Help wiring basic thermostat for reptile enclosure

Thread Starter

Mr. We

Joined May 14, 2013
10
Hi all, i've got a simple project here that I need some clarification on, I think I have the wiring figured out but it's not the sort of thing I want to try before knowing for sure.

So I have a basic thermostat and a ceramic heating element light fitting (which is also ceramic) for a reptile enclosure that need to be wired up with the one power cable.

Here's a photo of the wiring diagram of the thermostat. thermostat diagram.jpg

I couldn't make out where the light fitting is supposed to go in the circuit from looking at the wiring diagram, but I'm assuming this is in the right direction?
IMG_9881.jpgIMG_9880.jpg

Basically i've cut the female end off a 3 prong power extension cord, wired the green/yellow ground wire to the ground on the thermostat (wire is obscuring the ground symbol in the photo but i'm certain it's in the right spot); then run the blue Neutral wire from the adapter to the '-' on the light fitting; then cut a jumper blue wire also going from the '-' on the fitting to the '2' on the thermostat; then the brown Line wire to the '+'.

Not shown in the photos, but what I assume I also need to do is run a jumper brown Line from the '1' on the thermostat to the '+' on the fitting.

I'm wondering if - since there is a hole to the earth on the fitting also - I should run an earth wiring from the fitting earth hole to the earth on the thermostat where the power lead is already wired?

Any help would be much appreciated. If it makes any difference I am in Australia.

Note: I will be stripping the ends off the wires when I do this properly, some wires are just placed in their positions for the purpose of demonstrating what I assume is the correct wiring.

Cheers!
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,277
I would put the live in to terminal 1,
put the bulb live to terminal 2,
the bulb neutral to neutral direct,
and the earth direct to earth.

This will switch the Live circuit in the bulb.
 

Thread Starter

Mr. We

Joined May 14, 2013
10
Sweet, thanks so much Dave, I've wired it as such. With the earth do you mean earth direct to the earth on the light fitting or the earth on the 'stat?
 

Thread Starter

Mr. We

Joined May 14, 2013
10
Just tried it with the wiring you suggested, Dave, though the earth was connected to the earth on the thermostat and the light was a 11w Ikea CFL (not a ceramic heating light), and the light didn't come on. The thermostat was set to 25 degrees C and it's 11 degrees here in Aus so by my understanding it should have worked, correct? The bulb is definitely working, I tested it out before and after.

Is there any chance the wires in 1 and 2 should be swapped around because then it would match the thermostat wiring diagram wouldn't it?

The only other potential reason it didn't work that I can think of is that the woman I bought the enclosure and thermostat off had bypassed the thermostat because somehow the snake she kept in it had nibbled through the shielding on the wires to the thermostat, causing the circuit to not work. I assumed, and she agreed with me that it most likely stopped working because the old wiring to the thermostat (that I have of course replaced in this current setup) had been damaged, not the thermostat itself.

Is it possible that there is something wrong with the thermostat itself?

I appreciate any help,

Mr.We
 

Dodgydave

Joined Jun 22, 2012
11,277
It may be faulty, ok swap terminals 2 and 3 and try that,

what happens when you alter the stat from min to max does it make a clicking sound?
 

Thread Starter

Mr. We

Joined May 14, 2013
10
Ok so i'm an idiot - in my eagerness to test it out I forgot to strip one of the line wires! Lights up now and the thermostat clicks on and off at around room temp. Sorry for doubting you Dave, thanks so much for your help!

Cheers!

Mr.We
 
Top