# Dimmer stat arghhhhhh!



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

our probe is on the cold end, and the dimmerstat is plugged in to outr basking spot but the thing is impossible to set!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! are we doing something wrong is it :censor:? one minute its 106 degrees then next its 90 something and it has even been over 110 luckily we where here so where able to turn it down but this stat seems to be a lot of hard work.


----------



## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

is it ambient temps or basking temps your measuring ?


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

I'd put your probe closer to the basking spot


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

It was in the middle and i didnt get ne joy then, i havent got it directly under the basking spot because the temp on the dimmer stat only goes up to 92 god im confused :bash::lol2:


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

wendyandgary said:


> It was in the middle and i didnt get ne joy then, i havent got it directly under the basking spot because the temp on the dimmer stat only goes up to 92 god im confused :bash::lol2:


How do you mean 'didnt get any joy'?

Maybe you have too much or too little ventilation?

Is the ambient room temp very cold?

How bigs the viv and what bulb are you using?

Where exactly is the probe?

etc etc


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

Right the viv is 4ft x18x21 it has 5 vents we are using 100 watt homebase bulb, the ambient temp in the room is the same as the rest of the house which is ok not hot nor cold.


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

oh and the probe is on the cold end at the moment


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

wendyandgary said:


> oh and the probe is on the cold end at the moment


In the air? On the back wall? On the substrate? How near to a vent?

What dimmer stat is it? How are you measuring the temperature?

Sorry for all the Questions, but it could be a multitude of possibilities and we need to rule things out


----------



## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

if its the basking spot temp you are worried about the dimming stat wont keep it at a constant temp best to move to move bulb higher or lower till you get correct temp for basking or use a higher or lower watt bulb.
put the probe of the stat in middle of viv and set it to the max ambient temp that is needed.
then if the middle of the viv reaches this temp the bulb will dim preventing your reptile overheating.
once the temp drops again the bulb will recieve full power from stat again.
if the viv is very small you will have no chance of obtaining a decent basking temp compared to ambient temps. viv will always be to hot stat wont work properly

hope this makes sense probs not i suck at explaining


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

Ok its resting on her log about 8 inches from a vent, its a habistat dimmer


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

meausuring temp on a digital exo terra thermometer as advised


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

yellrat said:


> if its the basking spot temp you are worried about the dimming stat wont keep it at a constant temp best to move to move bulb higher or lower till you get correct temp for basking or use a higher or lower watt bulb.
> put the probe of the stat in middle of viv and set it to the max ambient temp that is needed.
> then if the middle of the viv reaches this temp the bulb will dim preventing your reptile overheating.
> once the temp drops again the bulb will recieve full power from stat again.
> ...


 
We tried it in the middle but couldnt keep it constant and we have also tried a 60watt bulb and changing the hight of the bulb ??? and im still pigged of with it lol


----------



## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

the stat is to prevent the ambient temp in the viv from reaching dangerous limits.
it just dims it instead of an on off stat so it wont keep blowing bulbs.
you wont be able to get a constant basking spot temp just by moving the probe.
say under the light you had diagonal log going from floor to half way up viv then you rep could select basking temp it wanted.
i have made a multi height area under basking area of brothers bd so bd can bask in a range of temps from 80f up to around 120.
have done same with my ackies but use a higher watt bulb as they like a hotter basking area.

like i say i find it hard to put into words what i mean but i hope it helps


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

yellrat said:


> the stat is to prevent the ambient temp in the viv from reaching dangerous limits.
> it just dims it instead of an on off stat so it wont keep blowing bulbs.
> you wont be able to get a constant basking spot temp just by moving the probe.
> say under the light you had diagonal log going from floor to half way up viv then you rep could select basking temp it wanted.
> ...


 yep thats a really good idea ! have you got ne pics? jus so i can get the jist


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

yellrat said:


> the stat is to prevent the ambient temp in the viv from reaching dangerous limits.
> it just dims it instead of an on off stat so it wont keep blowing bulbs.
> you wont be able to get a constant basking spot temp just by moving the probe.
> say under the light you had diagonal log going from floor to half way up viv then you rep could select basking temp it wanted.
> ...


 
Hi. A dimming stat is to allow the viv to 'hold' a predetermined temperature. 

Why do you think you wont be able to get a constant temperature by moving the probe?

You idea about the range of heights is sound for an unstatted light source, but the problem is that the temperature keeps fluctuating meaning even with your idea the temps arent constant to allow the beardie to chose its temps.

OP: When you had the probe in the middle, what was the stat set at?


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

Crownan said:


> Hi. A dimming stat is to allow the viv to 'hold' a predetermined temperature.
> 
> Why do you think you wont be able to get a constant temperature by moving the probe?
> 
> ...


 tbh i dont rememba ive messed with it that much lol where is the best place for my probe to be?


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

is it possible to get a constant basking temp?


----------



## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

Crownan said:


> Hi. A dimming stat is to allow the viv to 'hold' a predetermined temperature.
> 
> Why do you think you wont be able to get a constant temperature by moving the probe?
> 
> ...


i was offering advice on what works for me have never been able to get reliable basking temp by moving probe.
if you put probe in cold end the bulb may never dim if ambient temp doesnt rise.
if you put it to close bulb will go on and off like a disco + everytime room temp changes are you going to move the probe as this will effect the basking temp as the stat will dim earlier if its warmer and dim later if its colder i prefer to use a stat to prevent overheating.
by selecting the right wattage bulb or moving bulb up or down or floor level higher or lower thus changing distance between bulb and reptile which will change basking temps.

people will have different methods but for me way i do it gives me acurate temps.
hope this helps


----------



## ratking (Mar 4, 2008)

in a 4 ft viv with 5 vents and a 100 watt bulb ur going to struggle. i would up the wattage of the bulb or switch to a 150 0r 250 watt ceramic. the reason ur temps a fluctuating so much is becuase as the temp changes in the house the viv temps will go up and down because i doubt ur bulb is dimming because its working to hard to heat that size viv.put the probe in the middle off the viv on the floor.put your thermo probe under the light and adjust till u get right temp.


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

yellrat said:


> i was offering advice on what works for me have never been able to get reliable basking temp by moving probe.
> *Then you must be doing something wrong as this is the whole purpose of a thermostat.*
> 
> if you put probe in cold end the bulb may never dim if ambient temp doesnt rise.
> ...


 


In my 4ft x 2ft x 2ft Beardie viv I have a 150W heat lamp at one end. The probe of the dimmer stat is just less than half way down the viv from the bulb, right at the back of the viv, resting on the substrate. I have the stat set at approx 90F which gives me a basking spot of 100-110F. (It doesnt have to sit at an exact temperature all the time, just as long as its within an acceptabl range) 


Have you tried a more powerful bulb? This may help to heat the ambient temps in the whole viv a bit more allowing the stat to work better?


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

these temps are driving us crazy our bd doesnt bask that much but when she does i dont want her to cook.


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

wendyandgary said:


> these temps are driving us crazy our bd doesnt bask that much but when she does i dont want her to cook.


 
Anything from 100-115F is ok


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

ratking said:


> in a 4 ft viv with 5 vents and a 100 watt bulb ur going to struggle. i would up the wattage of the bulb or switch to a 150 0r 250 watt ceramic. the reason ur temps a fluctuating so much is becuase as the temp changes in the house the viv temps will go up and down because i doubt ur bulb is dimming because its working to hard to heat that size viv.put the probe in the middle off the viv on the floor.put your thermo probe under the light and adjust till u get right temp.


The bulb seems dimm all the time! or is that cause im looking at it too much lol i can get temps over 110 with a 100 watt bulb


----------



## yellrat (Jun 13, 2008)

Crownan
why do you feel the need to say that everything i say is wrong when i stated it was what worked for me and everyone will have different opinons on what to do i was trying to help them by giving advice that has worked for me.
anyways no more posts from me


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

yellrat said:


> Crownan
> why do you feel the need to say that everything i say is wrong when i stated it was what worked for me and everyone will have different opinons on what to do i was trying to help them by giving advice that has worked for me.
> anyways no more posts from me


 I appreciate all your advise and i will prob try your method once ive managed to regulate the temps but i think crownan is jus trying to help us understand the hole dimmer stat thing lol


----------



## Crownan (Jan 6, 2007)

wendyandgary said:


> I appreciate all your advise and i will prob try your method once ive managed to regulate the temps but i think crownan is jus trying to help us understand the hole dimmer stat thing lol


Exactly.

I dont mean to offend but your advise is not correcting the problem, its going around it.


----------



## grannykins (Oct 9, 2006)

What kind of bulb are you using. It doesnt sound like a heat spot bulb if its from Homebase ( or was it B&Q).


----------



## wendyandgary (Mar 28, 2009)

Yeah its a 100 watt spot from homebase


----------

