Got my new enclosure, but i have a few issues with it! HELP PLEASE!

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Hi everyone!

on Saturday I got Worm the woma's new enclosure and today I checked out all the heating sources etc...

My first issue is that the cage around the ceramic heater electrocuted me this morning! well it gave me a bit of a buzz this morning. I touched the cage around it to see if it was emitting any heat at all. Now my question on this is: would it be the cage touching the ceramic causing this? should I just get a bigger light cage? i have trned it of for the time being, and will get an electrician to look at it, but its only the cage that gives you a shock.

secondly, it has one of those heat light fans in it, and I have heard nothing but bad things on these... Should I keep it or change it. and if so how do I go about doing that?

I was also wondering what the best substrate for womas is as I know that they love to burrow and such. I was thinking the red desert sand as I would like to give it a desert (sp) theme. oh and how many kg's of sand will i need for a 4 ft enclosure?

anyway here's a few pics.

 

[Snake-Supplies]

I don't see how the ceramic emmitter can give you a buzz... There are no bare wires... and electricity doesn't go through ceramic... aslso if it was shorting out, your safety switch should go off. I can't see how you would get a shock...


As with the heat fans... I have never used them so i don't know.

with the sand, IMO... I don't like it at all, get's caught in tracks to easy for a start...

I would be making sure the screw holding up the cage has not pierced a wire... that would be my bet.

 

[Robo1]

Unless the ceramic is damaged, the cage won't become live just from touching it. However, given how hot they can get it might be a good idea to get a larger cage anyway. It sounds like faulty wiring, so an electrician is in order. From the look of it the wires are all going in through the side or the top? If so, then the wire has probably been damaged where it is run between the cage and the enclosure. You've done the right thing turning it off, don't use it until it gets checked out as it's quite dangerous.

I've never used the fan heaters, like you I've heard bad things. But I'd suggest, as you've got one now, monitor your temps (particularly the cool end) and see how it goes.

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

I don't see how the ceramic emmitter can give you a buzz... There are no bare wires... and electricity doesn't go through ceramic... aslso if it was shorting out, your safety switch should go off. I can't see how you would get a shock...


As with the heat fans... I have never used them so i don't know.

with the sand, IMO... I don't like it at all, get's caught in tracks to easy for a start...

I would be making sure the screw holding up the cage has not pierced a wire... that would be my bet.

Thanks Josh, i just edited my post as i realised i had left out a couple of crucial word.. i think i will get a whole new fitting! i havent had it on long enough to see if it shorts anything out, i turned it straight back off after that, lol...

 

[Robo1]

if it was shorting out, your safety switch should go off. I can't see how you would get a shock...

These fittings aren't earthed so if the cage becomes live the safety switch won't be tripped.

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Unless the ceramic is damaged, the cage won't become live just from touching it. However, given how hot they can get it might be a good idea to get a larger cage anyway. It sounds like faulty wiring, so an electrician is in order. From the look of it the wires are all going in through the side or the top? If so, then the wire has probably been damaged where it is run between the cage and the enclosure. You've done the right thing turning it off, don't use it until it gets checked out as it's quite dangerous.

I've never used the fan heaters, like you I've heard bad things. But I'd suggest, as you've got one now, monitor your temps (particularly the cool end) and see how it goes.

argh, just posted a great big novel back to you and then closed the screen for some stupid reason!!! lol

Heres a pic of how the wires are out into the enclosure, they are going in through the back where there is a big vented area...



Sorry its not real clear but its as good as i could get. They are then attached to the roof in the enclosure and to their fittings.

 

[Snowman]

how is the cage fixed? Has one of the fixing screws gone through a cable? Has the cable been damaged where it enters the cage? Turn the power off and remove the cage and give the cables a good visual inspection for damage. Also the cage should not be touching the fitting.
Too many people use cages that are too small. If the cage is getting hot then it is too small. The main reason they dont use the larger cage is because they dont look as neat.

Just had another look. The fan fitting is touching the cage. Most likely that fitting is RS and causing the cage on your ceramic to be live. A lot of these fittings are from china and do not meet Australian standards.

 

[Robo1]

Ah, ok I wasn't expecting the vented area. Nice looking enclosure. Is it possible to get a photo from inside the enclosure looking up towards to fittings?

Just had another look. The fan fitting is touching the cage. Most likely that fitting is RS and causing the cage on your ceramic to be live. A lot of these fittings are from china and do not meet Australian standards.

If this is the case, wouldn't the fan shroud be live also?

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

how is the cage fixed? Has one of the fixing screws gone through a cable? Has the cable been damaged where it enters the cage? Turn the power off and remove the cage and give the cables a good visual inspection for damage. Also the cage should not be touching the fitting.
Too many people use cages that are too small. If the cage is getting hot then it is too small. The main reason they dont use the larger cage is because they dont look as neat.

Just had another look. The fan fitting is touching the cage. Most likely that fitting is RS and causing the cage on your ceramic to be live. A lot of these fittings are from china and do not meet Australian standards.

Heres a pic of how its put in Snowman.


The one at the back is the fan and they dont touch.

robo, ask and you shall recieve. is this what you wanted?

Im happy with the enclosure, it was a bargain at $150..

 

[Robo1]

Yeah, that shows it. I don't understand why there is extra mesh on top of the cage fitting? Is the cage spaced off the ceiling of the enclosure?

In the picture showing the ceramic cage there is a hole in the cage with a rubber insert. This is where the wire is designed to run, the rubber is to stop the wire from being damaged (nothing else). I would guess that the wire's insulation has been damaged allowing it to short to the cage, so you'll need a sparky to rewire it.

Still, looks great for $150!

 

[Snowman]

HMM okay.. well at least you can take the fan out of the equation.
That cage looks a bit rough.
How is the lamp holder fixed in there? I can almost see it in the second pick but then it gets blacked out.

 

[JAS101]

i would replace the wiring , ceramic socket and cage . as the cage is the wrong size [ too small] and the wiring looks a bit dodgy .

 

[Snowman]

If this is the case, wouldn't the fan shroud be live also?

Yeah that's what I thought might have been happening. I've seen a similar thing where somones DIY flouro fitting was live as a single strand from the active was touching the metal. Of course the DIYer didnt earth the fitting so you touch it and you cop a belt...

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

HMM okay.. well at least you can take the fan out of the equation.
That cage looks a bit rough.
How is the lamp holder fixed in there? I can almost see it in the second pick but then it gets blacked out.

yeah sorry about the pics, theres an angry woma trying to eat my arm! lol.

it is just in the top of the cage. You know the whole sets you can get? and then the cgae screws into the roof...

i would replace the wiring , ceramic socket and cage . as the cage is the wrong size [ too small] and the wiring looks a bit dodgy .

yep, thats what i will be doing...

 

[Robo1]

Haha, most of the DIY fluro battens I've seen haven't been earthed either...

If they are the fitting I'm thinking of, then the fitting and cage are one unit. The ceramic fitting is two parts: an upper and lower part which screw together and clamp onto a ring connected back to the cage. The thread of one of the two parts (I can't remember which) extends through the ring to isolate the cage structure from the internal connections.

theres an angry woma trying to eat my arm! lol.

Haha, just to keep it interesting!

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Yeah, that shows it. I don't understand why there is extra mesh on top of the cage fitting? Is the cage spaced off the ceiling of the enclosure?

In the picture showing the ceramic cage there is a hole in the cage with a rubber insert. This is where the wire is designed to run, the rubber is to stop the wire from being damaged (nothing else). I would guess that the wire's insulation has been damaged allowing it to short to the cage, so you'll need a sparky to rewire it.

Still, looks great for $150!

i dont understand why thats there either, they had a monitor in their before, so its not like it would have been able to get into it. the 3rd hole hasnt been screwed though either... I am not sure what they were trying to do...

If they are the fitting I'm thinking of, then the fitting and cage are one unit. The ceramic fitting is two parts: an upper and lower part which screw together and clamp onto a ring connected back to the cage. The thread of one of the two parts (I can't remember which) extends through the ring to isolate the cage structure from the internal connections.

thats the one robo.. i shouldnt need a sparky, i should be able to just pick up a whole new one of these units (but bigger cage, and mount it myself shouldnt i? as they are pre wired etc... or am i better off going with a fitting directly into the enclosure?

 

[Robo1]

thats the one robo.. i shouldnt need a sparky, i should be able to just pick up a whole new one of these units (but bigger cage, and mount it myself shouldnt i? as they are pre wired etc...

Yep, so long as you can get the wire out out through the enclosure without having to chop the plug off. When you do, make sure that you run the wire through the notch in the top of the cage (that has the rubber insert) rather than crushing it between the cage and the ceiling.

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Yep, so long as you can get the wire out out through the enclosure without having to chop the plug off. When you do, make sure that you run the wire through the notch in the top of the cage (that has the rubber insert) rather than crushing it between the cage and the ceiling.

ah great!! that makes life a bit easier, i dont know if you can see it or not, but in the pic of the back of the enclosure, there is a round plastic "plate" that has been screwed in to fill a hole, so that should be easy enough to pull out and then replace the unit.

Robo1, Snowman and Jas101, thanks for your help! It has been much appreciated!

 

[Robo1]

i dont know if you can see it or not, but in the pic of the back of the enclosure, there is a round plastic "plate" that has been screwed in to fill a hole, so that should be easy enough to pull out and then replace the unit.

Now that you point it out I can see it, I hadn't noticed it before though. Personally I would also add a plastic cover to the mesh to stop and sharp edges of the metal damaging the wiring, just in case.

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

yes, that would make sense.. my dog bowls have some rubber around the bottom that could be cut fit round that...

Thanks again for all your help...

any opinions on sand? lol



This is the slightly peeved inhabitant!