Lights Blowing Out

[Chrisreptile]

How expensive is a heat emitter, I use 100 watt globes now and it gets so frustrating when they blow all the time...

about $30-40 for one brand depending on wattage and $50-70 for another brand depending on wattages.
so about $50-60

 

[hugsta]

You can't beat ceramic heat emitters. I have been using them for several years now and have one that is still going strong after 5 years. People say they are expensive but by the time you have gone through 5 or 6 light bulbs or more in a year, the cost becomes quite cheap. For those using light bulbs, if they are on a dimmerstat, they will last you much longer.

 

[spazza]

so it is best to use a heat emitter with a thermastat and it will be fine?

 

[paulw6676]

i went into bunnings on the week end and got a phillips spotone R80 light bulb and it gives out just as much heat as any heat light from the pet shop, it also only cost me $3. you should try them and it doesnt matter if they blow because there only $3. The only problem is they dont have them in red.

 

[hugsta]

so it is best to use a heat emitter with a thermastat and it will be fine?

Yes spazza, you would definately need a thermostat with a heat emitter as they get extremely hot.

 

[Kali7]

Some European and American brands are 230 volts. Our system is 240volts. The 230s always have untimely blow outs.

 

[spazza]

is it best to use a ceramic light fitting aswell

 

[Chrisreptile]

is it best to use a ceramic light fitting aswell

yes, as it wont melt or go brittle like a plastic one.lol

ceramic light fittings are also able to withstand alot higher temps than the plastic ones.

 

[Tsubakai]

Summarizing the above: If you need heat all the time then get a ceramic heat emitter. If its only daytime heat you need (eg. some beardie or monitor setups) get the spot globes from bunnings.

I've used a ceramic in our turtle tank for six months and its still powering along. I've gone through quite a few reptile globes for the beardies but its heaps better now with the cheaper spot globes (haven't lost one yet). I still use reptile globes for my tarantulas but that's only so I can watch them at night and I won't need any heat for them within a few weeks (virtually no real winter to speak of in Townsville )

However my best investment was getting heat cord for my hatchie pythons - four enclosures on one cord and they all get a good thermal gradient.

 

[Chris1]

gee, i'm glad its not just me, the red globes i get from herpshop last between 3 days and 3 weeks,....i thought my fittings must be killing them,...but i've tried a few different ones,...

must be time fro a CHE then,..but i wont be able to see my boy @ night.

 

[Ozzie Python]

i use the urs red bulbs and have had a a40W & 60W running for about 10 months now. yet to blow one up, however i understand running higher wattage is more likely to blow the bulbs with on/off switching.

 

[Chris1]

i did notice teh lower wattage ones last a bit longer actually,...mine are on 24/7, as soon as i turn it off its a gonner,....

 

[tfor2]

Just a question though for those of you who use ceramic..
Are they any costlier in power bills to use compared to normal or other globes?

 

[cockney red]

Same as everything in life, you get what you pay for. I only use 2 bulbs. Phillips R30 reflector 100w in red, or zoo med RS100E infrared in red. 26 & 17 bucks respectivly.

 

[Chris1]

i managed to blow 2 or the red zoo med globes in 1 day, it seems they can be as crappy as the rest,...

 

[Tatelina]

i've given up on the buld designed for reptile use, too expensive and go through too many. i use philips spot one R80 they're tinted in blue and red come in screw in fitting and diff wattages and cost about $4 from Big W. funniest thing is the first one i used out lasted all of my previous reptile bulbs

What wattage do you use? I'm always paranoid about cooking my pets.

 

[mrmikk]

You can sometimes blow globes simply by touching them when you are screwing them in, this happens due to the oil from yur skin getting onto the fine glass of the globe, which causes it to shatter when it heats up.