# Heating multiple vivs from 1 stat?



## goodwin1234 (Mar 23, 2008)

Hi everyone,

I've got a question that ive always wondered, just never bothered to ask :blush:

Now i know you can run more than one heat source (bulbs in my case) from one thermostat providing the combined wattage doesn't exceed the maximum load of the stat. However i dont understand how the temps would be stable with the stat only having 1 probe?

For example: Say i had 2 vivs identical, both vivs needing the same temps inside. Both vivs are at the correct temps, surely if i open one viv the temp will drop inside so the stat would switch the heat source back on in both vivs, then the second one would become too hot? Or if i opened the viv without the probe inside then the stat wouldnt notice the drop in temp and therefore wouldnt heat that viv back up sufficiently>?

I'm sure there is a simple answer but for the life of me i cant work it out? :lol2:

Cheers, Kieron


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## krazykayaker (May 28, 2008)

Although I know several people who do this. What if one heat mat, despite being the same make as the other plays up, breaks etc. if it was the one that the probe wasnt on, it could result in very hot or very cold reps.


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## guitarjon (Oct 18, 2008)

i didnt realise using just the one stat could power two heat mats or do you have to re-wire something? 


I have orderd a stat but havnt got it yet so I dont actually know what they look like.


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## SnakeBreeder (Mar 11, 2007)

I have a stack of 7 cages where the mats are controlled by one stat.
The probe is in the highest cage, which obviously is the warmest.
When that cage gets warm it turns off all the mats in the stack.
More snakes are damaged by too much heat in the UK and I keep snakes that prefer a slightly cooler setup in the lowest of the cages.
Stephen


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## blackdragon (Jun 27, 2008)

you do get a small difference in each viv due to heat rising, but i have not noticed any problems with opening doors ect as all the bulbs will dim the same as if they was one bulb so over time even with small up and downs from open doors ect you would still get a steady temp. with any heat and stat you still have to check the temps all the time to make sure they are where you want them to be.


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## Big D (Oct 23, 2008)

i tried this with my stack already had the stats so bought 2 identical heatmats to run 2 identical setups.... even though my stack has plenty of room around the rubs for ventillation i was recording a difference of up to 4 deg between the 2 rubs as they are above each other.....

the only thing i think makes a diference is if the reptile room is constantly heated, which mine isn't
i am maintaining a good heat gradiant across each rub as i am using a stat on every rub so in one way i guess the cost of the stats is in relation to keeping the room at a constant temperature......if i had lots of snakes in one room then i prob be more efficent to heat the room....

would anyone agree with that.


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## tina b (Oct 3, 2007)

i aslo run 5 vivs to each stat have done for years and never had a prob i always put the probe in middle viv where poss....there is a few degrees diff on the bottom viv but if you use a slightly higher buld or mat with a higher wattage it normally evens itself out: victory:


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## fixitsan (Apr 15, 2008)

tina b said:


> i aslo run 5 vivs to each stat have done for years and never had a prob i always put the probe in middle viv where poss....there is a few degrees diff on the bottom viv but if you use a slightly higher buld or mat with a higher wattage it normally evens itself out: victory:


Have you considered what could happen if the fuse for the mat in the probed rub fails ? Or if the mat itself fails ?
I know these are generally reliable items, but the chances are when it fails it will be in the rack you least want the disaster to occur in.

If the mat in the probed unit fails the controller imediately increases the output to the other mats to try to heat the probed rub and any animal in those rubs feel the heat.


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## snowyj99 (Feb 28, 2008)

And Im the silly bugger that has 8 vivs being used and i have a stat for each one even on my stack! :blush:


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## fixitsan (Apr 15, 2008)

snowyj99 said:


> And Im the silly bugger that has 8 vivs being used and i have a stat for each one even on my stack! :blush:


That translates, roughly, to you're the one who will only get minimal problems when 1 controller fails.

Imagine the message....
"Help I need a controller dead quick, it's midnight and my controller has packed up, but it runs 23 vivs and some of the species are going to die if they don't get warm"

3 hours later.....
"C'mon guys, if anyone has a spare hot water bottle my address is....

Where as, for you, if one controller fails you can take that animal out of the viv and put it in another with a divider, and go back to bed straight away !

Seriously though, it seems to me that what is lacking is a way to put multiple probes in multiple vivs, and run an alarm system which could detect if one mat, or mat's fuse, failed.

I saw some nice 4 channel controllers on eBay earlier this year sell for £72 each. They were industrial strength PID controllers, could switch 4 heat mats, and had overtemp and undertemp alarms on each channel. I wish I'ld bought them now !


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