimum required to achieve the hot spot. Thermostats and timers add to the risk as if they stick on the temperature can get too high or not work at all. If you spend the time calibrating the heat source to your enclosure so as to achieve the heat required without a thermostat or timer there is less things to go wrong. As a guide 15-20 watts of heat cord or mat, should heat a tile to about 32C, which is suitable for most pythons. If you put the heat source under one side of the tile you will get a gradient of heat across the tile so at some point it should be suitable. Globes are a lot more difficult as you have to allow for the air through which the heat must travel and the various ambient temperatures. The exact temperature is not that critical as long as the snake can escape excessive heat!
 
Simple plug in switching thermostats (the white ones you get from Ebay and despite being very cheap (about $10 a unit)) I've found them to be very robust and reliable and in over 8 years I've never had one fail or even looked like having an issue with one of these.
 
Over the years I have used many different stats but have settled on the Habistat brand. Their dimmers are excellent and their Pulse Proportionals the most accurate I have ever used. All my cages use habistat PP's for non light emitting heat sources including my incubators and their dimmers for light emitting, (these also extend the life of the globes considerably).
 
I'm a big Habistat fan, too. Some of mine are over 10 years old. They keep temps steady with less than 1 degree variation. It is a worthwhile investment that can be used in many different settings (incubator, heat mats, enclosure). I use the PPs and heat cord whenever possible for the most economical and reliable heating.
 
One of the best set ups I have had was in a tall tank was a basking shelf up high with a 150w heat globe running on a dimmer switch. By keeping the probe of a thermometer in the hot area it was easy to monitor and adjust with the dimmer. being an extremely large enclosure it could be 38 in the basking area and 18 in the bottom corner furthest from the heat.
 
Ok so all I use are light globes from woolies highest wattage they hay around 70watts, my enclosures are big enough to allow hot spot and cool area, no thermostat, easy as
 
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