# Best Thermostats?



## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Can anyone tell me which are the best Thermostats to use for a Heat Mat please? At the moment i have an on/off one but not happy that it's keeping the temperature constant. I had read on here that a Dimming one is good but reading up on them the minimum load is 40w which a Heat Mat isn't :banghead: so don't know what to go for hence posting this post.


----------



## Blanny (Aug 14, 2009)

I got myself one of these (top one).


----------



## Wacky Dan (Aug 6, 2009)

To keep a constant temperature you need a pulse stat. They are more expensive than the mat stats but are defo worth the money.


----------



## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Blanny said:


> I got myself one of these (top one).




Thank you, so this is ok to use with a Heat Mat then?


----------



## smith86king (Oct 12, 2008)

ive got a mircoclimate one its a pluse stat cost me £25 the temps on the dial are a bit out but a bit of asjustment and checking with 2 therometers soon had it sorted out! 
Best bit of rep kit you can get a good stat!


----------



## Wacky Dan (Aug 6, 2009)

corny girl said:


> Thank you, so this is ok to use with a Heat Mat then?


Yes IMO it is the best stat for a mat, make sure you get a Habistat one though

I got mine from Metal_face on this forum his stats are cheaper than the shops, Check out his thread at

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/equipment-classifieds/299963-band-new-habistat-thermostats-cheap.html


----------



## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Wacky Dan said:


> Yes IMO it is the best stat for a mat, make sure you get a Habistat one though
> 
> I got mine from Metal_face on this forum his stats are cheaper than the shops, Check out his thread at
> 
> http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/equipment-classifieds/299963-band-new-habistat-thermostats-cheap.html



Thank you, i was looking at a Habistat pulse one on ebay, think it was £40 so will look into getting one now & keep the Komodo one i have as a spare for emergency use.


----------



## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Have ordered a Habistat Pulse Thermostat from ebay, it was only £37 including p+p, so well chuffed at that. Am looking at the temp in my tank at the moment & it's reading 25.9 in the warm end. I am definately not liking this on/off thermostat at all :2wallbang:. Can't wait for the new one to arrive now.


----------



## eeji (Feb 22, 2006)

i use microclimate pulse stats for my mats and cables and they keep a really good constant atemperature.

....is there any reason the above poster advises ONLY habistat?


----------



## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Well it arrived this morning (about 32 hours after ordering it!!!). Have put it in & set the dial to 28 degrees Celsius. The Thermometer in the warm end is reading 23.1 degrees Celsius, i can't understand it :gasp::gasp::gasp:. Can anyone explain why this is happening, my room temperature is higher than the thermometer is saying it is in the tank!!! When i feel the mat (which is on the underside of the tank it is barely warm). Oh it's on a tank that's housing 2 Corn Snakes.


----------



## adhamyo (Apr 28, 2009)

defo a pulse thermo stat. i use the b2 ministat its perfect for me


----------



## eeji (Feb 22, 2006)

ignore the markings on the thermostat and take your readings from the thermometers :2thumb:


----------



## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

What sort of thermometer are you using ( digital is best - dial ones are useless) and is it placed on the floor of the viv?


----------



## asm1006 (May 5, 2007)

Also where is your probe?

I would love pulse stats but hey ho have to make do with mat stats atm.

One thing I advise though is to have the type which has a screw like adjustment thing which you need a screwdriver or similar to alter. I have found the ones with a twisty knob thing can easily be turned up or down by snakes by accident. 

I agree, go by temp readings don't rely on thermostat measurements. Invest in a hand held thermometer gun type reader. Then you can measure exactly where you want to.

Remember they can fail (thermostats),I recently noticed one of mine had a tiny burn mark on it. Got hubby to replace it, as the unit was scorching.
He took it apart and somehow its transformers had burnt out-not good and fire risk.


----------



## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Thanks for replies guys. I have a normal dial thermometer & a digital one (both reading about the same temp). The Digital ones probe is sat on the substrate in the warm end. I got it off ebay, it has an in & out function to measure inside & outside temps so have it on the in one (maybe it should be on the out one? It doesn't say anything in the instructions). My thermostat box isn't inside the tank it's outside so the Snakes can't adjust it by accident.


----------



## asm1006 (May 5, 2007)

Thats cool, my hubby fitted mine in a viv stack and they are mounted on a wall of each viv.
Since then further developments of viv have inc. a cabinet for stats etc...lol
Not sure about the in/out probe. Try googling for n instruction sheet. Hun.x


----------



## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

corny girl said:


> Thanks for replies guys. I have a normal dial thermometer & a digital one (both reading about the same temp). The Digital ones probe is sat on the substrate in the warm end. *I got it off ebay, it has an in & out function to measure inside & outside temps so have it on the in one (maybe it should be on the out one? It doesn't say anything in the instructions).* My thermostat box isn't inside the tank it's outside so the Snakes can't adjust it by accident.


Makes no difference. I have these and put one probe in the warm end and one in the cool end - doesn't matter in or out - just basically two thermometers in one unit.


----------



## dusty cricket (May 5, 2009)

eeji said:


> i use microclimate pulse stats for my mats and cables and they keep a really good constant atemperature.
> 
> ....is there any reason the above poster advises ONLY habistat?


i feel like my habistats keep my vivs to a consistant temp, no moving at all, unless i spray the probe when watering.

i have 2 pulse habistats for the geckos and one for the incubator.

i have two microclimates also and the on - off one moves up and down by 3c but thats to be expected. however my pulsing microclimate is set to 27c, it shifts from 26.1c to 27.3c

i find that when compared to the habistat that won't budge on the temp that the microclimate is inferior.

when the tortoises are indoors pre hibernation, i use a habistat dimmer on a bulb to warm them up in the morning before i put them out.

habistat are great and if they ever break, they fix them for you for the price of postage.


----------



## Paul B (Apr 16, 2008)

I think we need to know how big the tank is and how big the heat mat is.
The probe should be firmly on the bottom of the tank above the heat mat and set to about 88f.
The thermometer also on the bottom of the tank.

if you sit the tank on a sheet of polystyrene there will be little heat loss to the cabinet it stands on.

P


----------



## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Paul B said:


> I think we need to know how big the tank is and how big the heat mat is.
> The probe should be firmly on the bottom of the tank above the heat mat and set to about 88f.
> The thermometer also on the bottom of the tank.
> 
> ...



Hi,

It's a large Faunarium tank 16"L, 10"W, 7"H, i have put card over most of the top to try to keep heat in. The heat mat is 6" x 11" & 7 watts. Is it worth covering the top in foil to reflect the heat back into the tank? I have bought a new 3' wooden Viv (Vivexotic one) but as the 2 Corns are only still (they are 2 & 3 months old) i don't really want to put them in that yet as they'd be lost (even though i have bought loads of bits to put in it (vines, plants & hides etc..).


----------



## corny girl (Aug 30, 2009)

Just found this online for the Thermometer i have. By the sound of this i should be using the out reading with the probe, in which case the reading is 29.5 degrees celsius.


Features & Functions:


The multifunction *LCD Electronic Domestic Thermometer and Clock *has Large LCD screen, easy to read!
This special *ELectronid Temperature Tester* has Inner and outer 2 way temperature testing!
Outer way adapts advanced temperature sensor to test body or food temperature
Inner way tests the indoor temperature
*Clock *display function with hour, minute display
Come with silicone suction to stick on wall, the *Electronic Thermodetector* is ideal for family use!
Technical parameter:


Power: 1 x LR44 cell battery included in
Temperature range: -50 Celsius to 70 Celsius
Accuracy: -/+ 0.1 Celsius
Size: 56*37*12 mm
Weight: 38g


----------

