Heating an entire room for snakes?
 

I want to move all my snakes into one area of my house and heat that room separately. I'd still have individual heaters and thermometers, but the ambient temperature needs to be higher for the snakes than I want the rest of the house to be, come winter. The current nighttime room temp varies from 60-65 upstairs, and it will be a few degrees lower downstairs (where I want to keep them; the collection has outgrown its current south-facing upstairs room).

For those of you who do this, how do you best heat one room? Space heater? Oil radiator? I want to do this as safely, effectively, and efficiently as possible. Thanks for any ideas! :D

I use a stand up space heater (looks like an Ionic Breeze) and compensate the dry air with multiple humidifiers. I don't let the room drop below 77 degrees. Efficient? No. I want to switch to an oil radiator for lower costs but they don't have a built in thermostat (at least I haven't seen one) like the heater I am using currently.

I use the electric (oil filled) radiator, in conjunction with a Johnson Controls A419

Do you probe it right on the metal fins and adjust with a room thermometer?

I don't have it set up in my new place yet - haven't had the need (the rack heat has been sufficiently warming the room) - but I looped/loose tied the probe around one of the end posts of a Vision rack, so it is several feet from the radiator. I won't have the Vision racks in the new room, but I'll do something similar...probably tape the cable up the side of an AP rack, and have it coming out a few inches from the front.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HZ-709-HW-Oil-fi...d=171964741489

which you can find at target.com and in some target stores for like 60-70$. customers reviews vary.

Hey, I was looking at that same model at Home Depot yesterday! It was on sale for $80. I think I'll go back and get it. They had that one and another that was only $40, but it didn't have a lot of the safety features.

Then I'd just have to get a humidifier. One of these days...if not a separate building, then at least the garage could be finished...

I like it cooler in the winter and that just won't work for the scaley kids.

make sure and give a review after a month of continuous use. :) i'm using a digital vortex vornado and i must say... it's a pretty badass unit if the price of $100-125 doesn't scare you. i've had it for 2 years now and it's just now starting to act up. i think it's the cheesy thermostat they put in them. my house is really old and only has a floor furnace in the living room, so the room the snakes are in is not heated. i'm going to buy a new one and just put the one i have now in the new box and return it. :duck01:

I heat my room the same way Harald does, an oil filled radiator on a Ranco. I use a basic Delonghi (sp?) brand heater I paid around $40 for. It has three heat settings and a dial thermostat. I set it on the medium setting with the dial set to full, then the Ranco turns it off and on to maintain the background temperature in the room.

I use a Lasko Low Profile Room Heater, which has a built in thermostat. It has been great for the past, at least 6-7 years. I also have a back up one which is the same exact model except digital, new in the box, to use once this one goes out.

I use this, alongside with our natural TX weather. For late spring and all summer, the heater is not on hardly ever, as my snake room stays at a nice 76-79 with the AC vent closed. Fall and winter, and this heater is on.

I saw new models of this type at Home Depot the other day for $40. For me, they have worked great. :)