Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For anyone wanting a dimmer but not knowing how to make one.

You can get all you need for a simple dimmer setup from a hardware store. Just use standard house wiring components:

Dimmer (standard rotary knob light dimmer will work fine)
duplex outlet
4-plex electrical box (metal)
Box cover for combo switch/outlet
Power cord
strain relief

Remove one knockout for power cord.
install strain relief in hole and clamp power cord in place.

To make both outlets dimmed:
Green wire to outlet ground (green screw)
white wire to outlet neutral (silver terminal)
black wire to dimmer (either wire)
Other dimmer wire to outlet hot (brass screw)

OR, to make only one outlet dimmed:
Remove the bridge between the two brass screws on the outlet, just bend back and forth with pliers and it will come off.
Connect all three power cord wires to outlet, green - green screw, white - silver screw and black - brass screw.
Connect the dimmer between the two seperated brass screws. can use screws or insert holes on backside of outlet.

install dimmer and outlet to box (or cover?)
Install cover to box.

Now the dimmer will control the voltage to the outlets. you can verify with a house lamp, if the light is dimming, you've done it correctly

Some pics of a finished dimmer wired for one outlet hot, one outlet dimmed:
Dimmer fully assembled

Showing wiring for one outlet hot, one outlet dimmed

Shows missing bridge between brass screws

If you need more details I can supply or your local hardware store employee should also be able to help.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
12.24 BRB
11.13 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Although I could be wrong and the picture doesn't show it, but why isn't your box and switch grounded?

I've used rheostats before but have always "hard wired" them into the heating device. I like this idea better.

A question: Has anyone else had problems with certain dimmers NOT working well with a single panel of larger (11" or 17"flexwatt? I think that certain dimmers don't work well with low wattage heating devices. Any thoughts?

Jamie

hmmm.... looks like I got hit by a random smiley???

If you look at a large hardware store (Lowe's, etc) you will find they sell two types of inline lamp dimmers.

The simplest one simply plugs into the wall and you plug the heat tape into the other end of the dimmer cord. It has a sliding type dimmer that I usually mark with a sharpie at the desired level.

The slightly more complicated type has to be wired inline to the cord, but it ends up looking a lot nicer than a big gray electrical box. Putting it in is a simple process -
- spilit cord
- cut one non-ground wire
- feed it in opposite ends of the dimmer box
- put it back together
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

>>If you look at a large hardware store (Lowe's, etc) you will find they sell two types of inline lamp dimmers.
>>
>>The simplest one simply plugs into the wall and you plug the heat tape into the other end of the dimmer cord. It has a sliding type dimmer that I usually mark with a sharpie at the desired level.
>>
>>The slightly more complicated type has to be wired inline to the cord, but it ends up looking a lot nicer than a big gray electrical box. Putting it in is a simple process -
>>- spilit cord
>>- cut one non-ground wire
>>- feed it in opposite ends of the dimmer box
>>- put it back together
>>-----
>>Chris Harrison
>>San Antonio, Texas
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Stupid enter button.

Here's a link to a site with a photo of the inline dimmers I am talking about -

In line Lamp dimmers

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas