Enclosure Work In Progress - Heating Element Question

[JLP474]

Taking a lil longer, work always getting in the way lol...but here is where I'm at so far. So a question on heating element. I picked up a 150w Exo Terra Heat Wave Lamp(ceramic bulb)... plugged everything in just for testing and it just doesn't seem like its getting hot enough. I put the reptile thermostat 10-12" directly underneath, set it for 80° and it won't turn off. Put a thermometer in the spot(hanging in the pic) and its only reaching 77°...per the Exo Terra site @12" it should be reaching 86°...there is there a break in period? Or should I contact Exo Terra for possible faulty element?

 

[Chamel619]

I'm guessing you will be housing a Chameleon. Ceramic heaters get hot, heat rises.. What you need for a basking spot is "heat projection" A light bulb will better focus the heat to where you want it.

What I use is a regular 100w (frosted) incandescent bulb. 2 for 99 cents at dollar tree. (not the spiral, compact fluorescent) and have it on a plugin dimmer controller. 12 bucks at home depot. This setup has worked flawlessly for me.

 

[JLP474]

Yes, a Panther. Ceramic heaters gets hot, yep thats the idea lol...I've used the ceramic bulbs in the past with snakes and I like them due to the fact I can add heat w/o light...already have a quad fixture for light. I can't say for sure but I can't see a 100w light bulb putting out more heat than a 150w ceramic element. So like my wife would say, "Back to the original question" lol...77° 12" away from a 150w seems low compared to the 86° at the same distance Exo Terra claims. Is there a break in period for them or did I get a faulty one? Their next step up would be 250w which I can still use with the thermostat...prob should have went with that one from the start.

 

[carol5208]

I've never used one so cannot comment, but you could make things easy on yourself by just using a house lightbulb. That is what the majority of us use with great success!

 

[carol5208]

Also what kind of light is that, that are using that is so bright? You have to be careful what type of lights you use that you do not harm their eyes. I like the plants on the wall, but are you planning on adding plants to the middle of the cage?

 

[JLP474]

Also what kind of light is that, that are using that is so bright? You have to be careful what type of lights you use that you do not harm their eyes. I like the plants on the wall, but are you planning on adding plants to the middle of the cage?

36" Quad that Todd from Light Your Reptiles recommended
2 x 6.5K Daylight
1 x Arcadia 12%
1x Arcadia Plant Pro

Live plants, some dried natural bamboo and vines are yet to come

 

[JGuinan007]

I use this https://www.google.com/webhp?source....5"+Diamete&tbm=shop&spd=14207207261553459824 and this bulbhttp://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-75-Watt-Agro-Plant-Light-BR30-Flood-Light-Bulb-415281/202766841 just dim if too hot and turn up if too cold I also added an inline on\off switch so I can keep setting where I want them on the dimmer once I get the temps i want http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-3-Amp-Appliance-Cord-Switch-White-R52-05410-00W/100201339

 

[Virgil1972]

I would contact Eco Terra. A ceramic heater should put off more heat than that. They are not much different from a light bulb. Light bulbs just push the electrons though a smaller element than the ceramic heaters and thats why they glow.

 

[JGuinan007]

What is on the walls are those live plants?

 

[JLP474]

I would contact Eco Terra. A ceramic heater should put off more heat than that. They are not much different from a light bulb. Light bulbs just push the electrons though a smaller element than the ceramic heaters and thats why they glow.

Thats what I figured.

What is on the walls are those live plants?

Rubber/plastic matting from G&G Distributors (I live 20min from there with a business account)... boxwood mats and got some of the purple baby tears balls and pulled them apart and pulled off sections of the boxwood and put the purple in there.

http://www.gandgwebstore.com/23.5-x-16-boxwood-mat-green.html

http://www.gandgwebstore.com/5-bellflower-ball-purple.html

 

[Chamel619]

Yes, a Panther. Ceramic heaters gets hot, yep thats the idea lol...I've used the ceramic bulbs in the past with snakes and I like them due to the fact I can add heat w/o light...already have a quad fixture for light. I can't say for sure but I can't see a 100w light bulb putting out more heat than a 150w ceramic element. So like my wife would say, "Back to the original question" lol...77° 12" away from a 150w seems low compared to the 86° at the same distance Exo Terra claims. Is there a break in period for them or did I get a faulty one? Their next step up would be 250w which I can still use with the thermostat...prob should have went with that one from the start.

A chameleon is not a snake, nor do they bask the same way. The point I was trying to make about the ceramic heaters is, the surface gets hot and that heat will travel up, not down. like you need it too. This is different than the heat from light radiation that is produced from a filament. I could go in-depth and break down the science for you. but what do I know... you had snakes.

What you're not calculating and why your numbers aren't matching exo terras claims, is the air temp between your heat source and thermal sensor. try taking a reading from above, I'm sure it will be much warmer.

I would love to hear your solution for regulating the ceramic heat emitter with a thermostat when your chameleon is sitting on the sensor, basking.

 

[JLP474]

A chameleon is not a snake, nor do they bask the same way. The point I was trying to make about the ceramic heaters is, the surface gets hot and that heat will travel up, not down. like you need it too. This is different than the heat from light radiation that is produced from a filament. I could go in-depth and break down the science for you. but what do I know... you had snakes.

So what would be the differences between say the bulbs you mentioned, the plant bulbs from home depot JGuinan007 posted or say a 75w basking bulb http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/75-watt-basking-sun-bulb/ other than the obvious price diff?

 

[Chamel619]

The differences are in the packaging. They want you to think its special and you can only get it from them. Then tack on a extra 5 bucks. Why would someone pay 8 bucks for a light bulb that you can get for a dollar every where else. Example: Repti Fogger, 50-60 bucks Vs Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, 29.99. Its the same thing. Except the crane has a larger reservoir and you have to supply your own hose. The flood light JGuinan007 mentioned is good for the plants as its a grow light and puts out a broader spectrum as well as heat.. Hes killing 2 birds with one stone, as they say. I too would use this bulb, but I have lots of plants that need light, so I have a t5 fluorescent fixture with 3 6700k grow bulbs and one 5.0 uvb. then a 100w frosted incandescent, for basking.

 

[JLP474]

The differences are in the packaging. They want you to think its special and you can only get it from them. Then tack on a extra 5 bucks. Why would someone pay 8 bucks for a light bulb that you can get for a dollar every where else. Example: Repti Fogger, 50-60 bucks Vs Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, 29.99. Its the same thing. Except the crane has a larger reservoir and you have to supply your own hose. The flood light JGuinan007 mentioned is good for the plants as its a grow light and puts out a broader spectrum as well as heat.. Hes killing 2 birds with one stone, as they say. I too would use this bulb, but I have lots of plants that need light, so I have a t5 fluorescent fixture with 3 6700k grow bulbs and one 5.0 uvb. then a 100w frosted incandescent, for basking.

Thanks for the explanation!

 

[Chamel619]

It's not about using the bulb I use or the one he uses, but using a light emitting bulb to get the results you want. Your not going to get it from ceramic with out really pumping power into it. Then you end up with a burnt chameleon. You might only need a 75w, or maybe a 120w. If not running central air, you'll have to change them for the summer, when ambient temps go up.

Its up to you to find the right combo for your set up and monitor it.

I hope that I have in some way been helpful and your chameleon journey is as rewarding as its been for me.

 

[brownie64]

One other thing to take into consideration the ceramic heat emitter doesn't put off light not real sure the chameleon will recognize it as a heat source the same way it would a regular incandescent light bulb. Therefore it could have a greater risk of burning itself, or not getting enough heat at all. Just my two cents. Good luck

 

[JLP474]

It's not about using the bulb I use or the one he uses, but using a light emitting bulb to get the results you want. Your not going to get it from ceramic with out really pumping power into it. Then you end up with a burnt chameleon. You might only need a 75w, or maybe a 120w. If not running central air, you'll have to change them for the summer, when ambient temps go up.

Its up to you to find the right combo for your set up and monitor it.

I hope that I have in some way been helpful and your chameleon journey is as rewarding as its been for me.

Ok, yea that was another concern - running the central AC during the summer months, one of the returns is about 8' away and a register is almost right above the cage which I'm going to have to close it shut. Can I just go with say a 150w light emitting bulb plugged to a dimmer like below, then adjust it as needed?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Credenza-300-Watt-Plug-In-Lamp-Dimmer-Black-TT-300NLH-BL/100478442

 

[trickedoutbiker]

Ok, yea that was another concern - running the central AC during the summer months, one of the returns is about 8' away and a register is almost right above the cage which I'm going to have to close it shut. Can I just go with say a 150w light emitting bulb plugged to a dimmer like below, then adjust it as needed?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Credenza-300-Watt-Plug-In-Lamp-Dimmer-Black-TT-300NLH-BL/100478442

That's the exact same dimmer I use on my cage (except I have the white version), hooked up to a 100 watt bulb though instead of a 150 watt bulb (because I would never need a 150 watt strength to achieve the temps I need) In the winter, I leave my house temp on 68 degrees and put the dimmer switch on full power, giving me the full power of my 100 watt bulb. During the winter with the house set at 68 degrees, this provides an 88-90 degree basking temp for my panther chameleon during the day. As it gets warmer in the spring and summer, I just dim the 100 watt bulb a bit depending on how much warmer the house gets, and I can always achieve a perfect basking temp. Depending on your cage setup and distance from bulb to basking branch, you may need the extra power of the 150 watt bulb to achieve your desired temps. You'll have to play around with it a bit and figure out exactly how you need to do it to make it perfect. My house is set at 68 all winter, which is perfect for my own setup - with the bulb I have, my basking spot stays at 88-90 (keeping the dimmer switch on full blast) and the bottom of the cage is about 70-72 which is great. During the warmer months, my house gets up to 74-75 before the AC kicks on.... so in the warmer months, the bottom of my cage is about 75 - 76 and the basking spot is still 88-90 (this time, with the dimmer switch only on 60-75% power). At night, I like to sleep when it's a little cooler than 75 so I turn the AC to chill the house to 70, which gives a perfect night time temp for both me and my chameleon.

But that dimmer switch is great to control heat lamps that don't have built-in dimmers. Definitely a great buy. I would definitely recommend it.

 

[Chamel619]

Ok, yea that was another concern - running the central AC during the summer months, one of the returns is about 8' away and a register is almost right above the cage which I'm going to have to close it shut. Can I just go with say a 150w light emitting bulb plugged to a dimmer like below, then adjust it as needed?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Credenza-300-Watt-Plug-In-Lamp-Dimmer-Black-TT-300NLH-BL/100478442

That's the same dimmer I use. 150w will get very hot if ran @ max power, but if you feel its going to get cold at some point, it would be better to have a little more than you need and just throttle back on the dimmer. My house is climate controlled @74° year round, so I don't need more than 100w. As you go along and gain experience with your setup, you'll see how much you really need.

 

[JLP474]

That's the exact same dimmer I use on my cage (except I have the white version), hooked up to a 100 watt bulb though instead of a 150 watt bulb (because I would never need a 150 watt strength to achieve the temps I need) In the winter, I leave my house temp on 68 degrees and put the dimmer switch on full power, giving me the full power of my 100 watt bulb. During the winter with the house set at 68 degrees, this provides an 88-90 degree basking temp for my panther chameleon during the day. As it gets warmer in the spring and summer, I just dim the 100 watt bulb a bit depending on how much warmer the house gets, and I can always achieve a perfect basking temp. Depending on your cage setup and distance from bulb to basking branch, you may need the extra power of the 150 watt bulb to achieve your desired temps. You'll have to play around with it a bit and figure out exactly how you need to do it to make it perfect. My house is set at 68 all winter, which is perfect for my own setup - with the bulb I have, my basking spot stays at 88-90 (keeping the dimmer switch on full blast) and the bottom of the cage is about 70-72 which is great. During the warmer months, my house gets up to 74-75 before the AC kicks on.... so in the warmer months, the bottom of my cage is about 75 - 76 and the basking spot is still 88-90 (this time, with the dimmer switch only on 60-75% power). At night, I like to sleep when it's a little cooler than 75 so I turn the AC to chill the house to 70, which gives a perfect night time temp for both me and my chameleon.

But that dimmer switch is great to control heat lamps that don't have built-in dimmers. Definitely a great buy. I would definitely recommend it.

Ok cool...the basking spot with be that branch about 10" under the dome...hard to see from that angle but theres a nice fork in that branch to relax on.

That's the same dimmer I use. 150w will get very hot if ran @ max power, but if you feel its going to get cold at some point, it would be better to have a little more than you need and just throttle back on the dimmer. My house is climate controlled @74° year round, so I don't need more than 100w. As you go along and gain experience with your setup, you'll see how much you really need.

Perfect, I'll pick up a 100w and that dimmer and play around. Thanks again.