Space heater

[TimV]

I'm making plans to convert a shelf in a room to a controlled environment for Ts and herps. The volume will be about 6 cubic feet. I wonder if any of you could recommend a brand or online source for a space heater that would be controlled by a thermostat for that fairly limited area? Rather than have, say, 3 heating rocks, two heat pads etc.. I'd like to insulate the whole area behind glass and just use one heater.

Thanks much.

 

[Aschamne]

I would recommend the oil filled radiator type as they seem to maintain a stable heat and most are termostat controlled. I use these to heat the cooler rooms in my house.

good luck,

Art

 

[jr47]

i have also used these. they are very reliable and safe. most space heaters are not really that safe. for the money i think they cant be beat. i use one through the winter cause i dont like the house real warm all the time. so i keep it in my room to keep the t's a little warmer.

 

[JMoran1097]

if you want to discuss reputable brands, i'd go with honeywell since they seem like the most abundant in stock anywhere you go to get a space heater. i've just looked around online and googled "temperature controlled space heaters." honeywell came up a whole bunch of times. seems like the ones online are dirt cheap with prices as low as $22.95. for 6 cubic feet, you wouldn't need that big of a space heater so i'd probably go with whatever the smallest size they had since you won't need a large amount of heat to regulate.

 

[TimV]

Thanks, all. From what you say there isn't a smallish one commonly used by the exotic pet community, and it may be better to insulate the whole room (10X10 feet) and get one of those oil type heaters.

Regards
Tim

 

[Heather]

I too agree with the oil heaters... I used one last year to help maintain the temps on my Hermit Crab tank and it worked nicely.

All in all I think they are pretty safe...

 

[neanyoe]

where can i get one of these oil heaters? someone please msg me the link..

 

[julesaussies]

It seems funny talking about this, this time of year (at least in southern CA) as the weather is only going to get warmer for some time. However, i myself was just wondering what i was going to do with my T's in the colder months. We also do not normally run a heater all the time. In fact, i rather prefer to sleep with my windows open even in the winter because i love the cold fresh air. i guess that will now be a thing of the past...

i almost didn't even read this post when i saw the title because space heaters really make me REALLY nervous. What is the difference between the oil filled radiator type with a thermastat and a regular space heater - Honeywell for example?

From what i've read it seems like these heaters are quite efficient. Would one of these heat up my whole room or is there some way to direct it more towards the T area?

i'll obviously do whatever i have to for the T's to be safe, healthy and comfortable. i've never used any type of space heater for safety reasons and don't know what to expect.

Thanks!

 

[T-chick]

I have a walk in closet with a small space heater that has a thermostat controlling it. I have a room thermomator that tells me what the temp in the room is. I keep it between 75 and 80 degrees. I have kept my T's there since moving into the house.
For my reptiles, I have an under tank heater that sits under two tanks and a mini one that sits under another.. I have a lamp that I turn on for a daylight cycle and turn it off for a night time cycle.
I have a full spectrum bulb over the three reptile tanks that is on for at least 12 hours.
My T's range from slings to adults and I have never lost a single T or had a sick reptile.

 

[JungleGuts]

I would recommend the oil filled radiator type as they seem to maintain a stable heat and most are termostat controlled. I use these to heat the cooler rooms in my house.

good luck,

Art

I use one in the winter it works great.

 

[jr47]

It seems funny talking about this, this time of year (at least in southern CA) as the weather is only going to get warmer for some time. However, i myself was just wondering what i was going to do with my T's in the colder months. We also do not normally run a heater all the time. In fact, i rather prefer to sleep with my windows open even in the winter because i love the cold fresh air. i guess that will now be a thing of the past...

i almost didn't even read this post when i saw the title because space heaters really make me REALLY nervous. What is the difference between the oil filled radiator type with a thermastat and a regular space heater - Honeywell for example?

From what i've read it seems like these heaters are quite efficient. Would one of these heat up my whole room or is there some way to direct it more towards the T area?

i'll obviously do whatever i have to for the T's to be safe, healthy and comfortable. i've never used any type of space heater for safety reasons and don't know what to expect.

Thanks!

the one i have is a nortex. it has three settings for watts. 150, 500, 1000. and a dial thermostat. i have always kept mine on 150 watts. which is safer and cheaper for your light bill. i ran mine all winter and hardly noticed an increase on the bill. most will run your bill up alot if run all the time.
set on 150 watts, you dont have the hot surface like a normal space heater and no fan kicking on and off. i wont use most space heaters. they are not safe. the surfaces around them get hot and the plugs get hot. with this one i feel safe running it. the floor gets a little warm around it and the plug has never gotten hot when its running.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Rather than have, say, 3 heating rocks

Please tell me you don't use these.

Also, heating a whole room with no other heat sources would lead to a lack of temperature gradient, wouldn't it? ie, a cold-blooded animal must be able to have a warmer end and a cooler end of its enclosure, or it cannot avoid overheating internally.

And unless your house is regularly below 65F for long periods, your tarantulas don't need supplemental heat. The only "benefit" would be an increased risk of overheating/dessication.

 

[Talkenlate04]

Ya I agree with mushroom, I used heat rocks about 12 years ago not knowing any better and I actually had a T sit on the rock and fry itself basically. So heating the whole room is the safest option rather then heating individual tanks.

 

[jr47]

i run it through the day and turn it off at night. and no keeping a room 75-80 wont hurt anything. summer time i close my door turn off the vent for the air and open the window. its very often 90 or above in there and they do just fine.
i could be wrong but i dont think providing a hot and cool side is that important with T's. i have noticed though that in the winter when i get up and turn on the heater, within probably half an hour most of my T's will be on the glass on the side of the heater and stay there till the room warms up. with out the heater on its usually 68-69 in the room.

 

[TimV]

I'm actually trying to kill three or four birds with one stone. My honey bottling shed is outside, and it gets high forties every night during much of the year, and under 65 almost every day even in summer. This coldness causes honey to chrystalize too fast, and I was thinking of warming it up anyway.

The big problem would be over heating, but even with something like an econo panel I would THINK one could get the kind of thermostat that would turn off at, say, 85F and on again at, say, 65, so it's not running all the time. Kind of like a water pump for those of you that don't have municipal water.

Thanks again for the replies.

 

[moricollins]

Also, heating a whole room with no other heat sources would lead to a lack of temperature gradient, wouldn't it? ie, a cold-blooded animal must be able to have a warmer end and a cooler end of its enclosure, or it cannot avoid overheating internally.

There is still a temperature gradient within rooms, warmer air rises, so the lower portions of the room are cooler, as are those parts of the room farther away from the heater. IN my small 5' x 5' x 5' spider room I had a range everywhere from 60F to 75F to 80F this winter simultaneously.

And unless your house is regularly below 65F for long periods, your tarantulas don't need supplemental heat. The only "benefit" would be an increased risk of overheating/dessication.

Used properly (I.e. with a thermostat or two) the risk of overheating/dehydration is extremely minimal, the benefit of speeding up growth cycles far exceeds this risk (when setup properly)