How to wire a thermostat to a light?

[Lacrymosa]

Hello everyone. I found this forum through google... it looks pretty interesting

I am building my own incubator and have most everything I need for one: cooler, thermostat, wire etc etc. But I can't figure out how to wire the thermostat to the light bulb? It is one from Lowes and from what I've heard works pretty well when wired correctly.
If someone could explain in detail and make it simple for me it would be most appreciated

Also, I'd rather listen to people here than experiment and get shocked

Thank you!


Edited to remove personal information.

 

[rnoyster]

It is really pretty simple.

First, take a pigtail (wire with a plug on one end and raw wire on the other) and split the wires enough to reach both the thermostat and the light socket.

Second, connect one of the wires to the light socket screw and the other wire to one of the screws on the thermostat.

Third, take another small piece of wire and connect the other screw on the thermostat to the other screw on the light socket.

Now, plug it in to an outlet and let it work for a while in your incubator. Keep watching your thermometer inside and keep adjusting the thermostat setting until the temperature is at 99.5F degrees.

If you are going to have a fan inside your incubator also, just wire it seperately to a transformer and plug it into another outlet ( I use a power strip) Your fan will run constantly to keep the heat constant throughout you entire incubator.

Enjoy!
Dick

 

[Elginchickens]

What kind of wire do I use for that last wire that goes from thermostat to the light socket