DANGER ! CERTAIN BROODER LAMPS ALMOST BURNED DOWN BARN! TWICE! pics

[wpalmisano]

HERE IS THE SIMPLE BROODER SET UP I HAVE BEEN USING SINCE THE WEATHER CHANGED.

TONIGHT IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE FOUND A PHILLIPS RED HEAT LAMP HANGING BY A FILAMENT. AFTER A DAY OR TWO OF HIGH HEAT, THE BULBS START TO COME APART. I AM NOT HAVING THESE ISSUES WITH THE SLI BULBS I WAS GETTING FROM THE FEED STORE. THE BRASS END CAP MELTS THE GLUE OR SOMETHING. THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT WAS A FLUKE. BUT IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE FIRST TIME THE BULB WENT OUT AND THE QUAIL DIED. THIS TIME IT WAS HANGING AND ARCED OUT DROPPED A HOT PIECE OF METAL INTO THE BROODER BOX. WENT BACK TO HOME DEPOT AND THEY LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS CRAZY. THE BULBS ARE STILL BEING SOLD.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I would call Philips direct, save all your stuff, take pictures and do not offer to give them anything back!!!!!!
Question, do you have one of those ceramic elements screwed into the brooder ?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have had one explode on me outside under shelter, (not enough shelter) with rain.
I won't use the things anymore. Am currently using two 100 watt bulbs with good temps in the garage with one day old chicks, as of today.

 

[wpalmisano]

Not Ceramic, Just The Lamp In The Pic, I Have A Few. Supposed To Be Good For A 250 Watt Bulb.

 

[mskittydjs]

Whoa!!! Is this strange or what??? I was just reading on a different post about an accident with a light bulb that almost burned down a coop, then I go out to check on my 4 week old SLW and BR babies under a heat lamp in the coop and found that the big chickens must have been up on the baby pen and bumped the lamp...it was pointing right at the back wood frame of the babies pen!!! There was a small amount of smoke in the coop (could see it swirling around the light), and now there is a 3-4 inch diameter burnt area on that back frame! Some parts of the frame are burnt all the way through! I quickly repositioned the light, got some water and drizzled it on the wood to saturate it...I didn't leave the coop for almost 45 minutes making sure the wood was cool and then I put bricks up on top so the lamp can not be redirected again! Probably wont get much sleep tonight! Will definitely be reworking this in the morning! My babies are 4 weeks old...can I use a different light to give some warmth for them? We are in Louisiana and the night temps are 50-60s. They are in the main coop and still like to sleep under the light. Any suggestions? Thanks and can you believe that is the same light bulb I am using that you have had problems with??? I bought it from Lowe's. I bought the red one so that the other chickens could get some sleep...when I used a regular light, it was pandemonium in there since the chickens didn't seem to sleep at all.

 

[chickee]

How scarey!!

Those bulbs have always worried me so I only use the ceramic bulbs used to keep reptiles warm. They are so much safer and last for 5 years!!

Here is a picture of the ones I use.

 

[Ohhhdear]

I had the same thing happen with the Philips heat lamp bulb hanging in my brooder. Fortunately I had a wire mesh surround keeping the hot bulb parts from dropping into the chicks and pine shavings. My heat lamp has a ceramic socket, but the bulbs' base is brass.

 

[mskittydjs]

Thanks Chickee for posting the photos of the other kind of heater! I have never seen one but will go to the local pet store tomorrow and see if they have one. If not, will be making a mad dash to a bigger city an hour away to the PetSmart store! Do not want to have another possible accident!

 

[spish]

i have used phillips heat lamps for years with no problems......never had one 'fall apart' on me like that. are yours definatly 'original' phillips bulbs and not some cheaper copy from china or something? i guess the only way you'd find out is by contacting philips themselves but if they ask for the bulbs to 'check' them, only give one and get a written receipt for it. keep the other as 'proof' incase you need to delve further into why these broke so easily and are potential fire hazards.



for future reference try getting a wire guard around your heat lamps, it will 'catch' the bulb if it ever falls and stops things coming into contact with the hot bulb. it wont stop the bulb burning things if its a hot enough bulb..but will help prevent dropping bulbs

 

[denim deb]

When I had 2 peeps in the house earlier in the year, I used the same type of bulbs as chickee. I don't know the brand, but my kids have both a pet snake and an iguana and had a lamp they weren't using, so I borrowed it. I've never had a problem w/them, and they're on pretty much 24/7.