Thermostats

What Thermostat Fits Your Needs?

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There are different types of thermostats for different needs. This article talks about how to use them, and when to use them.

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On/Off Thermostats

• They turn off and on to control heat. For example, if linked with the heat mat it will turn off to maintain heat, and back on to heat up. For this reason they can not be used with heat bulbs.

• For this is it will cause your bulb to blow out, or stop working. In some cases even cause sparks and damage the dome fixture in the process.

• These should only be used with under tank heaters and not heat bulbs.

• In the following image, you will see how to use your on/off thermostat.

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Dimmers

• Dimmers are commonly used by many reptile and amphibian owners. They are cheap a alternative to expensive dimming thermostats.

• How do they work/how do I set it up? A dimmer is set up similarly to an on/off thermostat. You plug your dome fixture's cord into the dimmer, and plug the dimmer into the wall. You can then make the dimmer go up and down, down=cooler, up=hotter. To get desired temperatures you use heat gun to decide where to place the dimmer knob/switch for desired temps.

• Smart dimmers are best as they allow for sunset/sunrise effects, timers, and can be controlled via a phone or manually.

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Dimming thermostats

• These are similar to dimmers, except they adjust to temp drops. For example say your house fluctuates in temps then this would be a good option for you. It will automatically adjust to desired temps, where as dimmers have to be manually adjusted (via device or app).

• However they are notoriously expensive, making it harder to obtain. For this reason, dimmers are a great alternative.

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For more info on heat check out my other articles.

• Heat bulbs

• Heating for leos

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