Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have hooked up my first rack and am happy with it. I am heating with rope light and need to put it on a dimmer. I want a atleast semi easy to install. I am fine with the plug into the wall and plug the rope light into it but they are dang expensive (atleast at the Ace hardware on my corner I have to check lowes and home depot). What is less expensive, or where should I get this. How expensive are most of these dimmers. How would you hook up a different kind of dimmer? If I answer my question by finding a plug in for cheap I will tell you guys. Thanx for the answers Josh.
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thanks Josh

0.0.2 sandfish skinks,
0.0.1 texas long nose luckily eating mice
0.0.1 vine snake
1.1.0 turtles
0.1.0 greek tortoise
1.0.0 ball python
1.0.0 corn snake
1.1.0 childrens python (one needs a vet please close to 48301 or 48302 any suggestions?)
1.0.0 het for albino san diego gopher snake
0.0.1 rosehair tarantula
0.1. black and white kenyan sand boa
mice colony almost able to keep up with snakes.
and what ever lizards my vine snake hasn't eaten yet

I seem to remember someone saing the plug in dimmers were like $15 at lowes. I personally use the kind you wire yourself a bit cheaper at $4 all depends on what you want.
Jeremy
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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino RTB -Coming Soon-
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's -Coming Soon-
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse

What ones do you use and how do you sire them to a normal plug?
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thanks Josh

0.0.2 sandfish skinks,
0.0.1 texas long nose luckily eating mice
0.0.1 vine snake
1.1.0 turtles
0.1.0 greek tortoise
1.0.0 ball python
1.0.0 corn snake
1.1.0 childrens python (one needs a vet please close to 48301 or 48302 any suggestions?)
1.0.0 het for albino san diego gopher snake
0.0.1 rosehair tarantula
0.1. black and white kenyan sand boa
mice colony almost able to keep up with snakes.
and what ever lizards my vine snake hasn't eaten yet

I just get the 600 watt wall dimmer at my Local Hardware Store. I use a junction box and wire the cord diectly into the box that hoeses the dimmer.

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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino RTB -Coming Soon-
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's -Coming Soon-
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse

That was supposed to be "houses" the Dimmer.
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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino RTB -Coming Soon-
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's -Coming Soon-
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse

Home Depot... there like 10 dollars. I just bought another one today for the gecko enclosure!

Good luck!
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Lepard Gecko
0.0.4 Beta's
3.1.0 Warm blooded life sucking spawns.

Hey, I really love Rhino Iguanas. I thought about getting one in the early 90s, but they were very expensive. Do you have pics of those in your gallery? Derek

Actually I don't even have a single pic of them! LOL

Jeremy

Maybe I'll snap a few! LOL
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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino RTB -Coming Soon-
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's -Coming Soon-
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse

Please excuse the mess today was cleaning day and their enclosure missed out. Some other captives deamed more Nagging! LOL

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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

1.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow RTB's -Coming Soon-
0.1 Albino RTB -Coming Soon-
1.1 Hypomelenistic RTB's
0.2 Pastel Hypo RTB's -Coming Soon-
2.0 Double Het Stripe Albino RTB's
0.1 Suriname RTB
0.1 Anerthrystic RTB
1.0 Ball Python
1.1 Rhinoceros Iguana's
1.0 Green Iguana
1.1 Cream Golden Retrieviers
1.0 Pomeriaian
0.3 Catus Terribilis
0.1 Spouse

Jeremy, I got one of those dimmers and hooked it up, but the knob doesn't control the temp. I cut a 3 conducter extension in half. I took the male end and stripped it. I put the grounds together. I took the cord's black wire to one dimmer wire with one side of the heat tape. The white wire to the other black dimmer wire and the other side of the heat tape. Does this sound right? Thanks, Derek

Unplug that setup asap. You may have already ruined your dimmer, but maybe not. Here is how to do it correctly:

Cord (plug side of cord) black wire to one wire on dimmer (any one of the two wires on the dimmer.)

Other (nonconnected) dimmer wire to one side of the heat tape.

Cord (plug side of cord) white wire to other side of the heat tape.

Grounds together.

Again, that is:

Plug black wire to dimmer.
Other dimmer wire to heater.
Plug white wire to heater (opposite side of black wire).

If this doesn't work with your existing dimmer, then the dimmer is nonfunctional and must be replaced. Good luck.

Mark

>>Jeremy, I got one of those dimmers and hooked it up, but the knob doesn't control the temp. I cut a 3 conducter extension in half. I took the male end and stripped it. I put the grounds together. I took the cord's black wire to one dimmer wire with one side of the heat tape. The white wire to the other black dimmer wire and the other side of the heat tape. Does this sound right? Thanks, Derek

Thank you. After my thermostat reached 105 degs in the off position, I unplugged it. I didn't have it on any animals. I'm only partly dumb. LOL. I searched the internet and found the right way just like you said. Thanks, Derek