Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I want to get a portable heater for my snake room and was wondering if I would be ok letting it run without me home, considering I set it up without anything next to it (in case of fire, etc..). Are there any very reliable ones and affordable? I am just looking for something small for an 11x11ft insulated room. What are some good manufacturers/models to look for?

Thanks,

Mat

I use a Vornado, and it works good. I am planning on connecting it to a proportional thermostat, to keep it at a constant temp.

The oil filled radiators work great! Safe and use very little elec. Big Jim

I've been using an oil filled heater to keep my reptile room warm for the past few years.
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Randall L Turner Jr.
Boas make the world go round.

I'll third the oil heater. Safer than the heated coil types.

I didn't know about the oil filled heaters. I will check into that. Perfect timing too. Right before winter. Can you somehow hook a thermostat into them? Or is that a dumb question... Thanks.

Is there a specific oil filled heater that you can recommend? Thanks

There are a few kinds...but the best is Delonghi...

You would be better to spend a few extra dollars and get one of those!

They will plug right into your thermostats and use probe in room to control room temp....and heater will shut on and off to heat or cool...I use the Johnson thermostat....but most on/off type thermostats will work well.

Andy Federico
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Great thanks for all the good info. I will definately get one of those. Target has them for a good price also. Would a proportional thermostat work. I have an extra herpstat lying around. I would like for a constant temp that I could night drop, when need be. Thanks again.

I'll send you a Johnson for the herpstat!!!! LOL!!!
No, really herpstats are great but you should use a on /off type like the Johnson or the ranco. Johnsons have a nite drop feature as well.

Andy
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Thanks. I will just switch one of my johnson controls with the herpstat to free that one up. I'm sure my big albino female will appriciate the gesture anyway. Thanks.

Most oil filled heaters have a thermostat on them already.
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com
http://slitheringserpents.com

Great thread. Does that heater have a built in thermostat?
How much does that heater go for?
Are you guys back east? I'm in Az and I don't recall seeing that type of heater in the stores here, just the typical electric space heaters.
Thanks, Bill

Check out target.com they have one on there. Great price...

It seems to have a thermostat built in, so why the need for an additional external thermostat? Is the built in thermostat not reliable enough?
Bill

The thermostats seem OK. You have to mess with them a bit to figure out where they need to be to keep your room where you want it. They seem to have a wierd arrangement with a couple of switches so you sort of have to choose a range to work within (kinda hi med lo). This isn't the most convenient arrangement. If your temps drop a lot for example your room might not get enough heat if you left the heater in the low position, etc. If you actually has an extra externam thermostat you could put that on high and use the external one, that would bypass the funky switches, which are made to save on electricity.

I used them two years ago. I live in Northern CA where it barely gets down to freezing, and that heater was insufficient in my room. My room has two walls that are outside walls and I have a double glass patio type door. Even with two of those heaters running in my room it wasn't enough, so I made different arrangements.

Good luck
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com
http://slitheringserpents.com

We used a regular floor heater on a thermostat last year, but the thermostat shorted out from the heater (or so we concluded). Now we just bought a floor heater for around $30 that has a thermostat in it, and it turns off once it reaches the temperature (so its not always on). Its a tower so it wont burn through to the floor, and it turns off automatically if it tips over.
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1.1 96, 04 Het Albino - "Suzie" & "Lumpy"
0.1 03 Poss. Het Albino - "Ami"
0.1 05 Super Salmon - "CreamSicle"
0.1 04 Anery Het Snow- "Squelchy"
1.0 04 DH-Sunglow - "Dwayne"
1.0 06 TH-Moonglow - "Gargamel"
1.2 01 BRBs- "Gobball", "Larva" & "Tofu"

>>I want to get a portable heater for my snake room and was wondering if I would be ok letting it run without me home, considering I set it up without anything next to it (in case of fire, etc..). Are there any very reliable ones and affordable? I am just looking for something small for an 11x11ft insulated room. What are some good manufacturers/models to look for?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Mat

I have been using oil heaters for 15 years to heat my snake room and basement. One heats a 13x10 snake room to 75-78F one level 3 of 9.
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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."

great thanks. I think its unanimous, oil filled is the way to go.

Im looking also.

My questions are what are the wattages on these things??

Do you still need a thermostat if the heater has one??

I see the De'Longhi brand has a•ADJUSTABLE THERMOSTAT Allows you to customize your heating needs.
They have those at Target for $45.

http://www.delonghi.com/Int/USA/prodotti.html
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Marcs Reptiles

Hi Mark,

The three setting on this one here is 600 watts, 900 watts or with both switches on 1500 watts.
No you don't strictly need another thermostat. But you might want one (see my post above in this thread).
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com
http://slitheringserpents.com

The thicker and more fins the oil heater has, the better it is. Never had a problem keeping the heat up to 80 in a 14 by 13 room even when the house furnace broke. I use an eight fin lakewood which is about 18 inches long. Some of the best ones even have a programable thermastat.