Another horror story about heat lights....

[Scales Zoo]

Roy, I agree that heat panels, heat tape and flourecent lights are safer, but I don't think they provide a hot enough basking spot for monitors or some other lizards.

Also putting lights inside the cage as was earlier mentioned, I only do with our tall monitor cages - safety of lights in a reptile cage is a whole other story.

A word of warning about heat pads. I know someone who used a commercial reptile heating pad inside their cage (I know lots of people who do). It is beleived, that the build up of heat over time caused the peat moss to start smoldering, then the cage to start smoldering, and it very nearly caught on fire.

I think it is time someone invented completely fire proof building materials, that would solve a lot of problems right there.

Ryan

[Scales Zoo]

Tim, I am suprised you got insurance. We did not report the cage fire we had 4 years ago because I thought they might pull our insurance all together.

That too, burnt throught the carpet and underlay. But then I found out that under the carpet, is really old hardwood flooring - which increased the insured value of our house by $20,000.

With the bad, there is sometimes good.

Ryan

[HetForHuman]

I was really surprised we got it as well. Maybe it was the fact that i did only have the one animal and enclosure. I dont know what it would be like now that i have near a dozen animals and enclosures.

I just hope i never have to find out again.

[Invictus]

I agree with Greg West, I use fixed sockets for all of my cages, and I have used as much as 100W light bulbs (heat well above 120 degrees basking) contained within melamine housing with HARDWARE CLOTH (Never wire mesh!) allowing the heat into the cage, and have never once had a problem. certainly if the bulb contacted melamine long enough (as did yours in this case), there would be a problem. But if it's kept a few inches away, it seems to be very safe. At least, I haven't had a problem in the year or so that I've been building cages that way.

Anyway, I'm glad nothing happened, and I agree with one other thing - TRUST YOUR DREAMS. Kudos to Sheila's intuition.

[sidewinder]

I had a dream at least a thousand times that I won the lottery,.... stillwaiting

[Scales Zoo]

Originally posted by Invictus
contained within melamine housing with HARDWARE CLOTH (Never wire mesh!) allowing the heat into the cage, and have never once had a problem. certainly if the bulb contacted melamine long enough (as did yours in this case), there would be a problem. But if it's kept a few inches away, it seems to be very safe. At least, I haven't had a problem in the year or so that I've been building cages that way.

It was hardware cloth. The heat light was almost 2'' from the wood, but the radiant heat made the melamine start to burn. The other dome which held in place, had only 1/2'' clearance - and was obviously not safe. They were spot lights however, so it aimed it's light and heat.

If I were to build a box around a light, inside the cage, I'd make sure to keep the light at least 2'' away from any wood - and I'd probably use some tin sheeting of some kind, to protect the wood from direct radiant heat. I'd actually not feel very comfortable bringing any wood closer to a heat light than I needed too.

I use the same set up for lights on the large caiman enclosure, and have not had any problems in over 3 years. Those lamps are secured over hardware cloth that is larger than the lamp - and right now I thinkt that might be the safest way to use a spot light or heat light. In 2 years from now, when those cause my house to burn down, I might change my thoughts about that too though - and that was the purpose of starting a post about my screw ups - so we'd get some discussion going, and hope to save someone else from losing a house, pictures or pets.

The reality is, heat lights aren't meant to be used in houses, or to provide heat to a confined reptile cage. They are meant to keep baby chicks warm in old barns, which aren't close to anything valubalbe - and they do cause fires even then - with all the extra space.

Ryan

[Invictus]

Yeah, the light houses I build are 10" x 10", so I believe the light is 4" away from the melamine in front, and at least 3" from the external door. The aluminum flashing or tin sheeting is a good idea - something I think I will look into.

[marisa]

A couple years ago a cat knocked over a heat lamp here, and I found it totally burning into the carpet.

I'd rather spend the extra money on radient heat panels and heat tape, and use tube lights in my house. Bulbs are crap for many reasons, this is just the scariest one.

Marisa

[Tim and Julie B]

We had a similar incedent a few years back. A light burnt a hole in the carpet. But that doesn't compare to what happened to a friend of mine. We were watching a movie and could smell something checked his reptile room and a lamp was sitting on a shelf. On! It had burned a four inch hole through a inch of partical board.

I agree with Ryan. Heat panels etc are all well and good but what about monitors? Are there any alternative heat sources that can provide a 120 degree basking temp? TB

[marisa]

I'd say using a low low wattage regular bulb...like a 40... along with a heat panel installed upright could create a 120 basking spot....still a bulb but far cooler and lower wattage than some 100+ watt ones I am sure.

Marisa

[Scales Zoo]

Any monitor I've ever kept, I'm sure would burn himself on the 40 watt bulb, because they'd contact it, if they could, when basking.

It takes a lot of bulb to provide 120 F at any distance, and some people suggest 140 F basking. i've seen some of our monitors bask in 140 F spots when provided.

I've never used a heat panel, or seen one in use, but I'd like to find out more about them. What kind of basking temperature can they provide at, say 12''. Do they cause the cage above them (if stacked) to become really warm. Are they safe to use with wood (I'm paranoid now)?

Ryan

[Tim and Julie B]

THat's some good points Ryan I wonder what the manufacturer says about contact with wood on some of those products. My Albig's light is hanging in the cage and she can contact it quite easily but never does the savs their kight is further of the ground so they could not contact it but both hang in the cage. I am now wondering about an alternative.

[Shad0w]

Ive got helix heat panels, and I can tell u, one side gets really warm (the underside) but the top.. that mounts to the celing, remains cool....

I dont think one could provide 140 degrees at 12 inches tho... It probably could at 6 to 8 inches...

And yes.. they are safe with wood
moisture will also not affect them... U can even lightly spray the hot side to help with instant humidity.. they are impermeable to water.

I highly recommend them... once you try them, you will not use anything else.. they are amazing!

Oh.. and they do not dry out the air in the cage like a lightbulb does

[Scales Zoo]

I'd like to try Helix's - I had heard that they provide a lot of "up heat". I've found them for $66 U.S - where is the best (read cheapest) place to get some, I'd like to try a few out, if not for monitors, for some of the snakes at least.

Ryan

[Shad0w]

I got mine at PCpets for $90 canadian, I dont think thatll help ya much being in sask