Heat bulb keeps blowing! Any advice?

[Speedy101]

Hi,
I use an Arcadia 75 W flood bulb with a ceramic fixture. About 4 bulbs have blown over the past couple of months which is no good. Never had this problem before. So I started thinking it must be the fixture that needs changing and I had a spare so I swapped. Speedy has had an old spot bulb in for past couple of days while I wait for a new flood bulb to come on Monday; pet stores only sell spot bulbs around here so I’ve had to wait. Anyways, today it blew again and I’m not sure what’s causing it. It’s plugged into an extension cord that’s supposed to handle power surges but the rest of my heating and lights are ok, it’s just the heat bulb. Any advice would be great, thanks.

 

[Blackdog1714]

Hi,
I use an Arcadia 75 W flood bulb with a ceramic fixture. About 4 bulbs have blown over the past couple of months which is no good. Never had this problem before. So I started thinking it must be the fixture that needs changing and I had a spare so I swapped. Speedy has had an old spot bulb in for past couple of days while I wait for a new flood bulb to come on Monday; pet stores only sell spot bulbs around here so I’ve had to wait. Anyways, today it blew again and I’m not sure what’s causing it. It’s plugged into an extension cord that’s supposed to handle power surges but the rest of my heating and lights are ok, it’s just the heat bulb. Any advice would be great, thanks.

Can you add pictures of the bulb, fixture, extension cord, and outlet. What size circuit is the light on in the US we have 15 AMPS and 20 AMPS. Additionally the bulbs you are using are listed as 230 V for UK use?

 

[Lyn W]

Are you using a deep dome for them?
They can cause bulbs to overheat.
I use a wide dome and never had problems with bulbs.

 

[Speedy101]

Can you add pictures of the bulb, fixture, extension cord, and outlet. What size circuit is the light on in the US we have 15 AMPS and 20 AMPS. Additionally the bulbs you are using are listed as 230 V for UK use?

Here are some pictures, I don’t use a reflector with my heat bulb. I’m not sure what circuit it is on if I’m honest, I can probably find out , and I’m pretty sure 230v is standard for uk. Bear in mind this bulb is not his normal one, it is an old spot bulb.

 

[Speedy101]

Are you using a deep dome for them?
They can cause bulbs to overheat.
I use a wide dome and never had problems with bulbs.

I’m not using any dome currently, could that be a problem?

 

[Lyn W]

I’m not using any dome currently, could that be a problem?

Shouldn't be.
Are you using a ceramic bulb holder?
Plastic holders get too hot.
if you post some pics of the enclosure with lamps and holders it will give us a better idea of what's happening.

 

[Lyn W]

Shouldn't be.
Are you using a ceramic bulb holder?
Plastic holders get too hot.
if you post some pics of the enclosure with lamps and holders it will give us a better idea of what's happening.

Ignore that I just read you are using ceramic and seen the pics.
What wattage is the holder?

 

[Speedy101]

Shouldn't be.
Are you using a ceramic bulb holder?
Plastic holders get too hot.
if you post some pics of the enclosure with lamps and holders it will give us a better idea of what's happening.

I have posted some pictures in a previous reply, if you scroll up you should see them

 

[Lyn W]

I have posted some pictures in a previous reply, if you scroll up you should see them

Yes sorry I did see them after I posted.

 

[Speedy101]

Ignore that I just read you are using ceramic and seen the pics.
What wattage is the holder?

150w and the bulb I use is 75w

 

[Lyn W]

150w and the bulb I use is 75w

Apart from doing basic things like checking the correct amp fuse is in the lamp holder plug, and trying another extension lead I can't suggest anything else but hopefully someone more experienced with electrics can help.

 

[Speedy101]

Apart from doing basic things like checking the correct amp fuse is in the lamp holder plug, and trying another extension lead I can't suggest anything else but hopefully someone more experienced with electrics can help.

Thank you for your help

 

[Speedy101]

I have managed to get another bulb working for him in the meantime, I’ll play around with the set up and see if I can sort it for when his flood bulb arrives.

 

[ZenHerper]

Electrical equipment does wear out. Irritating, but true. lol

Trouble-shoot the oldest pieces first. If the power strip has a surge protecting feature, suspect that it may have failed.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

A "pet shop" flood light is not required.
A standard, household incandescent flood light bulb is the same and it's likely cheaper.
I get 45 watt floodlight bulbs for my Chameleons on AMAZON for about a dollar each.
At a pet shop, they're between $8+ for a standard heat bulb to over $38 for the useless MVB type.
All because they have a photo of a tortoise or a lizard on the package

I just got these 6 today.
As long as you just use it for warmth. This is the way to go

 

[Speedy101]

A "pet shop" flood light is not required.
A standard, household incandescent flood light bulb is the same and it's likely cheaper.
I get 45 watt floodlight bulbs for my Chameleons on AMAZON for about a dollar each.
At a pet shop, they're between $8+ for a standard heat bulb to over $38 for the useless MVB type.
All because they have a photo of a tortoise or a lizard on the package
View attachment 320783
I just got these 6 today.
As long as you just use it for warmth. This is the way to go

Okay thank you! I’ll have a look on Amazon

 

[ZEROPILOT]

These are the last batch.
They were 60 watt.
I just realized I ordered the wrong wattage this time.
But you get the idea.
These came in at about $1.60 each
At this price, you can afford to have several spares.
Make sure that you don't buy an LED type. It MUST be incandescent.

 

[Maitri06]

I have managed to get another bulb working for him in the meantime, I’ll play around with the set up and see if I can sort it for when his flood bulb arrives.

Because the lamp is vertically mounted the lamp can become loose. The heating up (expanding) and cooling down (shrinking) of the metal in the socket, combined with gravity can make this happen. A loose connection creates heat. You may have to periodically check that lamp is tight in socket. .....my 2 cents, hope it helps you sort this out.

 

[Speedy101]

Because the lamp is vertically mounted the lamp can become loose. The heating up (expanding) and cooling down (shrinking) of the metal in the socket, combined with gravity can make this happen. A loose connection creates heat. You may have to periodically check that lamp is tight in socket. .....my 2 cents, hope it helps you sort this out.

Thank you! That makes sense, I will do this

 

[MenagerieGrl]

Years ago I worked for a Housing Maintenance Company @ NAS Alameda.
This was Older Base Housing.
Fixtures occasionally had this problem. What I learned was sometimes as mentioned above the '"socket Connection"
would become loose. In a conventional socket (USA) the ring that you are actually screwing the bulb into is the "Neutral" and
at the the bottom of the socket it the "Hot" tab. sometimes over time the tab bends down and when used and the socket gets hot
that tab does not connect with the button on the bottom of the bulb. I would with the fixture UNPLUGED! gently pry the tab up away from the bottom of the socket, ever so gently. then when you screw bulbs in only screw in bulb gently. Plug itn the fixture and if the bulb does not function tighten ever so slightly till it lights up. Additionally I have seen folks scerew the bulb in so tightly that the small rivets that hold the neutral socket to the wire connections in back starts to get ripped off of the rivets.
It's My understanding that in the UK it is similar just at a higher voltage 230v & Neutral, and in USA 120v & neutral.
I hope this helps a lil.
Be Safe, UNPLUG before preforming any electrical work.