# Best UK Thermostats



## Marzipan (Dec 29, 2016)

Hi. 

I have been using an EVO LITE microclimate stat that I've only had for about a month, but it isn't working properly.  

I am using it for a heat mat at the moment but need to upgrade for my vivarium soon. What are the best thermostats available in the UK? Regardless of the price. I would also like more snakes in the future, I don't know if that factors in. 

Thank you!


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

Marzipan said:


> Hi.
> 
> I have been using an EVO LITE microclimate stat that I've only had for about a month, but it isn't working properly.
> 
> ...




You can send it back to them and they will repair it for next to nothing or free if it's in the warranty period . 


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## dcap (Sep 3, 2011)

once you've tried Habistat - you won't go back to any other brand


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

I couldn't choose between Habistat or Microclimate . I have about 12 of each . Both have a great repair and after service in my experience anyways .. 


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## Marzipan (Dec 29, 2016)

Zincubus said:


> You can send it back to them and they will repair it for next to nothing or free if it's in the warranty period .
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Yeah, the only issue is I bought it from Ebay and I'd need to spend time sending it back which would leave the snake without any thermostat at all (it does work, it just doesn't seem to be reaching the optimal temperatures and I usually have to turn it up by an extra 10 degrees for it to even reach 30, but sometimes that results in heatspikes and it's all a nightmare).

Decided to go with a £40 habistat one for the moment, might try and send it to be repaired though once the habistat arrives. Thanks people. :blush:


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

Marzipan said:


> Yeah, the only issue is I bought it from Ebay and I'd need to spend time sending it back which would leave the snake without any thermostat at all (it does work, it just doesn't seem to be reaching the optimal temperatures and I usually have to turn it up by an extra 10 degrees for it to even reach 30, but sometimes that results in heatspikes and it's all a nightmare).
> 
> Decided to go with a £40 habistat one for the moment, might try and send it to be repaired though once the habistat arrives. Thanks people. :blush:




There is a Microclimate stat available for about £20 in the shops ..

Is it called a mini stat or something .. I have a few and work perfectly .


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

dcap said:


> once you've tried Habistat - you won't go back to any other brand


Until they break out of warranty. I use both brands, but prefer Microclimate because of their much cheaper repair service.



Zincubus said:


> I couldn't choose between Habistat or Microclimate . I have about 12 of each . Both have a great repair and after service in my experience anyways ..
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Habistat charge £12 per stat to repair out of warranty. Microclimate on the other hand, charge only a fiver for P&P out of warranty, regardless of how many stats you send in one box. & you don't even need the receipt or proof of purchase.



Zincubus said:


> There is a Microclimate stat available for about £20 in the shops ..
> 
> Is it called a mini stat or something .. I have a few and work perfectly .
> 
> ...


This.


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## dcap (Sep 3, 2011)

@Marzipan - since the faulty one is a month old, send it back for refund, you have protection through eBay and PayPal for faulty products. Or directly to the manufacturer (they will possibly check the serial number, if it has one, to confirm it is UK stock though).

Enjoy your new Habistat - Blue Lizard Reptiles has good on-line prices. 

I personally avoid eBay for any electronics (especially if the seller is out of the country, some masquerade as being located in 'London').


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## Marzipan (Dec 29, 2016)

dcap said:


> @Marzipan - since the faulty one is a month old, send it back for refund, you have protection through eBay and PayPal for faulty products. Or directly to the manufacturer (they will possibly check the serial number, if it has one, to confirm it is UK stock though).
> 
> Enjoy your new Habistat - Blue Lizard Reptiles has good on-line prices.
> 
> I personally avoid eBay for any electronics (especially if the seller is out of the country, some masquerade as being located in 'London').


Thanks, I think it just passed the 1 month return date though for Ebay. 
If it's under a year old though I can return the microclimate for free to be repaired, so I think I am gonna do that when the new thermostat comes. Then, fingers crossed, I can have two working thermostats...


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## Zincubus (Sep 6, 2010)

wilkinss77 said:


> Until they break out of warranty. I use both brands, but prefer Microclimate because of their much cheaper repair service.
> 
> Habistat charge £12 per stat to repair out of warranty. Microclimate on the other hand, charge only a fiver for P&P out of warranty, regardless of how many stats you send in one box. & you don't even need the receipt or proof of purchase.
> 
> This.



I knew both their after sales repair service was decent but going off what you say then that gives Microclimate the edge in that respect .


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## Hog (Feb 11, 2014)

For what it's worth I have many of both microclimate and habistat and really do prefer the habistats. I find them to hold more stable temps.
Both companies however, do offer an excellent, free/cheap repair service. Often just the price of return postage.


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## wilkinss77 (Sep 23, 2008)

Hog said:


> For what it's worth I have many of both microclimate and habistat and really do prefer the habistats. I find them to hold more stable temps.
> Both companies however, do offer an excellent, free/cheap repair service. Often just the price of return postage.


Only Microclimate offer that- a fiver per box, no matter how many broken stats the box contains. Habistat however, charge £12 per stat. I'm talking about out of warranty service here, after phoning both companies.


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## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

I'm with Dcap, on this one. On the one score; I've never had a Microclimate bit of kit, so can't comment. But, I've trusted my creatures lives to Habistat and have never had to consider repairs. They simply never let me down.

More to the point though ~ secondly; Do Not Buy low priced, generic crape off ebay, amazon, or anywhere else!

_Always_ look for the well known names. Research those. Make ye best, informed, choices. Pay the going rate for the genuine article.

If ye serious about keeping creatures? The monetary costs shouldn't even enter into it. If ye can't afford the very best, for them? Ye can't afford to have them. Not rocket science, is it? 

One other thing to consider: " If my 'stat fails, right now, as I type this? (02:30 on 'Friday night') What will I do? When will a new one arrive? Will my creatures survive until next week or so without one? "

_Shhhh_ It happens! Better to have a back up piece of kit and never need it. Than not have it, and wish it wasn't happening, when it is


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## dcap (Sep 3, 2011)

I've had another brand and then I got Habistat - the temperature ranges kept on the Habistat mat stats appear much more consistent, so I won't use the other brand again. I've also used their bulb stats and been very impressed. 

While Amazon is a great place for some things. I'll always buy my reptile products from a reptile shop. They might be £1 more expensive but the profits are going to the good reptile shops that I use - I'm not sure how Amazon supports the reptile hobby. I'm also a big fan of eBay, but I wouldn't buy a reptile product from eBay - again, it doesn't support the hobby.



el Snappo said:


> One other thing to consider: " If my 'stat fails, right now, as I type this? (02:30 on 'Friday night') What will I do? When will a new one arrive? Will my creatures survive until next week or so without one? "


In the extremely unlikely event that one of my stats fails ... I'll plug in one of my spares, I've just opened the box of one of the spares that I've had for 2 years to set-up a new rack. But I still have 4x spare mats and another 2x spare stats ... if anything goes wrong I shouldn't be waiting for a delivery to put it right.

Goes the same for people who use ceramics (like I will when I get back to vivs) ... keep a couple of spares, so when one goes you replace same day and then order in a new spare.


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## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

Dcap; Without trying to get this thread to take us to Cuba ...... :whistling2:

You ever used their Dimmer Stats on blue light bulbs?


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## dcap (Sep 3, 2011)

el Snappo said:


> Dcap; Without trying to get this thread to take us to Cuba ...... :whistling2:
> 
> You ever used their Dimmer Stats on blue light bulbs?


I switched from "on/off stats with red bulbs" to "dimmers with ceramics". So, really can't help.

... I can only imagine a dimmer on a 'light' emitting bulb do a slow motion disco effect, think it would stress me out (as much as any reptile).

I just remember my racks/mats and vivs/red going from a +/- 2-4'C range to +/-0.4'C when I went to a pulse stat - was very impressed with how solid the heating was.


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## el Snappo (Mar 4, 2017)

Disco??? No, no no! It's Fantastic!!!

I used to use light bulbs for heat, yeah? Tried blue ones, because they were _slightly_ less blazing than normal bulbs.

Then, I forked out on a Habistat Dimmer Stat. Actually took a few days, as I remember, for the tanks to all get with the system. But, once they'd all reached that certain point? _Unbelievable!

_Ye'd open that door and it was like creeping into another world! Where everything's comfortably warm, the stat gently feeds just enough power to keep that snug temperature. Thus the blue bulbs just emit a low, eerie, moon like effect. Blue moon.

Honestly; I'd be half tempted to start again, just to recreate such a room! :mrgreen: And, it was about the nearest thing to a _natural_ effect ye could get. Creatures all thought it was a moonlit night. Frogs started hooting. Salamanders slithered and crawled. Water bubbled. And I'd stand there, in awe, able to watch them all doing their things.

Highly recommended!


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## jonpaulin (Mar 18, 2012)

Zincubus said:


> There is a Microclimate stat available for about £20 in the shops ..
> 
> Is it called a mini stat or something .. I have a few and work perfectly .
> 
> ...


Yeah u can pick up a microclimate 100 for £27 they work great on the heat mats


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## TheGuvnor (Apr 26, 2013)

Microclimate for me. Customer service, and after service is second to none.
And those Evo's. Awesome stuff. 

Check out my Evo lite & Evo Pro review 
Microclimate Evo Lite & Evo Pro thermostat review/-/ReptileApartment.com


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