Heat Lamp Extension Cord length

[bigblueteach]

I have a 250 watt heat lamp I’ve used for baby chicks before. But now my building is 100 ft away. Can I run extension cords that far and it be ok?

 

[thecatumbrella]

I personally would not. Longer lengths can result in voltage drops and overheating (guess how I know). But if you're going to give it a shot, use the lowest/thickest gauge wire you can get and make sure it's rated for outdoor use.

Have you considered using a heat plate instead? The wattage is much lower (<40) and it's safer to leave unsupervised. I'd think the 100-ft extension cord would handle that better, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Lovestoryandaboy]

I personally would not. Longer lengths can result in voltage drops and overheating (guess how I know). But if you're going to give it a shot, use the lowest/thickest gauge wire you can get and make sure it's rated for outdoor use.

Have you considered using a heat plate instead? The wattage is much lower (<40) and it's safer to leave unsupervised. I'd think the 100-ft extension cord would handle that better, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

I just purchased one of those and they just don’t put out very much heat. Now as far as the extension cord I would recommend just running either uf cable (electrical wire for underground) dug into the ground and putting gfci breaker in by a professional somewhere out of the way but yet close enough for the heat lamp. Maybe even on switch to where you could turn it on and off fairly easy without having to go in there. Just ideas. Those heat lamps can be scary quick! Too many stories about fires. They have a lot of other lamp styles on Amazon. That are fixed a lot safer.

 

[Folly's place]

We had a licensed electrician set up the wiring at our coop, with buried wire run to the coop and everything up to code. Otherwise our farm policy wouldn't have covered anything out there, and it's safe.
I agree about the brooder plate being safer, but it's still difficult if your are in near 0F temps.
Our chicks are in our garage, with a brooder plate and a smaller heat lamp right now. This is not the time of year to have chicks!
Mary

 

[Lovestoryandaboy]

We had a licensed electrician set up the wiring at our coop, with buried wire run to the coop and everything up to code. Otherwise our farm policy wouldn't have covered anything out there, and it's safe.
I agree about the brooder plate being safer, but it's still difficult if your are in near 0F temps.
Our chicks are in our garage, with a brooder plate and a smaller heat lamp right now. This is not the time of year to have chicks!
Mary

Those plates don’t put out hardly any heat I don’t think for as expensive as they are. I bought a large one and was disappointed. Glad to hear your babies are in the garage !

 

[Folly's place]

I really like the brooder plates, but this is not a good time to have chicks outside anyway, with 15F temps! Never again will we do December chicks here, it hasn't been a good experience, and only in our 'never freezes' garage is it working out. Otherwise they would be actually in the house, and that's not going to happen...
Mary

 

[Lovestoryandaboy]

I really like the brooder plates, but this is not a good time to have chicks outside anyway, with 15F temps! Never again will we do December chicks here, it hasn't been a good experience, and only in our 'never freezes' garage is it working out. Otherwise they would be actually in the house, and that's not going to happen...
Mary

You know I will mess with my plate and give it a try again. I just gave it a try mounted vertically and wasn’t too happy in the circumstances. But after reading a few other posts I may put the legs on it and make adjustments. My heat lamp scares me. Way too much risk.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Those plates don’t put out hardly any heat I don’t think for as expensive as they are. I bought a large one and was disappointed. Glad to hear your babies are in the garage !

You understand a heat plate is not designed to radiate heat into the area like a heat lamp is, right? The chicks actually have to be in contact with it to get warm, just like they have to snuggle up against momma hen to feel her body heat. They will get warm then leave it to go eat, drink, run around, then go back to it when they need to warm up again.