Are heating plates really less risky than heat lamps?

[Airyaman]

Are heating plates really less risky than heat lamps? Or are they similar in risk in terms of spontaneously starting a fire? Which one is guaranteed to be 100% safer?

Also, I have a red heat bulb that is 250 watts 120 volts plugged into a short extension cord into a wall socket. The wall socket was recently installed (part of an electrical upgrade from fuses to circuit breakers) and is rated for 20 amps and it goes directly to the breaker box outside. Is my heat lamp safe from catching fire?

The typical surface temperature of a brooder plate is 105F-125F. Heat lamps can get as hot as 250F - 500F or even 750F at the surface! Obviously that is a burn hazard for chicks, and even can be a fire hazard for some materials like cardboard (ignition point 425F - 475F) and wood shavings (ignition point 500F).

 

[ChickenChick46]

The typical surface temperature of a brooder plate is 105F-125F. Heat lamps can get as hot as 250F - 500F or even 750F at the surface! Obviously that is a burn hazard for chicks, and even can be a fire hazard for some materials like cardboard (ignition point 425F - 475F) and wood shavings (ignition point 500F).

This lady told me about a friend of hers who was using a poultry heat lamp inside of a dog house in an enclosed dog run suring the winter to keep a dog and her puppies warm. I don't know if it fell or what happened exactly, but it caught fire. You can guess how the story ends. It was heartbreaking, and it stuck with me. I know they have their place, and that they can be safely used, like with a chain as @BigBlueHen53 said. I still felt better after we got our brooder plate set up.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I recently purchased two "brooder plates" that even on lowest setting were too hot to touch. No name brand, got from Cackle store. So be careful.

 

[ChickenChick46]

I recently purchased two "brooder plates" that even on lowest setting were too hot to touch. No name brand, got from Cackle store. So be careful.

I think I read this in another post on here about the ones from Cackle. I was freaking out when I first plugged mine in and the temp gun read it at 121. I had to take a step back and do some research. And the instructions that came with it were totally minimal. Basically, all it said was how to snap the legs in place, but nothing about normal functioning temperature.

But, now that I understand it better, I do really love the one we got, and I love that it can double as a coop heater if needed. We don't get a lot of bitter cold here, but we usually have 1or 2 good cold snaps each year.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

It was probably me, I posted about it before. And yes, no warnings or instructions. I mean to call Cackle about it but haven't yet.

 

[ChickenChick46]

It was probably me, I posted about it before. And yes, no warnings or instructions. I mean to call Cackle about it but haven't yet.

I think it was you. Sorry. I'm spending a ton of time here lately.

 

[Altairsky]

Lamps are always a fire hazard. Brooder plates are a fire hazard only if they're cheap chinese quality things with zero safety standards.
My brooder plate for example is fabricated in my own country with all the required safety standards. I paid a fair price for it. It runs on 12V and it gets warm at the perfect temperature for chicks. Temperature is preset so you can't mess around. That brooder plate is one millionth safer than even the best heat lamp.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I think it was you. Sorry. I'm spending a ton of time here lately.

Lol, no worries. Half the time I have no idea to whom I am responding!

 

[RoyalChick]

I recently purchased two "brooder plates" that even on lowest setting were too hot to touch. No name brand, got from Cackle store. So be careful.

Scary. Mine don’t have settings. I can only adjust the legs to raise the height.
When I adjust the legs the plate is warm but I can hold it just fine while adjusting the legs so not really very hot.
Maybe as warm as a broody hen - which makes sense really!
This is the one I have and I love it. It is 5 years old and working fine.
https://a.co/d/hTeHCoS

 

[Altairsky]

This is the one I have.
It runs on a 15V power supply so that is as safe as it can get.