Thermostat advice for snake rack? :)

[Miqote]

I am just now ordering the AP 1753 Economy Rack with 6 slots and Flexwatt belly heat. I'm really excited! I've always used dimmers in the past so I'm new to the world of thermostats. Here are some I've come across, I would love if anyone can offer feedback and experiences/reviews of their own thermostats.

Alife Thermostat - $30
This one obviously jumps out at me because of the price, but I'm guessing with an on/off thermostat you'd get some considerable fluctuations in temperature? I'm also not sure if this would be appropriate for a rack system.

Vivarium Electronics VE-100 - $84.99
Another on/off thermostat, but with a digital display, unlike the Alife.

Herpstat 1 Proportional Thermostat - $109
A bit more expensive, but has undeniably better features. It seems like with this one I'd have no qualms about the safety of my snakes, at least in regards to temperature control.

Has anyone used one of the cheaper thermostats with a rack? Is there a lot of fluctuation in temperature? I'm totally willing to spend the extra money on the Herpstat, but if reviews are just as good for a cheaper one I wouldn't see any reason not to save money.

Thank you!

 

[Nanci]

Well, I'd definitely go with the Herpstat. The ND if you can swing it. I would get the grounded version of either so you don't have to bother with an adaptor. I noticed AP posted this on their Facebook page:

Attention: Please be advised it is strongly recommended that a proportional thermostat be used to control the heat sources (heat cable or FlexWatt) used in the racks and cages. Anyone using a rheostat or dimmer must remember they are manual controls and it is up to you to insure that your heating elements are not getting too hot and adjust the setting as necessary. They cannot monitor/adjust your temps for you.

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The Alife is the best on/off thermostat. Perfectly fine for a single or double glass viv. With a rack, where you stand to have a bigger loss if there is a malfunction, I'd stick with a proportional Herpstat. The ND has a replaceable fuse. Herpstat has excellent customer service. The owner, Dion, is a member here. With a Herpstat, if you decide to add another rack, the thermostat will be able to handle the additional wattage.

 

[Miqote]

Well, I'd definitely go with the Herpstat. The ND if you can swing it. I would get the grounded version of either so you don't have to bother with an adaptor. I noticed AP posted this on their Facebook page:

Attention: Please be advised it is strongly recommended that a proportional thermostat be used to control the heat sources (heat cable or FlexWatt) used in the racks and cages. Anyone using a rheostat or dimmer must remember they are manual controls and it is up to you to insure that your heating elements are not getting too hot and adjust the setting as necessary. They cannot monitor/adjust your temps for you.

**************

The Alife is the best on/off thermostat. Perfectly fine for a single or double glass viv. With a rack, where you stand to have a bigger loss if there is a malfunction, I'd stick with a proportional Herpstat. The ND has a replaceable fuse. Herpstat has excellent customer service. The owner, Dion, is a member here. With a Herpstat, if you decide to add another rack, the thermostat will be able to handle the additional wattage.

Thank you Nanci, that was exactly the information I needed, I will definately go with the Herpstat. I also didn't know about grounded vs. not grounded, that helped a lot!!