Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had a bad thunderstorm here lastnight and my power flashed off a couple times briefly. When I went to shut lights off for the night I took a look at my ranco thermostat that had been set to 82 degrees. The temperature was 101 degrees and the temperature setting read over 200 degrees! The snakes were a little warm but seem fine today. I unplugged everything immediately and today the thermostat was back to the correct setting when I plugged it in. Of course I have not been using it and I'm wondering if anyone knows why this happened? Maybe a power surge? Thanks
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Mark Kennedy

I talked to Jeff Ronne about this and he said power outages are very hard on these thermostats. I've lost power several times in the past year so I guess this last one did it in. I could have fried my snakes and myself if I had not checked it! I think they usually shut off when they go bad.
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Mark Kennedy

Actually, I have always read the biggest issue with the Ranco's is they typically fail in the open position as opposed to the JC A419's which typically fail in the closed position. I have never used a Ranco for this very reason.

>>Actually, I have always read the biggest issue with the Ranco's is they typically fail in the open position as opposed to the JC A419's which typically fail in the closed position. I have never used a Ranco for this very reason.

That's funny as I understand it in reading the manual, they should fail in the open position and deliver a E2 error which can't be fixed. Open in electricity means no electric flow "off", a closed cicuit is "On".

So the Ranco is actually safer if indeed your JC fails in the closed position.
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
1.0 Ghost
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0.2 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Anerthrystic
0.0.2 Normal

0.0.2 Morelia Viridis
1.1 Morelia Clastolepis