Eco Tech Dimming Thermostat Trouble Shooting

Thank you for purchasing an Eco Tech Dimming Thermostat!
Dimming thermostats operate and need to be used a little differently than a simple on/off thermostat. Some ‘setup’ procedures ‘are’ the same as a simple on/off unit however some are different and will affect the operation and outcomes involved.
Dimming Thermostats adjust the voltage delivered to the heat source in proportion to how much is needed, instead of switching fully on and off. Reducing the supply of electricity “dims” the output of the device. This typically provides the most stable heat output and extends the life span of most devices. Dimming controllers are the preferred thermostats for use with light-emitting lamps since all other types switch the lamps on and off completely. This can shorten the life of filament bulbs. Dimming Thermostats can also be used with heat mats, spiral heat emitters and ceramic heat emitters. They should not be used with halogen globes. 
When you are installing the sensor in your enclosure placement is very important.  If the sensor is placed incorrectly, you will get false and misleading data and if a basking globe or similar is in use flickering can occur. The electronics involved are providing information from the thermistor, the sensor inside the temperature probe, not the rock next to it.  If you shine a light on the sensor, it will heat up and advise that it’s hot. It won’t be telling you the temperature of the basking spot a few centimetres below it. The sensor is small and black; it gets warmed up very quickly.  If the sensor is too close to the heat source or is receiving too much radiant heat from the heat source you can get cycling. The sensor gets hot fast, turns off the lamp, then the sensor cools fast, and turns on the lamp in a matter of seconds, you can get yo-yo flashing of the lamp as a result
So where should the probe be? The correct way to think of any thermostat when it is used correctly is more of a “safeguard” than a “controller”. The wattage of the globe or heat source in use should be of the lowest wattage that will achieve the desired temperature at the warm end of the reptile enclosure.  The probe is placed in a cool zone in the enclosure and set such that it will dim the heat source when the cool zone starts to ‘overheat’. In the case of a Bearded Dragon an appropriately sized basking globe would be used to create the recommended basking temperature at the warm end. The desired cool end of the enclosure may be for example  20-24C. The Dimming Thermostat would be set at in this case 24C and would then only start to reduce power to the globe if the cool end starts to get too high. This may be over summer, if a home air condition fails or if there is inadequate ventilation in the enclosure due to design or maybe the vents are obscured.
“My globe never turn off completely.”  The dimming thermostat always provides a trickle of power to the heat source even if the maximum temperature is reach. You may in the case of a basking globe see a dull glow at the filament. In practice the globe is effectively “off” and isn’t contributing significantly to the enclosure temperature.
“I want the globe to turn off at night.” The Eco tech Dimming Thermostat has a ‘night time drop’ feature as part of the nighttime. You can set the nighttime temperature to ‘zero’ to achieve this.