StudentoftheReptile said:Question for the electrician / DIY gurus; aka anyone who has constructed their own caging for large herps...
I am in the process of building a closed top for this tank:
The goal is to better retain heat and humidity within. So I went out and purchased one of those porcelain lamp sockets, which I intend to fixate somewhere on the lid of this new top ( http://www.garvinindustries.com/Images/PF-50.jpg ).
When I bought it at Home Depot, I found someone and explained to them what I was doing what I needed. I essentially need the necessary wiring for this socket, and it needs to be able to withstand a 250 watt incandescent bulb (even though it is very unlikely I will need to use a bulb that large...just want to have it in case). I know very little about doing electrical work of any kind, having only done a few fix-its on our dryer and replaced a couple light switches. I told the guy that I just want "something simple" that I can easily plug the lighting into a nearby wall outlet in the event I have to relocate the entire enclosure. He told me that for my purposes, I could just take an old extension cord that wasn't in use, strip it, and simply use the wiring for that.
Question: was that sound advice?
I mean, I'm all for being economical, and my reasoning is that the Home Depot employee could have easily persuaded me to purchase the "correct" wiring and spend money at the store, so why would he suggest a cheaper, home fix-it solution? (BTW, this was an older gentleman who generally seemed to know what he was talking about...not some young new guy or anything). My wife was skeptical of the advice, because obviously, she doesn't want the house to blow up. So here I am, asking for second opinions.
Do you think I'm good just using any one of the several unused extension cords I have lying around? Or should I seek out something else?
If you need wiring for 250 w you need to use 12 guage wire and dont overload the wall socket you are using. The used cords off of appliance or vacuums work great, we always cut cords of of things when we throw them out. The main thing when wiring up items is to use biggest wire you can to not over load it. When overloaded it will get hot and either pop the breaker or cause a fire. My husband and I have built many things and never had a problem. You can also get a book on simple wiring at a home center.
