The only thermostats designed to control light bulbs are the Dimming
Thermostat and the Temperature thermostat. The Twin Channel Thermostat
and Mat thermostat are not designed for use with light bulbs.
Dimming thermostats dim the light gently up and down continuously.
No flashing lights to distress you and your animals. As such dimming
thermostats are and ideal choice for use with light bulbs.
When used for hot spots, if used with the appropriate wattage spot
lamp, then the hot spot should be available for the animals to use all
the time when controlled by a dimming thermostat.
It seems like you have chosen the wrong type of thermostat to control
your light bulb. Ideally dimming thermostats should be used with light
bulbs.
Q.
Can I use a Temperature Thermostat with a ceramic heater?
Whilst the Temperature thermostat
will control a ceramic heater it is not recommended. Being a simple
on/ off switching device the ceramic will be turned on full power until
the set temperature is reached and will then go completely off until
the temperature has dropped enough for it to come on again.
Because ceramic heaters
get very hot it is safer to use a proportional thermostat, like the
Pulse proportional thermostat.
Q.
Can I use a Temperature thermostat with a light emitting bulb ?
The current single channel On/Off temperature thermostats incorporate
a relay which makes them reliable to use with light bulbs. The twin
channel thermostat and Mat thermostat use solid state switching which
should not be used with light emitting bulbs. Temperature thermostats
when used with light emittnig bulbs will cause them to switch on and
off repeatedly. Would you like to sit in a room where the lights are
turned on and off day and night? This can distress your pets and cause
frequent failure of the light bulbs. In the long run heat mats, ceramic
heat emitters and radient enclosure heaters will prove more reliable
and efficient ways to heat your enclosure.
Dimming thermostats are designed to control light bulbs and gently
dim the bulb up and down as required. If you want to use light bulbs
for heating these are the correct choice.
Q.
What is the day night function?
Some animals require a drop
in temperature at night in order to simulate their natural environment.
Both the Dimming and Pulse
proportional thermostat have models called “Day, Night “ that allow
this to happen.
Simply, during the day the
thermostat keeps your animals at the temperature set on the dial.
At night, the temperature
can be lowered with either a time switch or a night eye (which senses
when it gets dark and automatically switches to night temperature).
The drop in temperature can be varied between 2 degrees celcius and
10 degrees celcius lower than the temperature you have set during the
day.
This adjustment is made
on the little red knob sticking out of the bottom of the day/ night
versions. Turn the little red knob fully clockwise will lower the temperature
a lot. Turn it fully anticlockwise will only drop the night time temperature
a little bit.
Inbetween will give you
a drop of around 7 degrees celcius.
Don’t forget - if your cage
is in a warm room it can only drop to the temperature of the room!
Q.
I am confused as to how the day night function on my thermostat is set
up?
Firstly set your day/ night
thermostat up like a normal thermostat and ignore the “day/ night” bits!
If you are using a timer
to control the day/ night cycle, plug the lead supplied into the timer
and into the side of your thermostat.
The important thing to remember
(and this confuses many people!) is that the timer should come on
for the night time period. This means that your timer should be
on at night and off during the day cycle.
The main power supply to
the thermostat must stay on all the time!
Yes, that means that in
the night cycle you have two power supplies into your thermostat, and
that is correct!
If you are using the night
eye to control the night time then simply plug it into the mains and
place the other plug into the socket on the side of the thermostat.
The Night eye will sense light levels and switch between day and night
automatically. Simply place the sensor near a window to reproduce the
seasonal day lengths.
Q.
How do I adjust the night time drop in temperature?
With the day/ night timing
all set up, simply use the little red knob to adjust your night time
temperature. This knob adjusts the drop between 5 and 25 degrees lower
than the day time temperature. At night, the temperature can be lowered
with either a time switch or a night eye (which senses when it gets
dark and automatically switches to night temperature). The drop in temperature
can be varied between ** and ** degrees lower than the temperature you
have set during the day.
This adjustment is made
on the little red know sticking out of the bottom of the day/ night
versions. Turn the little red knob fully clockwise will lower the temperature
a lot. Turn it anticlockwise will only drop the night time temperature
a little bit.
Don’t forget- if your cage
is in a warm room it can only drop to the temperature of the room!
Q.
What is a night eye ?
The Night eye is a switch
that senses light and dark. It can only be used with one of the day/
night thermostat and will automatically switch your thermostat to your
night time temperature setting automatically. When it gets light again,
it will automatically turn your heater back up to your daytime temperatures.
Q.
What is a Sun Switch?
The Sun switch is a switch
that senses light and dark. It can be used to turn appliances on during
the day and off at night.
For example attach your
fluorescent lamps to it and they will automatically be turned off at
night and back on again in the morning.
Q.
What is a Moon switch?
The Moon switch is a switch
that senses light and dark. It can be used to turn appliances off during
the day and on at night.
For example, if you require
a gentle, background, night time heater, plug your mat stat and heat
mat into the Moon switch. When night comes and your main lighting and
heating goes off, this will run your night time heater until the morning
comes
Q.
What is a Sun/ Moon switch?
The Sun/ Moon switch is
a switch that senses light and dark. It is a combination of the Sun
and Moon switch.
Plug your Dimmer and spot
basking lamp and all your fluorescent lamps into one socket.
Plug your night time mat
stat and heat mat into the other socket and plug the Sun/ Moon switch
in.
It will automatically detect
day and night for ever more. No more remembering to lights and heaters
on and off!
During the day your fluorescent
lamps and basking spot lights will all be on.
When it gets dark, your
fluorescent heaters and your basking spot lamps will be turned off and
your night time heater will come on.
What could be simpler!!
Q. I want
to cut my plugs and/or sockets off.
The plugs and sockets are
there for a reason. They are to comply to safety standards and to make
the unit safe to use.
If you cut the plugs off,
there is a likelihood of electrocution and you will invalidate your
warranty! Sorry!!
Q. I want
to drill holes in the back of the unit, it this safe to do?
No! The thermostat box is
full of components- any holes drilled will certainly damage the thermostat.
Do not try to take the lid off as it is a legal requirement to protect
against this. There are no user serviceable parts so you can’t take
the lid off. If you try you will break the pot and the circuit board
and will have a non working thermostat with no warranty! You have been
warned!
Q.
The heater is not coming on ?
Is the heater connected
to the thermostat properly?
Is there power to the thermostat?
Is the temperature in the
cage higher than your set temperature?
Q.
The heater is not switching off ?
The first thing to check
is whether the temperature set on the thermostat has been reached. If
it hasn’t then it is likely that the heater is not powerful enough to
reach your set temperature.
Turn the dial down until
the neon heater indicator goes out and check that the heat has gone
off. If you turn the dial up and the heater comes back on then this
is the likely cause. Fit a bigger heater.
If the temperature has risen
over your set temperature, try turning the dial down to see if the neon
heater indicator and the heater goes off.
Try turning the dial up
again, bit by bit. If the heater seems to be turning on and off at these
settings then look at the position of the probe.
Is it too close to the heater?
Is the probe in a draft?
If adjusting the dial on
the thermostat has no effect whatsoever on the heater then check the
wiring to the heater. It is not uncommon for ceramic heaters to “cook”
the wires where they go into the holder. This can cause problems and
has been known to damage the thermostat.
It may be that your thermostat
has developed a fault which will require its return.
Q.
I think my thermostat is broken what shall I do?
Check the heater is working
by plugging it directly to a power point and not via the thermostat.
Q.
When controlling a heat mat, where should the probe of the thermostat
be placed?
When controlling heat mats
and strips, particularly on small snake rack systems the probe should
be safely hot glued or fixed to the surface of the mat. You will then
be controlling the surface temperature of the mat. A little investigation
may be necessary to establish the temperature in the snake boxes that
are sitting on the mat or strip.
Once set this should remain
a constant.
We find that the Pulse proportional
thermostat is a very effective controller as the mat remains warm for
most of the time, providing the snakes with a warm area.
Q.
With an overhead heater, where should the probe of the thermostat be?
That depends on what you
want to control. Most cages require warm and cool areas. The probe needs
to be placed in relation to the heater and the type of animal being
kept. It would be pointless to put the probe at the top of a cage housing
ground dwelling snakes. Similarly you would not control the floor temperature
of an arboreal lizard cage.