New Older (Sulcata) Brother For My 2 Sons

[Tom]

Thanks! I use an oil filled heater, but haven’t had great luck with the 2 I’ve used. Have you found any good ones?
About the heat mat - like Kane heat mats?

Yes on the Kane mats.

What went wrong with your radiant oil heaters? I've never had a problem with any of them. Did you use a thermostat?

 

[SULCY]

I also use the radiant oil heaters and never have a problem with them.

 

[Kadels]

Yes on the Kane mats.

What went wrong with your radiant oil heaters? I've never had a problem with any of them. Did you use a thermostat?

Yes to the thermostat. The first was DOA. The second died after about a year. The third was my fault - it didn’t have toggle switches - just a button and a remote. So when the thermostat clicked it off, it completely powered off and wouldn’t come back on when needed. Now I’m burning through surge protectors for some reason.

 

[Kadels]

I also use the radiant oil heaters and never have a problem with them.

Taking recommendations on particular units...

 

[Tom]

Yes to the thermostat. The first was DOA. The second died after about a year. The third was my fault - it didn’t have toggle switches - just a button and a remote. So when the thermostat clicked it off, it completely powered off and wouldn’t come back on when needed. Now I’m burning through surge protectors for some reason.

Something is wrong somewhere…

I use the mini units which pull about 600-700 watts depending on brand. In the past I used full sized units with three different settings, Low Med High, and I always used them on Low only, for my applications of heating tortoise boxes. Medium would pull 900 watts and high would pull 1500 watts. Too much. Low only. Here is the usual model I am using now-a-days: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MXEDAV2/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Recently, I've also tried this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009L40S0S/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
This one pulls only 400 watts yet still keeps my outdoor night boxes warm on a below freezing night.


The thermostats I use are rated for 1000 watts and I've never had any trouble with them. I use more than a dozen of them and the only one that ever failed me, failed because it got flooded and submerged.

Surge protector? This tells me you are using one of those six strip outlets. Right? Some of those strip units have inferior connections and thin wiring internally. I would not run something like an oil heater that is pulling so much power through one of those. If your thermostat cord can't reach the outlet directly for some reason. I would use the shortest 12 gauge extension cord that will do the job. No other appliances or light or devices should run on that circuit or wall outlet either.

This is the thermostat I use: https://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller
I've used about 20 of them over the years. I had one get the probe wire ripped out by a large sulcata and one flooded. All the others are working perfectly to this day.

What are you doing differently than me?

 

[William Lee Kohler]

Now that's NICE shell growth!