Folks, just a heads up to anyone using "plug-in dimmers" or "lamp dimmers" to control their CHE units or heat lamps -- they CAN go bad. Today I had to replace one of them.
It had started getting chilly in the house and i couldn't understand why the heat was so low in one of the terrariums. I touched one of the CHEs and . . nothing. No heat from it at all. I plugged it directly into the ac strip and it began to warm up. I tested the dimmer out on lamps and it was dead as the proverbial door-nail.
So, if you do plan to use a dimmer for regulating overhead heat to an enclosure, may I suggest that you make sure that it has a locator button on it. The locator button remains lit as long as the unit is getting power. The one that died didn't have one. Otherwise, you'll need to periodically touch the heat source to verify that the dimmer is still operational. Lesson learned.
<><Peace
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