Ceramic heat emitters and overall setup for a young GTP

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http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/diy-zone-5392/ceramic-heater-hot-burning-roof-184958/

Here is a link to a post i did many moons ago on temps of diiferent fittings that i have used in the past.

You will find that why they say not to use a heat emmitter with an overhead dome is the temperature on the heat emmitter gets so intense it will melt or cook something. With saying that a heat emmitter inside an enclosure with mesh surround is ok as the heat dissapates in the air very quickly.
I would not use any high temp heat source without a thermostat.
Check out my temp findings. It blew my mind & has been very usefull info.

Cheers
Ian
 
I agree with Ramsayi – too high a wattage of CHE to be using in an enclosure of those dimensions. Also, any heat source that the occupants have any chance of coming into contact with, should be caged and pass the “touch test”. You should be able to touch a cage with the heat source running and keep your hand there indefinitely. If you cannot do that, then it needs a bigger cage for that wattage heat source.

Generally speaking, reptiles that eat whole vertebrate prey do not need to make their own vitamin D3 through exposure of their skin to UVB light. They get enough from what they eat because Vitamin D is stored in the liver of vertebrates e.g. most monitors and most snakes. Nocturnal reptiles like geckoes seem to be adapted somehow to requiring little to no UVB exposure.


FYI

CHEs give off infra-red radiation (IR) which doesn’t heat air. It only gets turned into heat when it hits an opaque object and is absorbed. If you have been to the beach on a sunny day while the air is still cool, and stepped from the sun into the shade or vice versa, you will have noticed the difference it makes to how warm you feel. It is the IR in the sun’s rays that heats you up, even though it is not heating the air around you.


CHEs do not use ‘waste’ energy in producing visible light, whereas light globes do. So with halogen or older incandescent globes, for example, there is a significantly reduced IR output (= heat output) for the same wattage globe as a CHE. Visible light does not heat up objects. It gets reflected or absorbed and re-emitted as visible light. This is what enables us to see things.


Blue

 
I agree with Ramsayi – too high a wattage of CHE to be using in an enclosure of those dimensions. Also, any heat source that the occupants have any chance of coming into contact with, should be caged and pass the “touch test”. You should be able to touch a cage with the heat source running and keep your hand there indefinitely. If you cannot do that, then it needs a bigger cage for that wattage heat source.

Generally speaking, reptiles that eat whole vertebrate prey do not need to make their own vitamin D3 through exposure of their skin to UVB light. They get enough from what they eat because Vitamin D is stored in the liver of vertebrates e.g. most monitors and most snakes. Nocturnal reptiles like geckoes seem to be adapted somehow to requiring little to no UVB exposure.


FYI

CHEs give off infra-red radiation (IR) which doesn’t heat air. It only gets turned into heat when it hits an opaque object and is absorbed. If you have been to the beach on a sunny day while the air is still cool, and stepped from the sun into the shade or vice versa, you will have noticed the difference it makes to how warm you feel. It is the IR in the sun’s rays that heats you up, even though it is not heating the air around you.


CHEs do not use ‘waste’ energy in producing visible light, whereas light globes do. So with halogen or older incandescent globes, for example, there is a significantly reduced IR output (= heat output) for the same wattage globe as a CHE. Visible light does not heat up objects. It gets reflected or absorbed and re-emitted as visible light. This is what enables us to see things.


Blue


Wow thank you! you really know your stuff :) This is probably a stupid question but if the CHE don't heat the air will the thermometer and thermostat still work? The thermostst and thermometer will absorb the IR just as the animal would right, so it all good?
I've found a 40w and a 25w CHE which do you think would be best fo the 30*30*45 glass enclosure?
Thanks again everyone, forums are mostly (except when you have trolls) awesome sources of info
 
Wow thank you! you really know your stuff :) This is probably a stupid question but if the CHE don't heat the air will the thermometer and thermostat still work? The thermostst and thermometer will absorb the IR just as the animal would right, so it all good?
I've found a 40w and a 25w CHE which do you think would be best fo the 30*30*45 glass enclosure?
Thanks again everyone, forums are mostly (except when you have trolls) awesome sources of info

IMO, i would go with the 40 watt CHE in conjuction with a pulse proportionate or dimming thermostat. The thermostat will regulate the CHE quite ok. Mount the CHE inside the enclosure with a wire surround.
A good idea would be to get yourself an infrared thermometer gun (not very expensive) & keep a constant check on the temps until you know what you have got is suitable for the job.

Cheers
Ian.
 
So the 40w exo terra CHE arrived today...
Its too long for the dome I bought so the emitter will sit on the mesh, I ran it for 2 mins and the dome was super untouchabley hot and it is a 120V not 220V so I'm hardy gonna let it run given any one of these reasons :(
I have a 2m 15w heat cord I might tape to the out side of the glass. I have some black contact on the outside of the enclosure for added privacy, do you think it will insulate against the heat cord too much? Oh and the CHE is way too big to go into the enclosure, it would be like the little GTP is invading the CHE's enclosure.
Also will duct tape be ok to take the heat cord onto the glass?
Sigh...
Thanks all!
 
Can't you just use a 40w IR heat globe (to use in your dome) for now, or did you get a PP thermostat ?
 
yes I can, just don't like the red light. changed over the carpets enclosure to CHE and its like I had forgotten the jungle was yellow! I can pick a 40w red globe no worries ( I'll take to dome in with me to be sure). But trying to think of alternatives.
 
Ahh I see. Your heat cord cord method could work - Only one way to find out. :) That is of course, assuming that the animal hasn't been introduced to the enclosure yet.
 
Since you are in Victoria give Brian a call at the herpshop.He will be able to advise and supply what you need to set things up correctly.
That 120V heater that you purchased should be either returned to where you purchased it from or if not binned as it has probably blown already given that you ran 240V through it.
 
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