wrong thermostat? safe?

[marcy4hope]

i'm working on my outside night box for my sullie. i bought an optimus portable oil filled radiator heater. it saw it uses max 700w. i won't need it on high though, cause my box is really insulated well. i also bought a thermostat from zoo med called reptitemp 500r. but it says it's only for 500w. i forgot to read up on my heater before i bought the thermostat. i also have a temp reader to put in the box so i can figure out where to regulate the reptitemp, since it doesn't have a temp setting on it, just a high/lo dial. so, since my heater is 700w and thermostat 500w - do i need to get a different thermostat? i don't want to overload this one and burn something up. i don't think i'll ever need the heater on it's highest setting, so i don't think i'll ever be pulling the full 700w. i'm no electrician - so am i thinking of this correctly. only reason i hesitate to buy a different thermostat is just that i can't return this one and would have basically wasted my money.

 

[Maro2Bear]

In my opinion, you need to get a thermostat that is equal to or greater than the load you intend to put on ur circuit, in this case 700w. You are asking for over loaded circuits and possibility that the circuit will overload and trip. You dont want this happening, especially during a really cold night. Ur circuit to the heater trips, power goes off, heater shuts off and ur enclosure's temps drop. Better to return your thermostat and get a much larger one. Maybe if u cant return u can offer it up here to someone needing that wattage. Good luck.

 

[mike taylor]

Yes you need a new one . The contacts that are in the one you have will weld shut over time and cook your tort. The ratings on electrical stuf is very important . You could burn down your house by under sizing equipment .

 

[Tom]

The low setting will use less than 700 watts, but you are cutting it much too close in my opinion. I would not risk that. I would get one rated for 1000 watts and still use the heater on the lowest setting.

 

[marcy4hope]

ok. that's kinda what i figured. i can always use the 500w thermostat with a che indoors sometime if i need it, so will probably just hang onto it. any recommendations of a good thermostat that has a way to set the temp without having to regulate it maually?

 

[Tom]

They make a 1000 watt model of the same one you've got. Those work fine for me.

 

[marcy4hope]

would this one work? i keep seeing this one pop up a lot. the thing i like with it, is that it's programmable and the zoomed one isn't.
http://www.menards.com/main/heating...mmable-outlet-thermostat/p-134434-c-12864.htm

 

[Tom]

I have no experience with that type. Does it have a remote probe? Does it list the wattage it can handle somewhere?

Why do you need to "program" it? You just set the dial on the ZooMed one to the temp you want. Seems simpler to me and you don't have to worry about resetting it in the event of a power failure.

 

[marcy4hope]

I have no experience with that type. Does it have a remote probe? Does it list the wattage it can handle somewhere?

Why do you need to "program" it? You just set the dial on the ZooMed one to the temp you want. Seems simpler to me and you don't have to worry about resetting it in the event of a power failure.

well, the one i had didn't have a temp setting on it. that's why i was looking at that win100. but - is this the one you use? http://www.tortoisesupply.com/zilla-temperature-controller-thermostat/ this looks way better than the one i have, the 500r.

 

[Tom]

How could it not have a temp setting? What temp would it hold? What good is a thermostat if you can't set the temperature? Something doesn't sound right.

 

[Tom]

well, the one i had didn't have a temp setting on it. that's why i was looking at that win100. but - is this the one you use? http://www.tortoisesupply.com/zilla-temperature-controller-thermostat/ this looks way better than the one i have, the 500r.

Yes. I have a bunch of those running. I have seen people say they don't work and they are no good in reviews, but I have 9 of them running indoors, outdoors and underground and all of mine have been working perfectly for years. Not one issue.

 

[tortdad]

well, the one i had didn't have a temp setting on it. that's why i was looking at that win100. but - is this the one you use? http://www.tortoisesupply.com/zilla-temperature-controller-thermostat/ this looks way better than the one i have, the 500r.

I use this one for my Redfoots and it works fantastic. I don't know why these get such a bad wrap in the online reviews??!!?? It does everything it's says it will do.


0.0.1 Redfoot (Spike)
0.0.1 Cherryhead Redfoot (Bruce Wayne)
1.0 Sulcata (Hal Jordan)

 

[marcy4hope]

How could it not have a temp setting? What temp would it hold? What good is a thermostat if you can't set the temperature? Something doesn't sound right.

well, it just has a dial that goes from blue to red and you have to use a thermometer to figure out where it needs to be set. there is no temp setting on it like 80 degrees, 90 degrees, etc. it's just a sort of lo/hi range dial with no numbers. i have one just like it in my indoor set up and i have a thermometer in there that i can move around and make sure the temp is where i want it.

 

[Tom]

well, it just has a dial that goes from blue to red and you have to use a thermometer to figure out where it needs to be set. there is no temp setting on it like 80 degrees, 90 degrees, etc. it's just a sort of lo/hi range dial with no numbers. i have one just like it in my indoor set up and i have a thermometer in there that i can move around and make sure the temp is where i want it.

Ahh... I see. I've never found the numbers to be reliable anyway. I've always set mine with my thermometer.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

The only issue I've had with the Lux win100 was my own fault. My power strip in the box wasn't rated high enough for the heater. It fried the strip and thermostat. I was lucky, no fire happened but it was luck only. I use my oil heater on the high setting for simplicity without it running a long time. Works like a charm for me.

 

[bigbeaks]

The problem with the Zilla thermostat is no ground plug. Tom how do you plug your heaters into this?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Umm, I don't think Tom uses this, but the lux thermostat is grounded.