What would use more electricity???

[beknluke]

Hi Guys
In your opinion, which would use the most electricity/cost the most to run:

A 4x2x2 enclosure running a 100w globe on a thermostat and a 2' fluro all day for 12hrs

OR//

A 160w mercury vapour globe running for 12hrs a day without a thermstat?

I am leaning towards the 4x2x2 as costing the most, but I am curious to hear everyone elses opinions...
Bex

 

[TrueBlue]

In a 4x2x2 enclousre I would only use a 25w blue during summer and a 40w blue during winter, and they will both cost a hell of alot less to run than your other options and give a much larger temp gradiant as an added bonus.

 

[TrueBlue]

Oh and Id throw the thermostat away or do the sledge hammer adjustment trick.

 

[peterjohnson64]

What are you going to keep in the cage BeknLuke? That may have a bearing.

 

[Retic]

The 160 watt option would probably cost more to run but without a thermostat would get very very hot. I agree with Rock, sorry TruePrue, as far as using a lower wattage bulb but still have it on a thermostat unless you are there all the time to monitor it. Don't forget that the flouro will actually generate a bit of heat as well.

 

[beknluke]

Basically I am making some changes to the way that I am keeping the ones that are still sick of "the 24". I am looking at housing them in huge tubs (one per tub) w/ mercury vapours.
I want them in tubs for ease of cleaning and maintenance.
I was worried about the electricity that the 4x2x2s are using when there is nothing but one single lizard in there... Just seems crazy.
Thanx for your advice guys
Bex

 

[peterjohnson64]

Sorry Bex but have I missed it? What do you mean by "the ones" E.g. Frillies will need diff heat to alpine blotched blueys.

 

[SLACkra]

bearded dragons.

how many are still sick beks?

andrew

 

[beknluke]

Sorry Peter - long story, bought some beardies who came to me REALLY sick
12 are still sick andrew - 10 of which are female
Taking me roughly 2.5 - 3hrs a day JUST TO TREAT THEM Grrr
*sigh*
Thanx again guys

 

[fishead]

Howdy Bex, I don't think you can run a mercury vapour light through a thermostat and one going full time would surely superheat a 4x2x2. Plus twenty four times 160w will add up to one mother of a power bill!
From memory a two foot flouro tube only pulls 18w and a 40w spot globe will get you a nice concentrated hot spot. I have a couple of cages set up like that.
I have seven beardy cages set up with a single 50w dichroic in each. With a narrow spot angle globe this gives a nice concentrated hot spot and puts out more uvb than a flouro (with the right globe and no glass cover - search Greg Fyfe) and over the full life of the globe. These still get pretty hot but I've found with a four foot long well ventilated enclosure the hot spot is as said quite concentrated and the beardy can self regulate his temp very easily.If I was setting up twenty four beardy enclosures I'd go the dicroics. Low initial cost, no new $40 flouro tubes x 24 every six months, comparatively low power consumption and happy lizards.
Bye, Steve.

 

[peterjohnson64]

Thanks Bex, yes remember reading the long saga. godd to see they are still going though. NOw I see why the guys have recommended the lower wattage stuff. Go the low wattage blue or ceramic but keep the thermostat. We ahve a 35 degree day in Sydney today and I wouldn't want my globes coming on. JMHO though & I certainly respect all the others.

 

[beknluke]

Hmmm all very confusing
Hey Steve, I'm not looking at running a mercury vapour in a 4x2x2 as that would be suicide lol.
I am looking at setting up TWELVE 120lt tubs with a 160w mercury vapour in one corner. These would not be on a thermostat as such, but I would set a probe thermostat so that if the ROOM ITSELF got to maybe 33degrees, the mercury vapours would switch off so I don't cook the lizards.
I have also found that the lower wattage globes take almost all day to heat a 4x2x2 - that's at least 6hrs + of it being on (I have tried lol), so that's why I use the 100w in the enclosures.
With the '12 sickies' being in the tubs, that would mean that I have 7 less enclosures running in the other room, so I am almost swapping one energy sucker to another.
I currently have 29 enclosures RUNNING with a 100w heat lamp and a fluro, and 3 fish tanks running w/ a 160w mercury vapour. Trust me, I am already dreading the bill
The problem is that when I bought these animals, I was planning on housing 3 females per tank (and since the 24 consisted of 12 females, that's 4 enclosures) and getting permission off DSE to sell maybe 6 of the males. That would mean that I would be running 10 enclosures TOTAL for these animals.
BUT since they're sick, I am running SIXTEEN enclosures for these bloody things. Grrr
Thanx for your help everyone
Bex

 

[rodentrancher]

Hey Boa? Is it actually the fluros that generate a little bit of heat, or the battens that hold the fluros?? Just wondering, as I thought that fluro globes themselves actually didn't generate any heat at all? Cheers Cheryl

 

[Slateman]

Cheryl heat is generated by transformers mainly.

 

[rodentrancher]

So Slatey, its not actually the fluro globes themselves that generate any heat?? Just those thingos(battens) that hold the fluro globes. Well, the heat comes from the transformers, to the battens?? Just asking ok?. I'm asking because, I can touch a fluro in an enclosure, and that is quite cool to the touch, but if you touch the "battens" they are very hot to the touch.
Thanks

 

[africancichlidau]

Cheryl, within the batten is the control gear for starting and running the tube itself. Part of this control gear is a choke and it is this piece of gear that actually gives off the majority of heat associated with a fluorescent fitting.

 

[rodentrancher]

Ok Afro, thanks for that. So what you are actually saying is that a fluro tube doesn't really give off that much heat at all?? Just trying to verify for my other half, be it good or bad, LOL! Dave has said that Fluro Tubes themselves give off hardly any heat at all. Cheers Cheryl

 

[beknluke]

Oh I'm getting confused :lol:
I have found that the fluro globes DO give off some heat, but it's minimal in the big scheem of things. I am sure that at best it would raise the tank temp by about 1 degree or so.
Good luck Cheryl
Bex

 

[Caveman]

When it's hot you probably want to get them outside for full days in the sun and shut the lighting down. That's where the tubs come in handy, just pick it up and take it outside. 12/120L tubs would take up half a room on the floor though, you might need 2 or 3 lights to give each tub a hotspot.

 

[beknluke]

I was thinking of having one light/tub, well, that was my thought. And since the hubby's in perth and his drum kit is currently in drum bags, I was thinking of covering his drumming room floor with em :twisted: lol
BUT, after much shuffling and re-shuffling, I have been able to split up all but 2 of the 12 sick ones, and as soon as the netteds head on their way to Sharyn next week, I will have them all separate
You're right though caveman - the tubs would've been awesome for poppin them out in the sub :? Damn this "money doesn't grow on trees" garbage!! lol

Bloody typos!! lol