deerharvester
Established Member
I was wondering if any one has any efficient heating ideas for my chams room. It is in the basement and it gets chilly in the winter time.
Thanks for looking
Thanks for looking
heating ideas?
- Thread starter deerharvester
- Start date
maxttu
New Member
You can try a ceramic space heater. They're priced anywhere from 19.99 to 100.00 depending on size and function.
I have something similar to this:
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
I prefer the oil filled units. They have less chance of hot spots or mech failure. My force blown units would get hair and stuff stuck in them, and they run hot to begin with.
deerharvester
Established Member
Which type is most cost efficient
maxttu
New Member
Depends on how many hours your're running each unit. I stole this from a customer review:
"I have a 2 story, 1600 sq ft house. I heat with oil normally but with the price at $3.80 a gallon, I decided to offset the oil heat with this. It uses the same electricity as a large window a/c unit. I set my regular thermostat way down and put this unit in the center of the house at the entry to the upstairs with fans on low to circulate air, and it keeps the furnace from kicking on more than a few times a day.
I checked my last electricity bill to find out how much I pay per kwH. You can do this by dividing your total bill amount by the # of kwH's used. Mine (before I bought the unit) was $127 for 843 kwH so I pay approximately 15 cents per kwH.
This unit is 1500 watts. That means 1.5 kw per hour or 1.5 kwH. If I used this unit nonstop for an entire month-which is about 730 hours-it would cost me about 164$, which is much cheaper than the oil heat. The equation is 22.5 cents(1.5 kwH X15 cents per kwH) times 730 hours. That gives you $164. You would have to add your normal energy usage to this. So even if I ran the unit 24/7, and it added the $164 to my usual $127, my next bill would be $291 for heat and electricity-still cheaper than the $380 it cost me for a 100 gallon fill up of fuel, which lasts about 5 weeks in the coldest part of winter."
"I have a 2 story, 1600 sq ft house. I heat with oil normally but with the price at $3.80 a gallon, I decided to offset the oil heat with this. It uses the same electricity as a large window a/c unit. I set my regular thermostat way down and put this unit in the center of the house at the entry to the upstairs with fans on low to circulate air, and it keeps the furnace from kicking on more than a few times a day.
I checked my last electricity bill to find out how much I pay per kwH. You can do this by dividing your total bill amount by the # of kwH's used. Mine (before I bought the unit) was $127 for 843 kwH so I pay approximately 15 cents per kwH.
This unit is 1500 watts. That means 1.5 kw per hour or 1.5 kwH. If I used this unit nonstop for an entire month-which is about 730 hours-it would cost me about 164$, which is much cheaper than the oil heat. The equation is 22.5 cents(1.5 kwH X15 cents per kwH) times 730 hours. That gives you $164. You would have to add your normal energy usage to this. So even if I ran the unit 24/7, and it added the $164 to my usual $127, my next bill would be $291 for heat and electricity-still cheaper than the $380 it cost me for a 100 gallon fill up of fuel, which lasts about 5 weeks in the coldest part of winter."
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
What temps are you looking at? If the basement doesn't get below 60 F then it may not be a big problem as long as your chams can bask every day for as long as they need to. They may take longer to reach "operating temp" when the room is cooler, but that may be all you notice.
But if you are talking below 50 or lower then maybe the oil-filled heater on a thermostat could take the edge off. Also, is the floor the cold area only? It could be that the room at the height your chams live is still OK. You still want to provide the temp drop at night however.
deerharvester
Established Member
Right now it still gets up to mid 70s and down 2 upper 60s. In the dead of winter it goes a good bit lower.
DekuScrub
Avid Member
i agree with carlton. ive always kept my chams in the basement. the seasonal temperature differences are the most stable down there.
winter the coldest it seems to get is upper 60s. 68 specifically
what species do you keep some are going to tolerate those drops much better. in fact i perfer to have a drop at night over stable ambient temperatures 24/7. you should be fine while the lights are on.
id get concerned if it drops into the upper 50s. but as long as they have consistent photo periods and a warm basking spot a drop into the mid upper 60s should be safe. if anything their metabolism will slow and you wont have too feed them as much.
additional heating is probably going to drop your humidity as well.
so what species do you have and how many?
winter the coldest it seems to get is upper 60s. 68 specifically
what species do you keep some are going to tolerate those drops much better. in fact i perfer to have a drop at night over stable ambient temperatures 24/7. you should be fine while the lights are on.
id get concerned if it drops into the upper 50s. but as long as they have consistent photo periods and a warm basking spot a drop into the mid upper 60s should be safe. if anything their metabolism will slow and you wont have too feed them as much.
additional heating is probably going to drop your humidity as well.
so what species do you have and how many?
deerharvester
Established Member
3 nosey be, 2ambilobe
