Cutting Energy Corners...

[Zephyr]

Okay, I've figured that it would cost less to heat my room via one of those mini heaters. Get it to 82 F, and leave it there with fluorescent lights on the garters. Are there any downfalls to the mini heaters?
Like gases emitted or anything?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Wow... its weird that you brought this up because I was actually planning to ask this same question. Those little heat towers at walmart save a lot of $$ on the electric bill, we have 3 of them running at our house and our electric bill did not even go up, AND our gas heat doesnt turn on which means.... less $$ on energy!

[infernalis]

Okay, I've figured that it would cost less to heat my room via one of those mini heaters. Get it to 82 F, and leave it there with fluorescent lights on the garters. Are there any downfalls to the mini heaters?
Like gases emitted or anything?

Here is what I use Kyle. It does a fine job, is inexpensive to operate and gives off NO fumes. (Does not dry the air like a heater with a fan does either)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/1heater.jpg

[reptile3]

we have one of those, I think it's in our attic... I have a small heater on my bench in the basement, so I keep warm when working on cables. Soon the basement is going to have heat down there! I can't wait~

[infernalis]

we have one of those, I think it's in our attic...

Wow you must have a warm attic:rolleyes:

Personally, I don't heat my attic.

[reptile3]

Wow you must have a warm attic:rolleyes:

Personally, I don't heat my attic.

in the attic in a box!! LOL

or we may have left it. not sure.

[infernalis]

in the attic in a box!! LOL


It must be REALLY warm inside that box:rolleyes:

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

I also have an oil heater and they are very inexpensive and heat the room easily

[NetBSD]

do as i do, i got 7 servers in my room (computers) and it keeps the room 80-85F with a exhaust fan in the window 24/7. right now i have it at a nuice 79.2F with the door cracked a bit letting the colder air in from the hallway

[drache]

Here is what I use Kyle. It does a fine job, is inexpensive to operate and gives off NO fumes. (Does not dry the air like a heater with a fan does either)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/1heater.jpg
that's what I use too and we've had ours for at least five years
we had another little electric one with a fan and it became unreliable after two years

[NetBSD]

that's what I use too and we've had ours for at least five years
we had another little electric one with a fan and it became unreliable after two years



yeah the ones with the fans always quit on me, i used the above oil heaters in my old house and they worked great. the oil inside really helps keep down the cost cause it holds the heat for a long time

[infernalis]

Picked this one up last April on sale for $20.

Like buying Christmas lights in January........

[brain]

Okay, I've figured that it would cost less to heat my room via one of those mini heaters. Get it to 82 F, and leave it there with fluorescent lights on the garters. Are there any downfalls to the mini heaters?
Like gases emitted or anything?

I have three of them in the houses and they save so much.
Right, Wayne, they are an oil sealed radiant system.
1 is in the guest house for the outside cats … don’t ask.
1 in our bedroom as a just in case.
And one 24/7 in my snake room keeping the ambient temp around 89 deg. in the summer.
If you know over the ones I have they shut off and no fuses what so ever.

[Loren]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/1heater.jpg


yep, I use one of these too. Mine is on a timer just for night time(make sure its rated high enough for the heater) when the temps are mildly cool and on full time when its real cold, and off the rest of the year.
I use a digital thermoter with a min/max memory, which takes readings at eye level and also from a probe near the floor, so I can check and adjust temp and duration as needed. In the winter, I shoot for no cooler than 72 night and no warmer than 85 day, personally, with an average of 80-82 being great.
I also have a 20 inch fan on low full time, pointing downward across the room from near the ceiling, and 2 small fans on the floor pointing in random directions, to keep the temps stable throughout the room. Care is take that no fans point directly at any cages. My room is 9' x 15'.

[infernalis]

Have a nice ceiling fan already there, have it on low to push the warm air down.

I manually adjust mine, There are temp strips on many of my tanks, a probe thermometer with humidity meter, and it keeps the 18 x 24 room comfy.

The heating baseboard runs along the back of Chompers enclosure, and the snake tower is against the same wall.

I could use a timer, but I don't mind fiddling with controls.

[brain]

A ceiling fan to circulate the upper temp down?
I have these in my livingroom and den but haven’t thought of putting one in my herp room … good one Loren TY I’ll do that.

Just as soon as this DA@# SNOW STOPS.:mad::mad:

I hate it 3 more inches last night island my !@#

[infernalis]

Many of my snakes like to stare up at the fan when it is on too. The motion gets attention.

[Loren]

I dont have a "ceiling fan", just a circular fan near the ceiling, on one end of the room. An actual ceiling fan wouldnt have enough clearance to keep from chopping me in the head when I am getting into my cages on the top shelves.

[infernalis]

When I got this house it had a "spare" living room, the ceiling fan was already there.

and Loren, I have clipped my head just last week:eek:

I was up on a stool, getting my corn snake out, when I felt a sharp "thump thump thump" on top of my head.

I am 6 foot 4, lucky to have 8 foot ceilings.

[Loren]

My room (soory the pic is crooked)

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/reptile_room.JPG

[Loren]

When I got this house it had a "spare" living room, the ceiling fan was already there.

and Loren, I have clipped my head just last week:eek:

I was up on a stool, getting my corn snake out, when I felt a sharp "thump thump thump" on top of my head.

I am 6 foot 4, lucky to have 8 foot ceilings.
Thats gotta hurt!

When I got my house, the reptile room ( a separate building) had just 2 outlets and a porch light. I insulated it, replaced the door, added about 14 outlets and an overhead light, and the fans and heater and an a/c unit.

[brain]

My room (soory the pic is crooked)



What a wonderful set up you have. How many snakes are there?
I moved into (10 yrs ago) about the same conditions. The was an out building 12’ x 16’ one light, no windows. Now I have put in a bay window, outlets on all four walls, insulated, dry walled, and paint … a good place to start my I’m thinking.
Wrong!
My wife said “Oh thank you for the guest house” :mad:!@#$%:mad:
So now there’s cable TV, heating and who stays in it … her outside kitties. Yes outside cats witch she puts up of a night and treats them with a spoon of Tuna snack (in water not oil).

[Loren]

I need to do a count again. I should normally have about 70 snakes in my collection(probably near 40 different species/subspecies), but I had some babies born, and took in a few extra snakes this year, putting me over 100 at one time. So I have been trying to get back down to 70-ish. Like I said- I am over due for a head count. Some are brumating in the house right now, so its a little harder to keep track.
This building becoming my reptile room was part of the agreement when we bought the place- not that it matters anymore- She isnt with me anymore.

I have slowly but surely been getting more and more of the cages heated with 4" flexwatt heat tape, giving them all a hot spot in the 90-95 range. When I get them all that way, I can leave the ambient a little lower, giving a lager temp range.

[brain]

Loren
Amazing room … love it. I believe this is what I want to do is raise a few different species of Thamnophis.
You said “40 different species/subspecies” are any of them local. I’m not sure what is local here and this would be one of my goals, reinforce or bolster. I do know that the Contia tenuis, Sharp-tailed snake is rare and protected in Washington.
I might just have to erect another out-building. Have you looked into using solar power for the energy source foe the tape? The more I think on this project the more involved it can get.

Humm this would be a good way to occupy my retirement days.

[Loren]

A large part of my collection is CA. native species- legally collected/aquired animals only. I do have a few odds and ends that are not native as well. It is my goal to have 1 of each species that I can legally have, apart from the very few that I may not be able to provide a steady captive diet for. I like to do presentations with them occasionally.
I tried to keep a Sharp tail in the past- I did not do well with it. According to books, they eat slugs and slender salamanders- but in my personal experience- they just eat slender salamanders(nearest slender habitat is 1.5 hours away).
I have not looked into solar power. I would love to hook my entire house up to solar- but the initial cost will need to come down some first- or my bank account balance will need to rise.
I did put quite a bit of work into the insulation of the room, so that helps with power useage. I also cover the windows with 2 inch thick foam panels- rated at R-13. The ceiling has 6" deep blow-in insulation that I spread by hand. The walls have R-13 under the sheetrock. The prehung steel door insulates great too.

For me, having a separate building is great- not all house visitors want the "reptile experience" and sometimes, like if an insurance man comes or something- it is best that they dont see them. This keeps the animals safe and out of site for all but those who want or need to see them.

[brain]

I tried to keep a Sharp tail in the past- I did not do well with it. According to books, they eat slugs and slender salamanders- but in my personal experience- they just eat slender salamanders(nearest slender habitat is 1.5 hours away)..

Slender salamanders … well I have enough slugs of three different types around here maybe that will work. A buddy herper knows of area in the Sedro/Woolley (town) where we might get one … hopefully.



For me, having a separate building is great- not all house visitors want the "reptile experience" and sometimes, like if an insurance man comes or something- it is best that they dont see them. This keeps the animals safe and out of site for all but those who want or need to see them.

True very, true my cleaning lady won’t go down the hallway towards my snake room ... lol. It was funny the first time she came. I told her I had snakes but really didn’t explain to well where they were. Short part was as soon as she opened the door and seen my Kings she did a 180 and screamed “Michael”. Brought back memories’ of my child hood. :o:o

[Loren]

yeah, I hope no one opens my master bathroom closet right now (my brumation room).

[infernalis]

The solar power comment got my attention quick.

We are situated in such a way that I can get direct exposure on solar panels from rise to set.

The overhead air current is almost always there, so small wind turbines would be very productive, And I have already began working with low voltage lighting on my enclosures.

By next winter we will have the wood boiler installed, and I can fuel it with my wood lot out back. I also figure excess thermal energy from the boiler could be used to generate power.

Another concoction I'd like to try, whenever I change the mouse enclosures, the wood chips begin fermenting rapidly, so why not dump all the organic matter from my enclosures into a big slurry tank to ferment, then distill the alcohol from that to use as well.

Use the wood boiler to run the still, free methanol:D

[brain]

We are situated in such a way that I can get direct exposure on solar panels from rise to set.

The overhead air current is almost always there, so small wind turbines would be very productive, And I have already began working with low voltage lighting on my enclosures.

By next winter we will have the wood boiler installed, and I can fuel it with my wood lot out back. I also figure excess thermal energy from the boiler could be used to generate power.

Another concoction I'd like to try, whenever I change the mouse enclosures, the wood chips begin fermenting rapidly, so why not dump all the organic matter from my enclosures into a big slurry tank to ferment, then distill the alcohol from that to use as well.

Use the wood boiler to run the still, free methanol:D

On my ½ acre lot we have a guest house, a lumber storage building and my El Camino with coverage so there is a lot here. I brought up the idea of another building for my snakes and it’s approved. As long as I figure out the power requirements. This is what has me looking into solar.

Where to place the panels is the tough one. Still looking into the cost part. :confused:

We do get wind coming thru the straits of San Juan Defuca but it gets defused by the trees, the evergreen state.

I’m done with the boiler idea I did that for 22 years in the Navy. But there is quite a potential power in steam good luck with that.

A still not a bad tough … mouse urine distillate hummm.:eek: