frost stats

[ian130366]

Hi All,

Please bear with me on this, and dont think I am mad,

But I would like some info on frost stats, I know you can set the temp when it comes on (between 3 and 10 degrees) but can you set the temp that it cuts off at? the reason being I want to fit one in my outdoor enclosure for tortoises to stop the temp dropping below 7 and not getting above 10 at night I would connect the stat to a enclosed bar heater to provide heat. I have looked on specialist reptile sites and they have stats but dont go low enough.

Is this the correct place to post this - its vaguely related to heating!!.
Any help would be appreciated.

Ian

 

[gas4you]

Just set it to 8 or 9 then!

 

[Rob]

Just set it to 8 or 9 then!

This man is a Genius!

 

[gas4you]

I thank you Autographs available online

 

[wilhelm]

ffs.

simply connect frostat to one of these

and bingo lovely roasted torrrtoise. i have to say i like roast lamb best.


mmmmmmm

 

[gas4you]

Bet the tortoise would beat the hare in that race

 

[timmy74]

ffs.

simply connect frostat to one of these

and bingo lovely roasted torrrtoise. i have to say i like roast lamb best.


mmmmmmm

cruel but

 

[ian130366]

sorry i asked for advice,

never mind, I just wanted some help, with a subject I am unfamiliar with thought this might be the place to get it - WRONG..

like the jokes though but wouldnt cook them, they are to profitable,

2* female tortoises
1* male tortoise

Tortoise sex = 25 hatchlings per year at £200 a pop = Range Rover fror
me!! yay.

 

[Rob]

Tortoise sex = 25 hatchlings per year at £200 a pop = Range Rover fror
me!! yay.

A £ 5000 range rover? nice ...

 

[ChrisR]

Like any thermostat, a frost stat turns on at one temperature, and off again at some higher temperature. The difference is called hysteresis.

How critical is the 10°?
How big's the enclosure?
The distribution of heat in the enclosure will not be even, so it depends where you put the stat.
A frost stat might have a couple of degrees hysteresis, some are variable, but that's secondary, really.
Obviously if you put the stat well away from the heat source, parts of the enclosure, nearer the heater, will overheat.
But if you put it very close, then as soon as that area is up to the upper limit, the heat will go off and the distant parts won't warm up much.
What sort of heating? I was wondering if under-tile electric heating would be appropriate, as it would be nice and even.

Watch the rating of the electrical contacts - heatng controls are often only rated for an amp or two, though some are designed for 13A.

 

[ian130366]

ChrisR

thanks for the sensible reply, the enclosure is about 1 metre by 1/2 metre by 1/2 metre high as for temps it needs to stop the night temp going below 6-7 but not over 9-10 have looked at room stats but they seem to be set for around 16 degrees so thats why i thought a frost thermostat.

cant use underfloor heating as tortoises need heat from above from below will kill them.

p.s. the R.R didnt cost 5K its yearly payments on a R.R.

thanks for the reply - bear with me Im not a plumber!!

 

[breezer]

what about a tubular heater?

 

[ChrisR]

This is yer standard frost stat, used for turning heating on to protect boilers in outside buildings etc.

http://content.honeywell.com/uk/homes/Catalogue/Heating Controls/2.16 T4360.pdf
What are you using for heating, then? You could use undefloor matting pinned inside the roof. Anything thermally massive, like an oil filled radiator, would tend to overshoot your 10 degrees. I suppose a light bulb would keep them awake?!

 

[Agile]

The traditional frost stat is a mechanical device with an undisclosed hysterisis but usually 3-4°C.

I would suggest that you look at the digital stats as they have a hysterisis of about 1°C and many of them will give control down to at least 6°C or lower. However, check that aspect before you buy.

Another aspect is that you must have only a low output heater. If its too powerful it will give a too rapid rise in temperature and considerable overshoot. That could be quite harmful to tortoises.

As I recall tortoises during hybernation can survive several days around 0°C ???

However, its only in cold climates that tortoises hybernate so if you can control the environmental conditions why not keep them awake all the year and breeding all the time? Lots of UV light encourages them to breed and become active.

As an aside, how do tortoises make love?

Tony

 

[ian130366]

Hi Tony thanks for your reply, I will get some info on digital stats, as far as hibernation goes they have a system if I remember its controlled by a hormone called dopamine, that when the temp drops below 6 it kicks in and they start to hibernate, but if the temp goes belo 0 their brains freeze because they are cold blooded they cant get their temp up, and as they live outside it gets to cold for them to breed all year, when it gets to about october I bring them in and starve them for 8 weeks to "clear them out" then put them on the fridge (constant 5 degrees) for 2 to 3 months.

I was wanting to put the heater in (a tube heater like Breezer suggested) to keep the temp up as to much fluctuation around 6 degrees will eventually use up their hormone and they just go to sleep and die!

As for how they mate, frantically and rapidly beleive it or not, the male needs a harem of 2 or 3 females or he will pester one female so much they die of stress! , they will even try to hump your shoe!