Heating Question

[Bung-Eye]

I've recently purchased a large enclosure for when my boy gets bigger and can utilise it properly. However I got it home and turned it on to test it could hold a temp etc with the thermostat, but the bulbs in there can only seem to get it to abount 25.5°C at peak and then the night temperature went down and it ever so gradually dropped down to about 24°C before I turned it off.

The bulbs in it are blue 45watt bulbs, the only problem I'm finding is that they're bayonet fitting. Is there any decent globes that I could buy / you could recommend that come in bayonet fitting and where I could buy them?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
-Bung

[Forensick]

i use 60watt bayonet blue globes...

phillips is the brand

i get them from bunnings

EDIT: i have 4 heat light fittings in a 5foot tank, used for beardies, so i can get the temp up to 34 degrees in the middle, and 40 under light

[Bung-Eye]

cheers buddy, looks like i'm off to bunnings tomorrow.

[MoreliaMatt]

what about swapping the fitting over to ES?

[crush the turtle]

i use 3 bayonet , 100 watt in my 6 ft tank and and it sits on 27 day and night, i cant remeber what the brand is but u get them from any pet shop... u can get bayonet globs to go up to 175 watts...

[cement]

Just up the wattage, but I find lights dont heat the floor much in winter, so the air temp can be high 20's to 30 but the floor temp can be a lot lower.

[Bung-Eye]

Originally Posted by MoreliaMatt

what about swapping the fitting over to ES?

got a guide on how to do that? not sure if I need an electrician or what..

[SlothHead]

Maybe i am reading this wrong or something, but one point that doesnt seem to be stated, you do need a warm and a cool end.

So there are many variables here.

If you are running a thermostat, what sort is it, Dimming or pulse? Does it have a probe, or is it one that is built in internally?

What are you keeping in there?

How big is the enclosure?

What are the standard temps in the house?

Where did you put the thermometer when you were testing the temps?

These are just the start of the heating dilemma. Without knowing these, you may be producing temps of 40degrees under the lamp and only 25 at the other end. that is just a hypothetical.

[SlothHead]

The blue globes etc, that you bue from bunnings, are fine for some things, but you can greatly increase the temperature out put by using something that is designed for heat output. For example, a basking light, or a heat emitter (ceramic).

Then again, species and enclosure dependant, you may want to just go with a compact fluoro and run with heat mats or heat cords.

There are many variations, just depends on what is going to work in your situation.

[Bung-Eye]

Originally Posted by SlothHead

Maybe i am reading this wrong or something, but one point that doesnt seem to be stated, you do need a warm and a cool end.

So there are many variables here.

If you are running a thermostat, what sort is it, Dimming or pulse? Does it have a probe, or is it one that is built in internally?

What are you keeping in there?

How big is the enclosure?

What are the standard temps in the house?

Where did you put the thermometer when you were testing the temps?

These are just the start of the heating dilemma. Without knowing these, you may be producing temps of 40degrees under the lamp and only 25 at the other end. that is just a hypothetical.

it's a pulse thermostat, with I believe the sensor built internally. It is positioned perhaps 4 inches below the light. The enclosure is quite large (read: tall), the globe being at the top and the ground being a good way down ensuring a hot and cool end. There is nothing in there at the moment it is for when my snakes get a little bigger. The reason i'm asking now is becuase I turned it on in an attempt to see if it could hold a temp and to ensure everything was working as I'd just picked it up.

I don't have a thermometer actually, I was reading the display on the thermostat, however I have intentions of buying one on the weekened when I have a chance to get down the shop. Temps in the house... well I live in Brisbane, so it's not overly cold. The house I live in is older and not insulated, so it's chilly in winter and hot as holy hell in summer. i'm fairly sure in summer i won't be using any heat at all.

[SlothHead]

G'day Bungeye,

If it is a pulse thermostat, i would recommend that you dont use incandecant bulbs in it simply because you will find that you will be replacing the bulbs every week. So probably best to change over to a edison fixture and use a non light emitting heat source, like a ceramic. I havent seen any ceramic heat emitters in a bayonet fitting.

You really do need a thermometer, ideally, you would want one at the top and one at the bottom. This way you know exactly what the thermal gradient is like. I have never found a thermostat that is accurate to temperature. Therefore it is best to use a thermometer to calibrate exactly the temps that you need.

Your other alternative is you could use floor heating, but if it is a tall enclosure, it sort of defeats the purpose of having a tall enclosure. But it is totally up to you.

[Bung-Eye]

thanks for the advice mate, much appreciated.

what kind of process is it to switch from the normal bayonet fittings to the edison fixture? I would assume I need an electrician?

[SlothHead]

i think by law, yes you would need an electrician.

The prcoess is quite straight forward, as the inner workings of both types are much the same.

But yeah, legally you will need an electrician to play with it, cause if you were to play with it and get it wrong, you could burn the house down.

[Bung-Eye]

no worries. looks like i'm gonna hit the neighbour up for some mates rates