| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| royal prince |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 17:46:29
we have got a royal python about two years old and was just woundering what light colour bulb we should be using to heat the viv we was told to use a red 40w and leave it on all the time but he seems to stay in the hide alot but when the bulb went the other day and we couldnt get to shop for a day or he wads coming out a bit more than normal any advice would be a help thaknk you |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 06/09/2011 : 00:12:31
Thermostats are quite reliable little bits of kit, its more likely to blow a fuse or the bulb than to fail in a way that just results in a 100% on situation but I'm sure there have been probe failures. I would take a slightly different approach, i use a slightly higher wattage bulb than everyday use requires for two reasons, its dimmed and not so red and secondly becuase in this country it can drop cold quick and sometimes you just need that little bit of a kick to keep things toasty, but I wouldn't use a bulb with too much wattage mainly because they cost a bit more and it would be very unlikely to ever need so much power.
With proper maintenance and inspection and monitoring you are very likely to see any damage to the stat wires or notice it not doing what its supposed to do in a gradual onset of failure. I also have them all on surge protectors/circuit breakers just in case, i dont want £200 worth of electrical equipment going pop in the unlikely event of a power surge. You could plan for every eventuality but you just have to put your faith in your setup to do its job properly sometimes. |
| SaltyTurtle |
Posted - 05/09/2011 : 22:53:02
quote:
Originally posted by Royalbob
quote:
Originally posted by SaltyTurtle
quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
This is exxactly why we have a thermostat salty :p
And if your thermostat packs up?...
I guess it depends on what/how much your protecting. sophisticated systems have alarms and auto dialers attached to them so that you and a number of other people would receive a call if things went into dangerous levels. What if what if?
I agree, my Microclimate dimmer and pulse proportionate thermostats both have alarms. What I'm getting at is that when I'm working, or not at home for a period of time, if my heater breaks, the house is always warm enough for the snake to live. If the thermostat breaks, and the heater is left in free-fall, blasting out 250w of heat is going to send the temperature in my 2ft viv beyond the safe 35 degree basking temp and sour to in excess of 60 degrees easily!
I'd rather err on the size of caution, as a snake will better survive 12 hours of gradual temperature decline in a well insulated house, than it will rapid and lethal temperature increase from a potent heat source like a 250w ceramic.(In a smaller viv where 250w isn't needed to maintain the required temps.)
I am an engineer and I am talking sense. It seems everyone is out to shoot one down on this forum, but I see the logic in having a big old meaty heater and let the stat keep it under control, however, if the wheel comes off, boy you've got problems.
To reply to 'the devil's advocate', I hear what you're saying, and thanks for bucking the trend and admitting that a 60w just about did the job, whereas the 250w lapped it up. However I have to take issue on your claim that the 60w would do the job, but not as economically. Each heater, regardless of wattage will use the same amount of electricity to achieve the same temperature. So a 60w working it's guts off will use the same amount of Kw/h top achieve the specified temperature as the 250w. The difference is that the 250w will be on (at 250w) for say 10 minutes in the hour, whereas the 60w will be on (at 60w draw) for say 42 minutes. The amount of electricity used is identical, the 60w was unable to use more than 60w at any given time, and thus had to be on for longer, the 250w was using 250w for the whole time it was on, and thus needed to be on less, to avoid overheating.
Analogy: Small woodburner producing the same heat (7kw by being fully loaded with wood, versus massive woodburner (20kw) half loaded and running cooler than it could.
Hope this helps. |
| Royalbob |
Posted - 05/09/2011 : 22:03:43
quote:
Originally posted by SaltyTurtle
quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
This is exxactly why we have a thermostat salty :p
And if your thermostat packs up?...
I guess it depends on what/how much your protecting. sophisticated systems have alarms and auto dialers attached to them so that you and a number of other people would receive a call if things went into dangerous levels. What if what if? |
| sandi |
Posted - 05/09/2011 : 21:22:23
Ok, just to be devils advocat....I have a 250w ceramic in a 5ft viv but when it blew i was left with a 60w and it did get temps up but struggled and was on 24/7. Conversly, my 250w turns of via the thermostat and is off more than its on...efficient but maybe only in my house! In a 3ft viv a 60w will do but wont be as cost effective. |
| blackskull |
Posted - 03/09/2011 : 09:26:46
i use 250w ceramic on a pulse stat in my 4ft viv. my house has no central heating and lower wattage bulbs wouldn't get the temps high enough in the winter. so far touch wood i have never had any probs usein that wattage |
| SaltyTurtle |
Posted - 03/09/2011 : 05:05:32
quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
This is exxactly why we have a thermostat salty :p
And if your thermostat packs up?... |
| Kelfezond |
Posted - 03/09/2011 : 00:33:56
This is exxactly why we have a thermostat salty :p |
| SaltyTurtle |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 23:38:28
quote:
Originally posted by markmifsud
I use a 250w black ceramic. I am surprised that a 40w would actually heat anything apart from a tiny viv
There you go, you live & learn!
I'd say 250w is overkill in anything short of a 5 ft viv, using simple engineering logic. I've been trained to use enough, and no more in life.
The old adage goes, don't take a sledgehammer to crack a walnut.
Or as the forces would say; Improvise, adapt and overcome.
50w is spot on, 40w was doing the job, but not to my liking. 250w would be reheating a curry in a blast furnace for my size viv.
Each to their own, rodders. |
| markmifsud |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 23:14:15
I use a 250w black ceramic. I am surprised that a 40w would actually heat anything apart from a tiny viv |
| SaltyTurtle |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 20:22:05
quote:
Originally posted by royal prince
we have got a royal python about two years old and was just woundering what light colour bulb we should be using to heat the viv we was told to use a red 40w and leave it on all the time but he seems to stay in the hide alot but when the bulb went the other day and we couldnt get to shop for a day or he wads coming out a bit more than normal any advice would be a help thaknk you
I take it from this that there is no thermostat in use. Please for goodness sake buy one of these (a dimmer type for I.R bulbs, Pulse Prop will do for ceramics but you can use a dimmer for either).
If you don't and you use a high wattage bulb, you'll cook the poor little beggar in no time.
If you search the threads there's lots of other talk of who uses what and why etc. Good luck! |
| GMac |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 19:12:30
infra red bulbs are idea for heating and font get irritating when left on 24 hours a day |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 18:42:00
Yeah my response is on the assumption you already have a thermostat.  |
| Kelfezond |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 18:31:35
Any coloured bulb is fine attached to a dimming thermostat, if the bulb was out the viv cooled and he probably came out to find a heat source. |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 18:30:03
I would actually say that for Royals a ceramic heat bulb is the best thing to use, no light emitted at all, though it takes a bit of extra kit to cope with the heat generated, the holder has to be ceramic and you might need a bigger guard. Next best is infra red bulbs, they are fine to use with any bulb holder (providing the fittings match) and cut out visible white light which Royals dont like much.
Red bulbs are a waste of money its usually just a normal spot painted red. I was given one to start with and it wasn't suitable at all. |
