After reading about heat lamps causing fires when only clamped on I want to secure my lamp better. I read posts that say using a zip tie works. I am confused! what do you zip tie together? Could anyone explain to me a way to secure the lamp? Thanks!
I guess it depends on your coop. I hang mine from the rafters and then duct tape the cord to the wall so the heatlamp can't fall. For my brooder which is a 3 x 5 metal dog crate - I weave the cord in and out of the caging on the top and then let the heatlamp suspend from the inside. I also duct tape the cord in a few places to make sure it doesn't move. As for a zip tie - I haven't tried that one. I put alot of my faith in duct tape - obviously. I've been doing this for over 3 years and have never had a problem.
I use screws on each side of the mounting board so the clamp cannot be moved or pulled off without opening it. Then I use wire (or one could use a zip tie) to wrap around the mounting board so that the clamp cannot be opened up or twisted, period, until the wire is removed. Hope that helps.
I zip tied the crap out of my heat lamp - I zip tied the cord to an overhead beam in multiple places and I zip tied the clamp of the light and the and I also used wire to secure the clamp to the overhead beam -
I nailed a 2x4 horizontally to one of the joists in my coop and clamped the lamp to it then put a nail through the 2x4 so that if the clamp should slip it would catch on the nail instead of slipping off the board.
I used a metal L bracket that is for shelving. I then attached my heatlamp with some S hooks that are tightened and it hangs down from the bracket about 1 1/2-2feet above my water dish. I wrapped the cord numerous times around the bracket and then also it's secured in 2 other spots along the wall so if 1 fails, it will still be safel! My geese would mess with the lightbulb, they would unscrew it, so I had to build a wire mesh around the heat lamp to keep them from getting to the light! If you just make sure when you put yours in, however you decide to set it up, make sure if 1 attachment gets broke that you have numerous others to keep it from getting close to anything that could burn!
Quote:be careful wrapping your cord, if you do it too many times you could make a coil which will cearate an inductive load (electrical resistance). Could cause your cord to get hot also.
