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Step 5Wiring receptacles for the lights and thermostat.
OK, professional electricians might cringe at this step, but this is how I did it. I wanted this system to be removable, so I surface mounted all the components, otherwise I would have built it all into the walls and ceiling.
I wanted two receptacles in the ceiling over each section of the free range, and I wanted them on separate circuits: one receptacle for the UV fluorescent lights and the other for the heating spotlights. Again, I really didn't want to cut into the walls and ceiling to "professionally" install this strange wiring, so I surface-mounted it and ran it down to a plug. The whole apparatus is just a big complicated extension cord.
I added a light switch for each circuit and the heat lamp circuit has incorporated an off-the-shelf reptile appliance thermostat. This device normally regulates some sort of electric heater in a closed reptile cage, but it will work in the free range just fine by killing all the heat lamps if the temperature rises too high. All lights are on a timer, but the heat lamps are also on a thermostat. That way day and night are controlled. Chameleons need a dip in the temperature during the night, so this works out nice. You could easily adapt the system to provide around-the-clock heat with infrared and ceramic emitters if needed.
Important tip: You want a Thermostat, not a Rheostat. They look very similar, but their function is different. On a lighting fixture, and rheostat is just a dimmer. You want a themostat so if the room temperature soars too high in the summer, it'll turn off the heat lamps.
Materials for our main free range: (again, your list may differ.)
-3, two receptacle boxes
-4 15 amp outlets.
- two switches
- plenty of 15 amp electric cabling.
- Conduit! don't forget to get 90 degree elbows if you're going around a corner like we did.
a plug.
- conduit hangers and nails or screws
A reptile heating appliance controlling thermostat.
Optional: 1 Ground Fault Interrupt Outlet. (GFCI)
A GFCI is a really good idea in this case...In our room the electric system had to be very close to the water system, and we all know how well water and electricity get along together. A GFCI, which are now mandatory in American bathrooms, is the special outlet that protects us when the toaster falls into the bathtub with us- it breaks the connection in a split second. (For our international readers, let me assure you that most Americans do not bathe while toasting bread. Ok, at least nobody I know.)
Since we're on the topic of danger, I don't have space here to teach readers about basic electrician skills, so I'll say this:
If you're not comfortable working with electricity, please find someone who is. This step isn't terribly difficult, but when you're working with electricity, a simple mistake can be deadly, dangerous, terribly damaging, or at least a little inconvenient. I thought I knew what I was doing and I still popped the breaker a few times and even blew up the outlet in the wall. (I used the opportunity to replace it with a GFCI.)
See the photo notes for details.
I wanted two receptacles in the ceiling over each section of the free range, and I wanted them on separate circuits: one receptacle for the UV fluorescent lights and the other for the heating spotlights. Again, I really didn't want to cut into the walls and ceiling to "professionally" install this strange wiring, so I surface-mounted it and ran it down to a plug. The whole apparatus is just a big complicated extension cord.
I added a light switch for each circuit and the heat lamp circuit has incorporated an off-the-shelf reptile appliance thermostat. This device normally regulates some sort of electric heater in a closed reptile cage, but it will work in the free range just fine by killing all the heat lamps if the temperature rises too high. All lights are on a timer, but the heat lamps are also on a thermostat. That way day and night are controlled. Chameleons need a dip in the temperature during the night, so this works out nice. You could easily adapt the system to provide around-the-clock heat with infrared and ceramic emitters if needed.
Important tip: You want a Thermostat, not a Rheostat. They look very similar, but their function is different. On a lighting fixture, and rheostat is just a dimmer. You want a themostat so if the room temperature soars too high in the summer, it'll turn off the heat lamps.
Materials for our main free range: (again, your list may differ.)
-3, two receptacle boxes
-4 15 amp outlets.
- two switches
- plenty of 15 amp electric cabling.
- Conduit! don't forget to get 90 degree elbows if you're going around a corner like we did.
a plug.
- conduit hangers and nails or screws
A reptile heating appliance controlling thermostat.
Optional: 1 Ground Fault Interrupt Outlet. (GFCI)
A GFCI is a really good idea in this case...In our room the electric system had to be very close to the water system, and we all know how well water and electricity get along together. A GFCI, which are now mandatory in American bathrooms, is the special outlet that protects us when the toaster falls into the bathtub with us- it breaks the connection in a split second. (For our international readers, let me assure you that most Americans do not bathe while toasting bread. Ok, at least nobody I know.)
Since we're on the topic of danger, I don't have space here to teach readers about basic electrician skills, so I'll say this:
If you're not comfortable working with electricity, please find someone who is. This step isn't terribly difficult, but when you're working with electricity, a simple mistake can be deadly, dangerous, terribly damaging, or at least a little inconvenient. I thought I knew what I was doing and I still popped the breaker a few times and even blew up the outlet in the wall. (I used the opportunity to replace it with a GFCI.)
See the photo notes for details.
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