heat bulb went out.. what to do?

[Baby Lobie]

hey guys just wondering.. the lights came on at 9 am just now.. but the heat bulb looks to be out.! how long can he be like this? its not cold in here or anything.. but outside it is so i cant even take him out to the sun. i dont think ill be able to go to store until tomorrow afternoon.. someone?

 

[camimom]

do you have any regular house bulbs? if so, use that.

 

[chamlover98]

do you have any regular house bulbs? if so, use that.

Use a 100 watt bulb and go buy another right away.

 

[camimom]

unlesss you have house bulbs that get your temps to where they should be, in which case.. you dont need to buy more bulbs.

 

[CLP]

Use a 100 watt bulb and go buy another right away.

Don't assume the 100 watts will work. It could be too hot or not enough. It depends on your enclosure and how close the bulb is to the basking spot. You need to check your temps, but a regular household bulb is all that a lot of members use. Wattage is dependent on your set up.

 

[Baby Lobie]

unlesss you have house bulbs that get your temps to where they should be, in which case.. you dont need to buy more bulbs.

like a regular CFL?

 

[CLP]

No, incandescent. The "old" household bulbs. CFL don't throw off enough heat.

 

[Baby Lobie]

Don't assume the 100 watts will work. It could be too hot or not enough. It depends on your enclosure and how close the bulb is to the basking spot. You need to check your temps, but a regular household bulb is all that a lot of members use. Wattage is dependent on your set up.

hes in a screen cage. bulb is set on the screen about 8 inches from basking spot.

 

[camimom]

clp is correct, the old ones, not the energy efficient ones.

 

[Baby Lobie]

AAHHHH!! i dont have the old ones.. how long can he be like this? do heat bulbs go out frequently?

 

[Olimpia]

Yea, if you have any light bulb packs around your house that are around the same wattage (whether it's 40, 60, 75, etc. watts) just use one of those. The heat lights we use don't have to be reptile brand bulbs, any old incandescent bulb will do the trick. What needs to be reptile brand is the UVB light, but for the heat light we can save a little money and buy those bulbs anywhere for a couple dollars.

The light bulbs will burn out occassionally, especially with multiple animals, so I always buy my bulbs in those packs of 6 or so for $5. I always have a couple bulbs in the different wattages left somewhere in case of an emergency!

 

[Baby Lobie]

Yea, if you have any light bulb packs around your house that are around the same wattage (whether it's 40, 60, 75, etc. watts) just use one of those. The heat lights we use don't have to be reptile brand bulbs, any old incandescent bulb will do the trick. What needs to be reptile brand is the UVB light, but for the heat light we can save a little money and buy those bulbs anywhere for a couple dollars.

The light bulbs will burn out occassionally, especially with multiple animals, so I always buy my bulbs in those packs of 6 or so for $5. I always have a couple bulbs in the different wattages left somewhere in case of an emergency!

thanks Olimpia. so the bulb that went out was a 50 watt.. should i get a incadescent 50watt as well? is this the same? and how long can he be this way?... man.. i just bought that one like a month ago though. is that normal to burn out that quick?

 

[Elizadolots]

He should be fine for a day. However, if you can get a household incandescent bulb today it would be better. You can find them just about anywhere, even 7/11 would have them. If it were me, I'd buy a few different bulbs so I could be assured of getting the right temperature.

It is absolutely not normal for your expensive bulb to die in a month. While you don't really need that type of bulb, you've already paid for it so you should get your money's worth. I would take it back to the store and ask them to replace it with a working bulb.

 

[drcrossfire]

Don't fret too much. In the wild there are cloudy days! Just go to a hardware store and stock up on incandescents!

I keep a pile of 40 -100 watt bulbs around at all times.

 

[Baby Lobie]

ok so just so im for sure... i CAN use the incadescent bulbs permanently.. not only temporarily correct? and yea i will be taking it back.. thanks.

 

[CLP]

Yes, incandescent can be used permanently for basking spot as all you're trying to accomplish is heat with the light. The only thing you HAVE to use a specialized reptile light for is your UVB.

Take the "dead" light back. For what you're paying for those, they should absolutely last a lot longer than a month! Use your refund to stock up on a bunch of incandescents in a few different wattages, and you'll still have money left over

 

[azgnoinc]

ok so just so im for sure... i CAN use the incadescent bulbs permanently.. not only temporarily correct? and yea i will be taking it back.. thanks.

Yes, you can absolutely use regular old incandescent bulbs forever- or at least till they burn out & need to be replaced. What is important is to make sure that the wattage you are using is giving you the right temps - so try and measure this with a couple of different watt bulbs. IMO only - it is better to have the temp low to start versus being too hot - again- this is IMO - because you can always increase the wattage of the bulb to get the right temps, but if you start too high then you are stuck with bulbs that could burn your cham.

 

[Elizadolots]

I think a variety of bulbs is the ultimate ticket because you'll end up needing different bulbs for different times of the year.

 

[CLP]

I think a variety of bulbs is the ultimate ticket because you'll end up needing different bulbs for different times of the year.

I agree. I started out with a 60 watt and have moved up now because of the colder temps at home now that winter is coming. My basking spot temp dropped almost 10 degrees between late summer and now with the 60 watt. Definitely best to have a few different wattages. I would say 3 for sure, maybe 4, and somewhat dependent on how much the temps fluctuate where you live.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Heat bulbs will last (according to the manufacturer) for about 2000 burn hours. I've found that they usually burn out after about 3-4 months, they do better in a new fixture. The good ceramic fixtures with the metal dome are cheap at the feed store (in the baby chicks area), so if my bulbs start burning out too frequently, I get a new fixture. Then they last about half a year or more.
On an aside, I buy my heat bulbs on eBay for cheap in a 2-pack, and I always make sure to have an extra on hand. We have 3 tortoises and a chameleon, so between the 3 enclosures, bulbs go out throughout the year. If there was such a thing, I'd like to just buy a 10-pack... I'll use them all eventually, and would save some $$~