How was it in there last night?
oil radiator help!
- Thread starter piggiemummy03x
- Start date
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
ranged from 20 - 15.9!
Mrs Tiggy Winkle
Senior Guinea Pig
I could look for a link next time I'm on my computer as opposed to on my phone, but it will be German.
Maybe with all the ensuing info from Piggies andBuns you don't need this info any more? Please let me know.
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
i would still like to look at other options, especially if i can get something that keeps its temperature!
It’s possibly not going to keep it at exactly one temperature though
It is obviously coming on, heating the space and then turning off again.
When the heater goes off the oil inside takes time to cool back down meaning the room could continue to heat up for a little while.
When it gets just below the temperature you have it set at, it will turn back on but will take time to heat up and in the intervening time the temperature in the room could continue to drop for a little while.
The thermostat doesn’t actually have a number on it by the looks of it so it’s going to be tricky to know what it is actually set at.
Sounds ok to me - all perfectly within their comfort zone. I wouldn’t be worried by this.
Mrs Tiggy Winkle
Senior Guinea Pig
RSBM
That's how mine works. My piggies were always inside, so I didn't actually have the oil radiator specially for them, but rather as additional heating in my office. I suppose on account of them being inside I didn't get too het up about exact degrees. My previous places were in very old stone buildings that didn't heat up much in summer and I could keep them warm enough the rest of the year.
Sorry to have maybe got your hopes up.
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
ah right of course, starting to understand a bit better how these rads work now. so thats okay for my girls to handle as long as its not huge jumps of temperature in a short space of time?
yes i was looking at potentially getting one with a number so i could set it however i just don’t have the money right now..
i think as long as the girls are going to be okay with the slight fluctuations throughout the day / night, it will be okay. when i first moved them out, i thought they had to be kept at one temperature (like in our house) and didn't realise about fluctuations but i suppose thats silly because the temp outside is going to affect it so itll never just sit at one temperature! thanks for explaining, as long as its definitely not going to make them poorly. I'm assuming if they are cold they will go to the sleep compartment too?
last night again fluctuated from 20 down to 15.9 early hours of this morning (when it was the coldest outside) so it makes total sense. i just want to ensure this is definitely okay for them, i just worry.
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
ah i see. definitely misunderstood! thanks for explaining
They will be fine. Please don’t worry.
You can conclude that yours is keeping it at 18 degrees - it’s only going two degrees down and two degrees up from that; that is pretty stable.
There is nothing you have said which would worry me at all - in fact the opposite, if I could heat my shed and it be at the temperature yours is at then I would be absolutely thrilled! All the concerns I have about them during winter would be completely gone!
I really do have to worry about mine being cold; it is much harder and done only through covers, hay and microwave heatpads - I am only able to keep the cages themselves warm. Yes I do manage it and they have been fine for years but a heater getting the whole shed to the temp yours is would be my dream!
No it’s not going to be the same as a house - the construction, insulation and heating source are all going to mean it acts differently.
And even shed to shed you’re going to get variations - as I said, my previous shed was always warmer than this shed is
Hutches completely outside aren’t usually heated, so piggies will be in exactly the temperature as it is outside. You think, it could be 2 degrees at night and 10 degrees in the day and they are in those changes all the time and are fine.
As I said to you before, the fact you have a shed makes a huge difference and provides all the wind and rain protection they need - that in itself is a massive bonus to how they feel
If they were cold and consistently kept too cold they would be huddled up trying to keep warm, they would feel cold to the touch, would probably lose weight.
None of those things are happening so you don’t need to worry
You can conclude that yours is keeping it at 18 degrees - it’s only going two degrees down and two degrees up from that; that is pretty stable.
There is nothing you have said which would worry me at all - in fact the opposite, if I could heat my shed and it be at the temperature yours is at then I would be absolutely thrilled! All the concerns I have about them during winter would be completely gone!
I really do have to worry about mine being cold; it is much harder and done only through covers, hay and microwave heatpads - I am only able to keep the cages themselves warm. Yes I do manage it and they have been fine for years but a heater getting the whole shed to the temp yours is would be my dream!
No it’s not going to be the same as a house - the construction, insulation and heating source are all going to mean it acts differently.
And even shed to shed you’re going to get variations - as I said, my previous shed was always warmer than this shed is
Hutches completely outside aren’t usually heated, so piggies will be in exactly the temperature as it is outside. You think, it could be 2 degrees at night and 10 degrees in the day and they are in those changes all the time and are fine.
As I said to you before, the fact you have a shed makes a huge difference and provides all the wind and rain protection they need - that in itself is a massive bonus to how they feel
If they were cold and consistently kept too cold they would be huddled up trying to keep warm, they would feel cold to the touch, would probably lose weight.
None of those things are happening so you don’t need to worry
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
thank you so much!
although now iv cracked this i need to work out what i’m going to do about the warm weather lol!
I'm obviously going to get a mesh door, but how does that work if in the mornings its still super cold but come afternoon its roasting in there and needs the door open but i’m out? how do you work around this if you don’t mind sharing?
I just open the door in the morning anyway - better to be a bit chilly and have to snuggle into hay in the morning than to risk severe consequences in the afternoon
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
okay.. maybe i need to gradually reduce the temp then so its not as much of a shock doing that. just thinking for example if its at 18 then i suddenly open the door and its 10 outside surely that difference in temperature isn’t going to be good?
They would certainly feel a change like that.
Are you only using the heater overnight at the moment?
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
this is what I'm worried about, at the moment its been on in the day too but turned off once it gets warm. so i could get them used to more outside temps..
I wouldn’t have it on in the day if the temp is above 10 degrees and the forecast says it’s going to get warmer into the afternoon
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
so when the temperature outside is 10+ degrees turn it off in the day and then just keep it on at night, maybe trying to get it to sit around 17 (should be 15 - 19 then with the oil heating and cooling etc)? and then as soon as it gets to 10 degrees in the morning turn off, and put back on when it gets to 10 degrees at night?
That sounds good. Night times are still a bit chilly at the moment (predicted to be down to to 1 degree here on Sunday night) but day times are pretty warm.
It won’t be long before they don’t need it at night either though
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
thank you! I'm still worried about the fluctuations but i suppose if its over a long period its not something you really need to worry about?
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
would it not be an issue though if say the day was 10-14 degrees but then at night the heater got it to 20?
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
like how come i have to keep them at 15 at night but in the day just 10+ is okay? sorry
You’re putting so much more thought into the actual numbers than I ever do!
Basically for me - If it’s cold they get more bedding; if it’s a warm day and it’s getting warm in the shed they go into the run; if it’s hot mid summer they come into the house. I only get concerned when temps go below 10 degrees at night or above 25 in the day. And I’ll be honest, even if it was 8 degrees at night I don’t necessarily go full on measures as it’s probably still 10 degrees in the shed anyway. They cope better with being cool, and mine are used to it, than they do with it being too hot.
The temperature change between day and night is not something I get concerned about - theres nothing I can do about it and at this time of year the change between day and night is usually a lot.
They get ill through getting too hot. They get ill through living outside mid winter and then suddenly being brought into a hot house for cuddle time and then put back outside again.
They don’t get ill through a gradual and natural change in temperature overnight and into the day - they’ve got bedding and houses to snuggle into if they need to at night. If they did get ill through the change in temp between day and night on a single day then nobody would ever be able to keep them outside.
I’m saying 15 at night to you because yours have come from inside and aren’t yet fully adjusted to being outside where overnight temps are quite different at this time of year. But after a week or so I’d be looking at turning it down and just using it to take the chill off and letting them get used to it being a bit cooler so that you can turn the heater off entirely within the next few weeks.
If it’s 10 degrees in the morning and you can see from the forecast that it’s going to get warmer as the day goes on, then turn the heater off and let them get used to how it changes throughout the day.
If you’re going to ensure they are at a minimum of 15 at night at all times then you may end up using the heater at night year round which would just be unnecessary.
Basically for me - If it’s cold they get more bedding; if it’s a warm day and it’s getting warm in the shed they go into the run; if it’s hot mid summer they come into the house. I only get concerned when temps go below 10 degrees at night or above 25 in the day. And I’ll be honest, even if it was 8 degrees at night I don’t necessarily go full on measures as it’s probably still 10 degrees in the shed anyway. They cope better with being cool, and mine are used to it, than they do with it being too hot.
The temperature change between day and night is not something I get concerned about - theres nothing I can do about it and at this time of year the change between day and night is usually a lot.
They get ill through getting too hot. They get ill through living outside mid winter and then suddenly being brought into a hot house for cuddle time and then put back outside again.
They don’t get ill through a gradual and natural change in temperature overnight and into the day - they’ve got bedding and houses to snuggle into if they need to at night. If they did get ill through the change in temp between day and night on a single day then nobody would ever be able to keep them outside.
I’m saying 15 at night to you because yours have come from inside and aren’t yet fully adjusted to being outside where overnight temps are quite different at this time of year. But after a week or so I’d be looking at turning it down and just using it to take the chill off and letting them get used to it being a bit cooler so that you can turn the heater off entirely within the next few weeks.
If it’s 10 degrees in the morning and you can see from the forecast that it’s going to get warmer as the day goes on, then turn the heater off and let them get used to how it changes throughout the day.
If you’re going to ensure they are at a minimum of 15 at night at all times then you may end up using the heater at night year round which would just be unnecessary.
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
yes I'm sorry
i take things quite literally i think and just stress. youve explained it really well and i really really appreciate all the replies and effort youve put in to teach me and reasure me. makes total sense, thank you so much.
yes I'm sorry
I totally get it, please don’t apologise.
I am worried you are getting quite stressed about sticking to certain numbers though.
Yes of course you need to keep them warm, particularly given they’ve only just gone out, but they also need to get used to changes in temperature as things naturally fluctuate.
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
yes i do get very obsessive with numbers in a lot of ways i suppose. of course, think I'm just used to indoor heating when it would stick to one temperature 24/7!
Roselina
Forum Donator 2025/26
You’ve had fantastic advice from @Piggies&buns
You’ll get it sorted and it’s just because you’re devoted to your piggies
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
do you think i could start lowering the over night temp in there now? 1 week and 3 days they have been in the summer house. keeping between 14 - 18. could i now start lowering to 14 - 16? or would you go less than that?
You aren’t looking to lower the temperature in there as such, you just want to set it at a minimum temperature in which they are comfortable and let the heater tick over and come on as and when it needs to.
If the shed is staying between 14 and 18 now then that sounds absolutely fine as it is.
Keep the heater at 14 degrees so that it doesn’t need to drop any lower than that.
If the night is then a warm one and it doesn’t get below that temp then the heater simply won’t come on (and then eventually you’ll be able to turn it off anyway as night times will consistently be warm enough).
If it is a colder night then the heater will come on.
If the shed is staying between 14 and 18 now then that sounds absolutely fine as it is.
Keep the heater at 14 degrees so that it doesn’t need to drop any lower than that.
If the night is then a warm one and it doesn’t get below that temp then the heater simply won’t come on (and then eventually you’ll be able to turn it off anyway as night times will consistently be warm enough).
If it is a colder night then the heater will come on.
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
no thats what I'm getting it too with the heater. iv just got a new device you use in reptiles tanks that set temperature so it turns on/off at the temperature you set.
so essentially i can set it to turn on when it hits 14, but i need to know a temp to set it too so it knows when to turn off. hope this makes sense.
Oh right, I didn’t know you had bought a new thermostat at my first reply.
As you know, their comfort zone is 18-22 but not really lower than 15 and not higher then 25 (but they will cope better with being below 15 than they will being too much above 25).
It doesn’t matter if the shed drops to say 13 while the heater is heating back up but set it at a low 15 and a high of 20 and see if the thermostatic device works well at that setting and adjust if necessary.
If it’s getting too warm, then turn them down a degree or two
As you know, their comfort zone is 18-22 but not really lower than 15 and not higher then 25 (but they will cope better with being below 15 than they will being too much above 25).
It doesn’t matter if the shed drops to say 13 while the heater is heating back up but set it at a low 15 and a high of 20 and see if the thermostatic device works well at that setting and adjust if necessary.
If it’s getting too warm, then turn them down a degree or two
piggiemummy03x
Adult Guinea Pig
perfect so i can set it to 15 minimum, 20 max and see how it fairs!
sorry i should have mentioned I'm all over the place at the minute