Basking light blowing reguarly

[Zeus_the_beardie]

my heat light for my bearded dragons keeps blowing reguarly.

like every 2 weeks and they cost 15 dollars each !

they are 75W Tight beam, Sun Glo made from exo terra

What do you suggest i do ?

[Pythons_Reptiles]

Hi
Are you using a thermostat or just switching on once a day ? .

[NCHERPS]

Originally Posted by Zeus_the_beardie

my heat light for my bearded dragons keeps blowing reguarly.

like every 2 weeks and they cost 15 dollars each !

they are 75W Tight beam, Sun Glo made from exo terra

What do you suggest i do ?

Hi Zeus,

What type of thermostat are you using?
I would suggest that you need to look at a dimming thermostat like the Microclimate B1, they don't switch the bulbs on/off like normal thermostats, but dim gradually and save the life of the bulbs and reduce electricity consumption.

Neil

[OuZo]

Don't quote me on this but I think it's possible for dodgy wiring to make globes blow more often isn't it? Was the cage professionally wired?

[slip_phreak]

nah mate im a sparky if it were dodgy wiring wouldnt do that i dont think.

[nightowl]

If the bulb wattage is too high the tank heats up quicker the thermostat is regularly switching the bulb on and off so it could cause them to blow quicker. You could try using a lower wattage bulb so it doesn't turn on and off so often or a dimming thermostat like Neil said.

Shane

[Zeus_the_beardie]

woops , it just wasnt fitted in properly (i just needed to screw it in harder)

but they did blow quickly last times a bought them, and i actually dont use a thermostat. my light heats up the basking spot at 34-35 degrees.

[cuddlykylie]

go to bunnings and buy some flood lights, they come in different wattages and pretty colours and have uv in them, they cost all but 8 bucks and yeah

[Zeus_the_beardie]

they have uv ?

i didnt know that, that would be great!

[Zeus_the_beardie]

which ones would have uv cuddlykylie ?

[CodeRed]

Originally Posted by cuddlykylie

go to bunnings and buy some flood lights, they come in different wattages and pretty colours and have uv in them, they cost all but 8 bucks and yeah

standard flood lights do NOT emit any usable amounts of UVA or UVB

[NCHERPS]

Originally Posted by Zeus_the_beardie

woops , it just wasnt fitted in properly (i just needed to screw it in harder)

but they did blow quickly last times a bought them, and i actually dont use a thermostat. my light heats up the basking spot at 34-35 degrees.

You might be able to get away with it in the cooler month's, but spring and particularly summer will send temps soaring in an enclosure without a thermostat, chances are your bulbs are blowing because as has been mentioned you have them building up alot of heat in a confined enclosure and they are getting too hot and are blowing, a thermostat would resolve these issues.

As has also been mentioned in regards to standard bulbs, most will produce small amounts of UVA but not really usuable amounts, and none will provide UVB.
The Reptile related tubes and globes provide UVA/UVB in the right wavelength's to be used within the reptiles enviroment. There's no cheap form of UV unless you take them out into sun once a day.

Neil

[MrSpike]

I just use normal down lights from any hardware store.. or even coles. Lats long ar only like $2ea and keep the tanks at good temps for my beardies.

[SlothHead]

Mr Spike , you are totally correct, those lights do last a while and provide adequate heating. However, Beardies certainly require UVA/UVB, it is well documented. And those lights you refer to dont emit significant amounts of this, as the others were saying.

D

[MrSpike]

Thats why they have a UV light get calcium in there foods and go out into the sun every weekend