# Reptile room heating



## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

Hi all

I have built a reptile room in my garage. Currently the temprature is good.
As this is the first winter since the room has been built I'm a bit worried about the colder times ahead. Currently all the vivs have heat matts and one of them has a spot light. Until recent that was all that was needed. I've now added a ceramic bulb in the room just increase the ambient temprature of the room drops. The ceramic is hanging from the roof in the direction of the vivs. It's only being used to bring the overall temp up.

I'm just wondering what is the best way to heat the room when things start to get real cold out side. Would a higher wattage ceramic bulb suffice or do I need to use something else? I'm really looking for something that won't cost the earth to run.

Oh the room is fully insulated using plaster board and celotex all round.


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## stevier (Feb 15, 2012)

oil filled portable radiators or largish tube heaters I would have thought, just a guess though


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## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

Oil filled rad sounds a good idea. I have thought about one my only concern is they are normally over 1000W running it day and night I may need to take out a mortgage.


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## XFile (Apr 13, 2008)

I'd have said some sort of oil filled radiator with thermastat - that way you can set a suitable room temperature without it getting to excessive and costing you a fortune..


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## GM123 (Nov 23, 2010)

iv got a frost protector in my reptile room. they are really good and only 400watts and £15 from screw fix


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## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

GM123 said:


> iv got a frost protector in my reptile room. they are really good and only 400watts and £15 from screw fix


I've not come across these. What does it do? How does it work?


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## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

Ignore that last post. I just googled it. 
Basically it's just a heater.


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## GM123 (Nov 23, 2010)

ye just a heater with thermostat. but more eiffisienbt than a radiator. and gives out loads of heat


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## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

Just worked out it would cost me just under £40 / month to run.
That is running all the time as im unable to take into account the cutting in and out from the thermostat. So should be well under the £40 mark. That's not bad to be fair


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## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

Compared to less than £95 a month for an oil filled radiator, again not taking into account the thermostat. 

I suppose the only question is which one is more efficient? 
The reason I say that is the radiator once warm stays warm meaning it will be using electricity. It will draw electric less often than the frost protector. The frost protector uses less but will be on more often. Does that make sense?


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

I don't know that it will be any more efficient than heating the room or not, but could you insulate the vivs? Slap a couple of pieces of celotex around them? If your reptile room is well insulated anyway, which I would assume it is, being a garage that has then had additional insulation put in, then it shouldn't be too bad to heat anyways, but this may be another option.

Another idea, do you have central heating in the house, and is the garage adjacent to the house? If so, and there is a radiator anywhere near the garage wall, you could just run a household radiator in there?

Dave


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## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

my_shed said:


> I don't know that it will be any more efficient than heating the room or not, but could you insulate the vivs? Slap a couple of pieces of celotex around them? If your reptile room is well insulated anyway, which I would assume it is, being a garage that has then had additional insulation put in, then it shouldn't be too bad to heat anyways, but this may be another option.
> 
> Another idea, do you have central heating in the house, and is the garage adjacent to the house? If so, and there is a radiator anywhere near the garage wall, you could just run a household radiator in there?
> 
> Dave


Yes it's well insulated including the roof and floor.

I don't have central heating :-( I have storage heater that I hate!


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## LeoBoris (Jul 21, 2012)

Donna w said:


> Oil filled rad sounds a good idea. I have thought about one my only concern is they are normally over 1000W running it day and night I may need to take out a mortgage.


Running one all through the winter, WILL blow a hole in the bank they are very expensive to run.

No way you can run a proper radiator if your garage is attached to your house? You'd just be adding another radiator to your boiler. This is more permanent option and the cheaper in the long run.


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## GM123 (Nov 23, 2010)

it dose. but if ur room is well insulated as mine is its fine. also what are u keeping? as iv only got snakes in mine wich are burmated over the winter so the temp can drop to about 50f


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## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

I have a breeding pair of leopard gecko's
Tortoise and frogs. So I need to keep the temps up if I can.


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

No boiler  my old man is pretty obsessive over getting the best economy out of just about everything, and he swears by oil filled rads, and halogen heaters. Halogen heaters are slightly more efficient but don't have thermostats, and the light could be an issue, so you're probably best off with a oil filled rad. 

Dave


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## Donna w (Jul 16, 2012)

my_shed said:


> No boiler  my old man is pretty obsessive over getting the best economy out of just about everything, and he swears by oil filled rads, and halogen heaters. Halogen heaters are slightly more efficient but don't have thermostats, and the light could be an issue, so you're probably best off with a oil filled rad.
> 
> Dave


I've found a small oil filled rad in the range for £15 it's only 600w so I might give this a go. It's also got a stat so this will help with the electric.


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