Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am getting prices for the heating of the racks and cages I am going to build when I get back to the states and I have run into some questions..
I know the difference between an On/Off thermostat and a prorotional as far as the what and the how, what I don't get is why one is considered better over the other? I am going to be useing flex watt for most of my heating. I plan to run each rack's shelf as it's own unit vise wrapping one long strand of heat tape through the whole thing. I plan to plug every level into a power strip, then plug the power strip into a thermostat of some type. Here's in lies the delima..
What kind would be best for this application, I haven't done the math on how many watts each unit will run yet but just in general. Big Apple sells a proportional that will run 300w and an on/off that will run 1000w-- is there any real difference if the room it's self is climate controled? Which would be best if it was in a garage that could get cold in the winter (the boas would be my concern there, the corns and rats would just brummate).
Sorry this is so long but I am at an impass and the wife is looking for numbers to crunch. I can't complain, if she wasn't I would be doing all this what it would be too late!!

Hey sport!
Take a look at this webpage & see if it helps.
www.mgreptiles.com/THERMOCOMPARE.html

Take care!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

And I have that site in my favorites too!! I tell you what, I am going to name my next child Happy Hillbilly just to make up for that one!! I am a male gelitailia... My bad....
BTW, it's Gunny Sport now, I got promoted today..

LOL! If you, yourself, have a child, please don't name it HappyHillbilly. Thanks anyway. LOL!

And congratulations, Gunner, Sir, on your promotion!!!
Seriously, thank you, very much, for your service to our country!!! I salute you!

Like liquidleaf pointed out, the proportionals are kind of like an automated dimmer switch, providing constant heat.

If you can afford it, one with a nighttime temp. drop feature is worth the while.

Take care of yourself!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

In a nutshell, proportional thermostats are considered to be better because they allow the heating element to be "partially" on. This makes the temperature stay at the desired degree more reliably. The heating element isn't just turned on and off, the thermostat raises the power level to the element if the temperature is too cold, and decreases the power level if it's too warm. This makes the heating cycle far more accurate and have less dips and peaks below or above the desired range.

On/off thermostats click off at a high temperature, and then the temperature has to fall a few degrees before the power is turned back on. The time it takes for the heating elements to heat back up from an OFF state and then warm the cage up a few degrees can cause the temperature to fluctuate quite a bit over time rather than staying at a constant level. The temperatures could bounce from too-warm to too-cool and back all day long.
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Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com
1.0 Ball Python, 1.1 Hog Island Boas, 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 0.1 Green Tree Python