# Dimming thermostat - I am doing something wrong?



## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

Dimming thermostat... not working
(repost from Newbies section - could not find a way to move it)

Hi

Just picked up a HabiStat Thermostat and plugged it it.

Set it to max - 95F and placed the sensor in the warm part of the tank, towards the colder side, expecting it to leave the basking light on, since the thermometer was showing the temp was lower than 95F.

But the light never came on, I turned the dial on the thermostat randomly and that sometimes turned the light on.

I'm assuming this unit is faulty - or am I being a complete n00b? 

Also, my basking light is an Arcadia D3 UV Basking Lamp 100w.

Thanks


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## sinclairmic (Dec 11, 2011)

i dont know whether the dimmer stats and on/off stats work in a similar way. but my on/off stat was tempramental so i tried turning on the heat source without tge stat to build the temp then unplug and plug back into the stat it worked for me


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

sinclairmic said:


> i dont know whether the dimmer stats and on/off stats work in a similar way. but my on/off stat was tempramental so i tried turning on the heat source without tge stat to build the temp then unplug and plug back into the stat it worked for me



Thanks for that. 

Since the light was already on before I got the stat, it was already hot.


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

truly_juan said:


> Also, my basking light is an Arcadia D3 UV Basking Lamp 100w.


What animal is it? I would not recomend thermostating these as dimming stats mean the bulb is barely ever on full power, meaning the UV will have less effect.

I would only use a basking/UV light for tortoises, which do not always need a stt.


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

fardilis said:


> What animal is it? I would not recomend thermostating these as dimming stats mean the bulb is barely ever on full power, meaning the UV will have less effect.
> 
> I would only use a basking/UV light for tortoises, which do not always need a stt.


Its a bearded dragon.

I have a UV tube on for 12 hours a day.

The basking light is also emiting UV, which I had forgotten. I want the basking light to be on a dimmer so that I can control the temp.


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

truly_juan said:


> Its a bearded dragon.
> 
> I have a UV tube on for 12 hours a day.
> 
> The basking light is also emiting UV, which I had forgotten. I want the basking light to be on a dimmer so that I can control the temp.


As long as it has a 12% basking bulb on full power it's ok. Best off switching to a normal heat bulb for basking.


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

fardilis said:


> As long as it has a 12% basking bulb on full power it's ok. Best off switching to a normal heat bulb for basking.


Yeah the UV tube is 12%. Thanks.

I picked up a 100w lightbulb from B&Q and its now on the dimmer stat.


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

Quick update

The 100w spot light bulb was too much, so I got a 60w one and now the temps in the hot area range between 100-110f. 

And the dimming thermostat works, so it was the D3 that was causing it not to work.


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## peterf (Jul 27, 2007)

Sorry just seen this.
The Arcadia D3 is a ballasted UV bulb that cannot be used on any thermostats. They have a warm up period so cannot be controlled with an on/ off thermostat and they cannot be dimmed as they can only run on full 230 volts.
They can only be used if plugged directly into the mains and where there is not chance of an uncontrolled bulb overheating the enclosure.
I know you have resolved the problem but I thought I would respond just in case someone else has this problem.
Pretty sure it does say on the Arcadia details cannot be used with thermostats.


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

truly_juan said:


> Quick update
> 
> The 100w spot light bulb was too much, so I got a 60w one and now the temps in the hot area range between 100-110f.
> 
> And the dimming thermostat works, so it was the D3 that was causing it not to work.



How can 100w be too much? As long as it's on a thermostat it can't go over temp.


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## graham40 (Dec 19, 2011)

A 100w to much really my 100w was to little ad had to upgrade to a 150w which is perfect how close is your thermometer to the lamp is it on there basking area or closer


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

graham40 said:


> A 100w to much really my 100w was to little ad had to upgrade to a 150w which is perfect how close is your thermometer to the lamp is it on there basking area or closer












See the wire on the left hand side on the pic, between the 2 staples, thats where i had the thermometer


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

truly_juan said:


> image
> 
> See the wire on the left hand side on the pic, between the 2 staples, thats where i had the thermometer



A bulb *cannot* overheat a tank if on a thermostat, what are you using to measure the tempeture?


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

fardilis said:


> A bulb *cannot* overheat a tank if on a thermostat, what are you using to measure the tempeture?


An exo terra digital thermometer.

Where should I but the thermometer sensor?


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

truly_juan said:


> An exo terra digital thermometer.
> 
> Where should I but the thermometer sensor?


You should have 2 digital ideally, one in the warm end, one in the cold end.


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

fardilis said:


> You should have 2 digital ideally, one in the warm end, one in the cold end.


Yeah im getting another one, thats why its loose and I move it from one end to the other to keep an eye on the temps.

So how far from the ground should i have the sensor?


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

Putting the sensor on the ground, right under the spot light the temp is 116F.

Is that an accurate reading? or should the sensor be an inch of the ground??

Thanks in advance.


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## graham40 (Dec 19, 2011)

It will be detecting heat of the ground it ideally wants to be like you say an inch or so away from the place were your beardie basks and is that the dimming sensor just underneath your basking lamp and I really nice looking viv by the way it looks nicer than mine lol


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

graham40 said:


> It will be detecting heat of the ground it ideally wants to be like you say an inch or so away from the place were your beardie basks and is that the dimming sensor just underneath your basking lamp and I really nice looking viv by the way it looks nicer than mine lol


Thanks, your the first person to comment on my viv!

No thats the thermometer sensor, the dimming one is near the cold side of the viv.


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## graham40 (Dec 19, 2011)

Is that were your getting the 116f reading cus your basking area looks quite far to be that good ill put up a pick of mine when I get home


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## truly_juan (Dec 21, 2011)

graham40 said:


> Is that were your getting the 116f reading cus your basking area looks quite far to be that good ill put up a pick of mine when I get home


Yeah I placed the sensor right under the basking light on the ground. Thanks, i just need to know where the sensors should be picking up the temp from.


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## graham40 (Dec 19, 2011)

Basically the temp were your beardie basks so the rock closest to the lamp and I've read so many different temps but they generally are around 95-105f at we're he basks you might find you need to bring him a lot closer to the bulb cus mine is about 7 inches away and is kept about 107f with the dimming stat keeping my bulb which is 150w about 3/4 full strength


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