ou need a reliable thermostat to shut the heater off when the temperature gets too high<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThermostats not only protect your reptiles but they can protect your house from a faulty heating element. Most of us are gone to work during the day. During that time, the heater is running and warming your pet\u2019s enclosure. This is a problem if the heater malfunctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chances of that happening are rare. Regardless, having a thermostat with an emergency shut off system will add some protection against this. As always, follow the safey guide lines provided with heating devices and thermostats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Features To Look For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The features are the first things to look at when shopping for a reptile thermometer. But what if you\u2019re new to the hobby or simply don\u2019t know what to look for? That\u2019s precisely what this section is for\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Digital or Analog?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The part you\u2019ll be interacting with most is a digital display buttons or analog control knobs. Which do you prefer? They\u2019re both easy to adjust and understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For analog thermostats, simply turn a dial to set the temperature you want. Zoo Med and Herpstat both make analog versions of their products. Zoo Med has a cheap on\/off thermostat while Herpstat\u2019s EZ2 is a dual output proportional thermostat (it controls 2 separate heating devices with better accuracy). Both are great products \u2013 don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re limited to using just a digital display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most thermostats in the reptile industry feature a digital display. They, like the analog ones, come in a wide range of prices. Jump Start has a great on\/off digital thermostat for less than $40. On the other end of the scale is the Herpstat 6, which features 6 separate probes and unbeatable accuracy \u2013 it\u2019s $439.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The point is, whether you go with digital or analog, you\u2019ve got great options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Max Wattage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The maximum wattage rating indicates how many watts the thermostat can handle. This is referring to how much wattage is used by your heating device. So, let\u2019s say you have two 100w ceramic heat emitters using a combined total of 200w. If the thermostat has a max wattage rating of 200w or more, then you\u2019re good to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Be sure to know the total number of watts your setup is using before buying a thermostat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Safety Shutoff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This is a comforting feature some thermostats have. It does exactly what you\u2019d expect; it shuts down the heating devices if problems arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If a UTH (under tank heater) malfunctions, for example, the safety shutoff will activate by cutting off the power to the heater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alarm System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This is a feature mostly found in the expensive reptile thermostats. The alarm system makes an audible sound that indicates when your reptile\u2019s enclosure is too hot or too cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Night Drop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Anyone who has owned a reptile or amphibian can tell you that they almost always require a drop in temperature at night. The reason is simple. As the sun goes down at night, the temperature drops on wild animals around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being as meticulous as possible, we reptile keepers do our best to recreate our pet\u2019s natural habitat. To do this, the temperature needs to drop in their enclosures at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A \u201cnight drop\u201d feature does just that; it drops the temperature during the nighttime hours. The means in which a thermostat does this varies between brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, the Exo Terra Thermostat uses a light sensor to determine when its night. Others, like the Herpstat, can be programmed to perform a night drop at a certain time of day. Both have their pros and cons but programming the night drop time manually is the most preferred method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve seen countless complaints about faulty light sensors thinking its nighttime during the day hours. This can be a huge problem if you keep your reptile(s) in a basement or a room with little or no natural light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Multiple Plugin Outlets & Probes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the most important feature of a thermostat is how many different heating devices it can control at the same time. This is especially important when heating housing multiple reptiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One might think \u201cCan\u2019t I plug in a multi-outlet adapter to a single-outlet thermostat and run several heaters?\u201d Yeah, I suppose you can. But don\u2019t \u2013 that\u2019s dangerous. Also, there are two problems with that idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One, when the thermostat turns the heater off, it will turn off all the heaters plugged into the adapter. Two, despite running multiple heaters, you still only have one probe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The probe, if you remember, is the part that reads the temperature. To simplify things, you need a probe for each enclosure you want to control the temperature in<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo accurately control the temperature in more than one cage, like a reptile rack, you\u2019ll need multiple outlets and probes. That or you\u2019ll need multiple thermostats. Vivarium Electronics makes stackable thermostats if that\u2019s what you prefer. On the other hand, Herpstat has one model with six different probes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Warranty<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This last one is less of a feature and more of reassurance. It\u2019s one thing to have a $40 on\/off thermostat break on you but it\u2019s a different story if a $200 setup fails. For that reason, many of the expensive models come with a warranty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TL;DR \u2013 Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Well, friend, you did it. You consumed a giant portion of thermostat goodness! Or, perhaps, you didn’t… and you skipped to this section straight off the bat. Either way, I’ll provide a quick recap of this guide and point you in the right direction so you can be on your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The basics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n