Hey guys I tried hooking up a Exo terra heat wave desert heat pad to a light dimmer I got from IKEA but the thing just doesn't run. The dimmer works for lights, I have tested it. The pad heats up when plugged in. I tested it.
The dimmer is rated for outputs of 30 - 250 watts and the heat pad is 25 watts so it should be fine. But when plugged into the dimmer the heat pad just won't work at all. It may be producing a little heat, I don't know but at full max setting on the dimmer the heat pad still is only raising temps about 1 - 3 degrees at most, if it is not just room temps fluctuating, whereas without the dimmer the heat pad makes temps go up 10 degrees F...

Are there like two types of dimmers and some will work for heat pads and CHEs and some won't? I heard that there were ones that reduced current while others that turned it on and off fast or something...

__________________
1.0.0 Green Iguana - Tyler
0.0.1 Sulcata Tortoise - Mantow
0.0.1 Ball Python - Se se
0.1.0 Leucistic Texas Ratsnake - un-named (Suggestions welcome)
1.0.0 Blizzard Cornsnake het Anery A - Xiao Xiao
1.1.0 Normal Corn snake het Anery A het Amel 66% poss. het stripe - un-named
1.0.0 Red Chain Snake - un-named
0.0.1 Twin spotted rat snake - un-named
1.0.0 Grey Chinchilla - Gee Gee

How long did u leave the pad on?It might take some time to heat up.

__________________
Live for today Not tomorrow.

Replover,

It would seem to me that the Heat Pad is too low a wattage for the Dimmer. You said that the dimmer "is rated for outputs of 30 - 250 watts and the heat pad is 25 watts". I would say that the heat pad is not even registering to the dimmer. Just my thoughts!

__________________
Smile and the world will think that you are up to something!

Steve