Dangers of heatlamps - Soo mad!

[quackiemama]

I am just glad everyone seems to be alright. Good job @Jpat saving the day!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@Jpat - I am so glad that you were there and rescued the duckies!!!

 

[albinosilver]

Those exo terra bulbs are garbage. I bought four bulbs for my brooder and coop. 1 exploded and the other 3 lasted barely 1 month each of continuous use before burning out.

 

[Knighstar679]

I have a ceramic bulb as a back up. But I just bought a heat plate from rent a coop for my new ducklings this year.

I work in a pet store and we see problems with bulbs often. Usually they don’t explode unless excessive skin oil or water is on them.

 

[casportpony]

I work in a pet store and we see problems with bulbs often. Usually they don’t explode unless excessive skin oil or water is on them.

What just read something on halogen bulbs and it said it was best to handle them wearing disposable gloves and when they get dirty to clean them with rubbing alcohol. I guess this could be done with heat lamp bulbs too.

 

[Knighstar679]

What just read something on halogen bulbs and it said it was best to handle them wearing disposable gloves and when they get dirty to clean them with running alcohol. I guess this could be done with heat lamp bulbs too.

Yes when I worked in theater lighting they used to send special paper that the bulb was wrapped in to put the bulb in the fixture with. The slightest touch of your finger to the bulb would cause the bulb to fry. I have two of these bulbs in my hatching incubator, for that reason I use sponges for water. Much harder to have splash with them.

 

[Jpat]

So glad your ducklings are okay!

Hearing stuff like this is why I swear by Brinsea EcoGlows all day erry' day:

View attachment 1766433

I am EXTREMELY paranoid about fires after a local chickenkeeper's entire barn burned down due to a faulty heat lamp, so I flat-out refuse to use them. Have used these EcoGlow brooders for all my chicks and have never had a chick loss, have never had one short out or lose power, and you can lay something right on it or even touching the heat plate without worrying about it being so hot it'll catch fire. I take soft tee-shirts and make them into nests under the brooder and the chicks cuddle right up under there warm as a bug in a rug.

Thank you, And everyone else!
Those definitly are the way to go!

iam going to keep using a heatlamp, i like its benefiets. Just with a ceramic coil bulb from now on!

Yikes. Guess I won't use heat lamps next time.

like i seid i like them... Just with ceramics now haha

ANY lightbulb will explode (glass shatter) if it changes temp too quickly. A common way this can happen is if the bulb is hot (has been on for awhile) and a cold drop of water hits it. Ducklings have a way of shaking/spraying water droplets everywhere, it one hits the bulb it can explode.

I had my vanity light bulb explode on me when I was cleaning the mirror once, a bit terrifying really. We also once had a glass baking pan shatter when we pulled it out of the oven and set it on a cold tile countertop. My SIL had a glass carafe shatter when she poured hot tea in it. These are all examples of the same thing, glass can shatter if it changes temp too quickly.

I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m glad you were home to tend to the ducklings and I hope all are ok.

Your most likily right! Contraction of the glass due to rappid temperature changes, Altho i think a bulb meant for pets should be more resistant

ive used the same brooder for over a year with lots of different chicks and ducklings in it and have heard water sizzing on the old bulb. Sad thing is the old bulb still works, i just wanted a new one

How terrifying but thank goodness you responded so quickly.

Yeah if they had of ate any glass ide shot someone

A feed store I used to go to had something like 40 heat lamps for their baby fowl and it seemed like their bulbs were always breaking.


so glad you were there when it happened. Question, was your bulb resting on the brooder lid when it happed? If so, you might want to find a way to suspend it over the wire because bulbs are more likely to shatter when they are touching something.

Try not to be too paranoid. Avoid bumping it on stuff, don't rest the bulb on a hard surface, and try to find a way to mount it where it is least likely to get water splashed on it.

Nope it was well inside the heat lamp off the wire, Mustve been water off the ducklings

Of course getting water droplets shaken onto the bulb will not be good. But for me, there is a more subtle solution to long bulb life: NEVER let your fingertips touch the lamp! The oil on your skin will transfer to the lamp, and create that uneven hot spot.
I have used a heat lamp without any problems, for the past six years. Again--I never touch the lamp.
In my configuration, the lamp is screwed into a "frame" which can be squeezed with the hand, to open up and fasten itself to a board, say. Then it is never moved--only plugged in or out. The less rearranging of the lamp, the better. And I promise that my 1K lamp has never burst. I'm using photo flood lamp..

Yeah when i worked as a service station technician we knew to never touch Halogen or high intensitity discharge bulbs

I found orange sprinkles of sweet potato from my Spring Ducklings at the ceiling of my home-office, 1.6 meters (5.2') over the spot where i had the brooder! Had one of those bits hit a heat lamp it certainly had exploded. Just don't use them! Use heat pads, build @Blooie 's Mama heating pads, build Momma Heat Caves, use Wooly hens and a warm water bottle or just buy that Brinsea thing - but stop using heat-lamps!
They are a fire hazard, they can burn your birds, they can burn you too and they might explode.
And having the lights on for 24 hours is bad for the babies development, remember birds can see deeper red's than we do. The ducklings from this spring prefer to sleep in the darkest parts of the duck house, but i have to have a lamp on overnight because my Indian Runners from last year (grown up with a heat lamp) will freak out if it is dark and they can't see.
And if you need light in the coop or duck-house: Use an LED light! They won't get hot enough to burn somebody or to start a fire and they won't explode.

Wow on the ceiling! Haha thats funny!

Good point right there about burned animals. lots of burned ducklings and chicks here on BYC. its worth taking the time for a little safety

Those exo terra bulbs are garbage. I bought four bulbs for my brooder and coop. 1 exploded and the other 3 lasted barely 1 month each of continuous use before burning out.

Yep forsure!

iam no scientist or engineer but ive owned and changed lots and lots of lightbulbs and the glass in these is very very thin. Even compared to a cheap walmart outdoor porch light.



A bulb marketed for pets should never be so thin and cheap, And shatter into so many peices.

I shouldve been using a ceramic coil bulb to begin with. i will take responsibility for that. i like new borns to be able to see at night for the first few days.

Next time i will set up and proper floor lamp for light and ceramic for heat

 

[Pyxis]

Yikes, never gonna use one of those bulbs for my bearded dragon! So glad to read that all the ducklings were okay.

All the possible dangers with heat lamps is what lead me to switch to using the Premier1 heat plate brooders, which I love now. All the poultry love them, it more closely mimics a natural brooding by a hen, and they use much less electricity too.

I've seen far too many people accidentally burn down their coops with heat lamps, and even the ones with shatterproof coating are dangerous, since the shatterproof coating is actually Teflon, and as we parrot owners have known for years, the fumes that Teflon puts off when it gets hot enough kill birds. Actually, there's a good article about it on here written by @BantyChooks.

So with all these possible dangers, I avoid heat lamps the best I can.

 

[Cayuga momma]

Alrite just had a duckling 911.

Heatlamp exploaded and i mean LOUD. i run out, The ducklings are covered in glass fragments, Orange sparks raining down on them, Smoke everywhere.

i grabbed them as fast as i could so they wouldnt eat any. rinsed each one off head to toe under the tub faucet and blow dried them to make sure any glass was off them.

Anyway bulb was 4 days old, 150w, it was in a 200w lamp housing and indoors. Perfect enviroment and it still exloaded...

if you have this bulb get rid of itView attachment 1766417


i cant beleive i had the same bulb in my coop for a month. ill never put a heatlamp in a coop ever again. i switched the lamp out for a heatpad in the brooder too!

Anyway figured ide share, ive used heatlamps alot and this is the first time thats happened View attachment 1766419 View attachment 1766420 View attachment 1766421 View attachment 1766422 View attachment 1766423 View attachment 1766424 View attachment 1766425

I'm so glad they are all alright!
I'm sorry this happened, but am thankful you were home when it did happen!

 

[Jpat]

Yikes, never gonna use one of those bulbs for my bearded dragon! So glad to read that all the ducklings were okay.

All the possible dangers with heat lamps is what lead me to switch to using the Premier1 heat plate brooders, which I love now. All the poultry love them, it more closely mimics a natural brooding by a hen, and they use much less electricity too.

I've seen far too many people accidentally burn down their coops with heat lamps, and even the ones with shatterproof coating are dangerous, since the shatterproof coating is actually Teflon, and as we parrot owners have known for years, the fumes that Teflon puts off when it gets hot enough kill birds. Actually, there's a good article about it on here written by @BantyChooks.

So with all these possible dangers, I avoid heat lamps the best I can.

Good info on the teflon!

I'm so glad they are all alright!
I'm sorry this happened, but am thankful you were home when it did happen!

Thanks god i was!