100W Ceramic Heat Emitter - How warm should it get?

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree. I use 250watt heat lamps.

 

[panner123]

Quote:
Lets say I cheat a little. I live in the sierra foothills between Sacramento and Reno, which at times gets pretty cold. the secert I use to keep the temperture constant is compost. Because of the terrain all my coops have an opening under them. In the fall I start building up the compost under each coop. As the compost cures it builds up heat, which keeps the coop warm. This is something I learned from my grand father many years ago. Many of the people with chickens then used this method in New Jersey before they had the aid of electricity in the coops. Most of the time a plain ole 100 watt bulb will do. I use them because they will not cause a fire as easy as the heat bulbs and the hens continue to lay.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

You can get a milkhouse heater at Wal-Mart or the home improvement stores for $15-$20. The one I have I paid $12 for several years ago, it switches between 700 or 1200 watts and has a built in thermostat.

 

[wardsarge]

CERAMIC HEATER PT2046 - 100W

 

[Weebee]

We have used ceramic heat emitters in the chicken coop for a few years and they work well. I use a 100 Watt emitter in a regular heat lamp about 20 inches over the roosting spot of our 2 elderly bantams that get cold easily. I also turn on an additional one when the temps get extra cold.
These emitters last several years, don't mess up the laying cycle, cost a lot less in energy and seem safer. (always use a ceramic socket and shield, attach the lamp 100% securely and dust off the bulb or emitter every so often. Also check to see it hasn't come loose from socket- same precautions as regular heat lamp). It would be nice if they had a tiny "on" light so you can see it's working, but I just put my hand underneath to check. My rule of thumb is to use the heat emitters or heat lamps when it is going to be below 10 degrees farenheit.
The 250 watt heat lamps are very expensive to operate, burn out quickly and mess up the laying cycle- especially here in Colorado where the temps vary a lot and lamps aren't used regularly.

I just bought a 100w ceramic bulb for my 6x8 coop. Man they are EXPENSIVE! I plugged it in under my desk to make sure it works and I can barely feel the heat at all. Seriously - like AT ALL. Even the general air under my desk doesn't feel warmer.

When I put my hand close to it, I can feel the heat, but once I back off 4-6 inches, it's all lost.

In my MN coop it is going to be a complete waste of time (and money).

I know there are zillions of you out there who don't believe in heating your coops, and believe me, if I can get away with it, then I won't.... but I only have 4 hens and they don't even begin to heat up their insulated coop with their body heat. And it's a l*o*n*g and bitter winter season here in MN... so be patient with me here, okay?

How warm are these things supposed to get? Do they take a long time to reach peak heat potential or something? It's been going for 30 minutes and I'm not feeling impressed. In fact, I'm feeling kinda gypped. I envisioned heat like a red bulb, but with no light. This isn't even close.

Did I get a bummer bulb or have I chosen the wrong tool for the job? I wanted to save it for when the temps start hitting single digits (and below) but I can clearly see that this particular bulb won't even matter. Can some folks with ceramic heat experience teach this young padwan learner?

Thanks!