Thermostats are designed to maintain temperatures inside a set acceptable range. Temperature is typically monitored by a probe, which is placed inside your pet reptile’s enclosure. Josh’s Frogs is proud to offer thermostats by Vivarium Electronics, the leader in reliable, affordable thermostats. Vivarium Electronics is a company founded by a reptile hobbyist and fellow engineers. This How-To guide will teach you how to select the right Vivarium Electronics thermostat for your particular application.
Basics
All Vivarium Electronics thermostats come with several different features built in. All Vivarium Electronics thermostats are stackable. Several Vivarium Electronics thermostats will lock on top of each other, allowing multiple units to be stored and displayed in a neat fashion. All Vivarium Electronics thermostats can also be screwed down on a surface for more permanent installation. All Vivarium Electronics thermostats have a back lit display for easy reading. Each of the several models of Vivarium Electronics thermostats also will remember their settings after a power outage, and operate silently and reliably. All Vivarium Electronics thermostats also come with a 10′ temperature probe and 6′ power cord, and a replaceable fuse safeguards the thermostat from power surges.
Thermostats control their devices with three different methods: simple on/off, pulse proportional, or dimming proportional. Simple on/off thermostats will simply turn off the device when the set temperature is exceeded, then turn it back on when the temperature has dropped below the set temperature. Pulse proportional thermostats work by turning power on to the heating device in small pulses – the longer the pulse, the more heat generated. Pulse proportional thermostats are the most accurate, but should not be used with any lights. Both pulse proportional and simple on/off thermostats are ideal for use withceramic heat emitters, heat tape, heat pads, and heat cable.
Dimming proportional thermostats are ideal for use with incandescent bulbs, such as the majority of basking bulbs on the market. This type of thermostat directly increases or decreases the amount of electricity flowing to a bulb, thus increasing or decreasing it’s light and heat output. Dimming proportional thermostats can be used in conjunction with ceramic heat emitters, heat tape, heat pads, and heat cable, as well. Dimming proportional thermostats should not be used with lighting that contains a ballast, such as mercury vapor,fluorescent, or compact fluorescent bulbs.
Models
Vivarium Electronics currently offers 5 different models of thermostats, designed to meet the differing needs of any reptile or amphibian keeper.
Vivarium Electronics Model VE-100
Vivarium Electronics Model VE-100 is an economy model. This unit is the lowest priced model of Vivarium Electronics thermostats, and features the bare bones capabilities of the various Vivarium Electronics units. The VE-100 can handle up to 700 watts, and operates in a simple on/off fashion. When the set temperature is exceeded and detected by the probe, the unit turns off. Once the temperature drops a selected amount, the unit will turn your heating devices back on.
Vivarium Electronics Model VE-200
This model of thermostat from Vivarium Electronics contains all the features of the VE-100, plus some additional benefits. The Vivarium Electronics Model VE-200 can handle 700 watts of devices. The VE-200 also displays the high and low temperature readings on the main display, as well as the current temperature the probe reads, and the desired temperature the thermostat is set for. The Vivarium Electronics Model VE-200 can function as a pulse proportional or on/off thermostat.
Vivarium Electronics Model VE-200D
The Vivarium Electronics Model VE-200D is a step up from the VE-200, and is designed to work specifically with incandescent bulbs. The VE-200D is a dimming proportional thermostat that can double as an on/off thermostat, as well. The Vivarium Electronics Model VE-200D has a higher temperature range than the previous thermostats listed, making it ideal for use with desert species, such as bearded dragons.
Vivarium Electronics Model VE-300
The VE-300 is an upgraded version of the previous thermostats, and has the added benefit of battery backup and several alarm options that alert the reptile keeper to errors, including the sensor failure alarm (which sounds when the probe fails), the temperature overshoot alarm (sounds when the set temperature is exceeded by at least 4 degrees), and the too long to setpoint alarm (which alerts the user when the heating device fails). The Vivarium Electronics Model VE-300 also has a built in night drop feature, which allows for a regular temperature drop to be set at night. The VE-300 can function as a pulse proportional or on/off thermostat.
Vivarium Electronics Model VE-300×2
The VE-300×2 has all of the upgraded features of the VE-300, plus the added ability to function as 2 independent zones (allowing multiple heating devices to function with 2 different settings, effectively allowing the user to use one thermostat instead of two). The VE-300×2 also can handle more devices than the other Vivarium Electronics thermostats, with a maximum threshold of 900 watts. The Vivarium Electronics Model VE-300×2 can function as a pulse proportional or on/off thermostat.
Conclusion
Vivarium Electronics thermostats are some of the best thermostats on the pet reptile market, and are definitely the most reasonably priced. Vivarium Electronics Thermostats will keep your pet, and wallet, safe.
For more information on Vivarium Electronics Thermostats, we recommend visiting their website: http://www.vivariumelectronics.com/index.html
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