# How do Thermostats work?



## vicky1804 (Dec 12, 2006)

Evening guys
Setting up my tank for my baby gecko, and was wondering if I could run my understanding of these by yourselves and if it is wrong please tell me
I have a Ministat 300, i got second hand from my sister.

I have this pluged in, and the Mat pluged into that. I have the probe in the middle of the warm side, and a digital thermometer right next to this.
I want the temp about 88f so have turned the dial to this on the thermostat and the little red light came on.
I take it that once my heat mat reaches 88f, the thermostat will cut the power to stop it getting any hotter and the red light goes out, then when the probe reads that the temp is dropping the thermostat kicks in switches back on and keeps the tank at the temp I want.

Is this right? I keep panicking when the red light goes out but if the above is true then its working correctly.

Cheers guys


----------



## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

That is exactly how it works. Some flash on and off with the little red light when at correct temp. but most do as yu say...
Good luck!
Ben


----------



## vicky1804 (Dec 12, 2006)

Thanks for that, my gecko is the first ever rep iv had and iv waited so long just wanted to check it wasnt faulting and my new baby was gona freeze or something
Cheers


----------



## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

I think everybody panics and gets a bit paranoid with their first-only natural...Am i right in assuming it's a leopard gecko?
Ben


----------



## vicky1804 (Dec 12, 2006)

Yeah you have probably seen my post, had a ton of last minutue questions over the last few weeks, hes arriving on Friday


----------



## markhill (Sep 22, 2006)

have you got a thermometer?
you cant rely on the stat dial as being the correct temp, you need to measure the temp with a thermometer and adjust the stat dial as necessary.


----------



## vicky1804 (Dec 12, 2006)

Yes I have and that what Im going by, have been playing around with the temps most of the night according to the digital thermometer


----------



## blue-saphire (Oct 22, 2007)

i think, they control the power to the heat sources e.g. light, heat mat. if the temp is low they supply more power if the temp is too high the provide less power.


----------



## reptiles-ink (Nov 4, 2006)

blue-saphire said:


> i think, they control the power to the heat sources e.g. light, heat mat. if the temp is low they supply more power if the temp is too high the provide less power.


it works like that for a dimmer stat but the 1 in question simply turns on and off


----------



## DanCcooke (Oct 20, 2007)

It will have a threshold too, if it was exactly say 88degrees. then as soon as it got to it, i would shut off, almost immediatly it would then flick on and off etc etc and not do itself any good. So it will let it drop a couple of degrees before kicking in again.


----------

