Mercury Vapor bulbs

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FADE2BLACK_1973

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I was looking around a Lowes today, pricing fencing and such for my outside enclosure and I came across those Mercury Vapor bulbs but not reptile type. Wonder if it's possible that these Mercury Vapor bulbs is not any different then the high priced ones you would by from Zoo Med, Hagan, and ect? Anyone have any good knowledge on these?
 

Tony the tank

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FADE2BLACK_1973 said:
I was looking around a Lowes today, pricing fencing and such for my outside enclosure and I came across those Mercury Vapor bulbs but not reptile type. Wonder if it's possible that these Mercury Vapor bulbs is not any different then the high priced ones you would by from Zoo Med, Hagan, and ect? Anyone have any good knowledge on these?


The MVB used commercially for lighting are coated and do not put out much if any UVB...Also it's tough to find Self ballasted MVB...are you sure they weren't externally ballasted MVB's??
 

FADE2BLACK_1973

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Tony the tank said:
FADE2BLACK_1973 said:
I was looking around a Lowes today, pricing fencing and such for my outside enclosure and I came across those Mercury Vapor bulbs but not reptile type. Wonder if it's possible that these Mercury Vapor bulbs is not any different then the high priced ones you would by from Zoo Med, Hagan, and ect? Anyone have any good knowledge on these?


The MVB used commercially for lighting are coated and do not put out much if any UVB...Also it's tough to find Self ballasted MVB...are you sure they weren't externally ballasted MVB's??

It's clear and not coated but here is the link.



http://www.lowes.com/pd_208890-3-69...0__s?Ntt=mercury+vapor+light+bulbs&facetInfo=
 

Tony the tank

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Fade2black...sometimes a coating is used and sometimes the glass itself blocks UV rays.. (See as UV rays are good for reptiles..They not so good for us..so bulbs sold commercialy for ambient lighting will not produce any significant UV rays

Also that bulb is externally ballasted....and has a Mogul base...Most home fixture are medium base..though they might appear similar...they will not interchange..
 

FADE2BLACK_1973

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Tony the tank said:
Fade2black...sometimes a coating is used and sometimes the glass itself blocks UV rays.. (See as UV rays are good for reptiles..They not so good for us..so bulbs sold commercialy for ambient lighting will not produce any significant UV rays

Also that bulb is externally ballasted....and has a Mogul base...Most home fixture are medium base..though they might appear similar...they will not interchange..

Yeah I know UVA and UVB are good for reptiles. Only thing was, if the home fixture Mercury Vapor bulb was any different then the ones they make for reptiles any different. The ones that are made for home are mainly made for barns and not to be used to inside the home or too close to human skin because of the UV radiation it produces. Unless these UVB meters read right. But I guess you could test the amounts of UVB that is produced from those Mercury Vapor bulbs that are made for barn lighting. That might be the only way to find out if there is any chance of a differance between the two. So this is one reason I brought up this subject up. Nothing more, just curious.
 

ascott

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Fade, if you have one of those handy uv ray gun things maybe you could go into Home Depot and ask them to let you read one? I bet if you find a guy there and explain to him you are in on a bet lets say, and the only way to win the bet is to be able to read one with your gun.....betcha he will turn totally into a dude and let you do it....you guys do that awesome team up thing to win....LOL and that was totally a compliment and not a dig..... it is a great trait you men folk have...:D
 

FADE2BLACK_1973

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ascott said:
Fade, if you have one of those handy uv ray gun things maybe you could go into Home Depot and ask them to let you read one? I bet if you find a guy there and explain to him you are in on a bet lets say, and the only way to win the bet is to be able to read one with your gun.....betcha he will turn totally into a dude and let you do it....you guys do that awesome team up thing to win....LOL and that was totally a compliment and not a dig..... it is a great trait you men folk have...:D

Zoo med makes a UVB meter but $100.00 is not worth a curiosity...lol.
 

Tony the tank

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All MVB lamps used for people has to have a UV warning label on the box or bulb as directed by the EPA...But just because they have the label does not mean that they actually produce any UV..Bare in mind all glass produced in the US has to have UV coating (if for commercial lighting use)But of course there are quality control issues that can lead to some of these bulbs producing some UV..thus the warning

I own a UV meter and have tested quite a few bulbs...(i have yet to find a commercially available self ballasted MVB bulb to test..the majority are externally ballasted mogul based)and the highest UV reading I received from any commercially availale bulb was a 68watt CFL (which is equivalent to 300 watt incadesent) at 1" was 0.25um ..Zero at 2"..


Good luck
 

FADE2BLACK_1973

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Tony the tank said:
All MVB lamps used for people has to have a UV warning label on the box or bulb as directed by the EPA...But just because they have the label does not mean that they actually produce any UV..Bare in mind all glass produced in the US has to have UV coating (if for commercial lighting use)But of course there are quality control issues that can lead to some of these bulbs producing some UV..thus the warning

I own a UV meter and have tested quite a few bulbs...(i have yet to find a commercially available self ballasted MVB bulb to test..the majority are externally ballasted mogul based)and the highest UV reading I received from any commercially availale bulb was a 68watt CFL (which is equivalent to 300 watt incadesent) at 1" was 0.25um ..Zero at 2"..


Good luck

Thanks for the info, Hector. I was just wonderin about those other type of MVB's. So the MVB's that are made for reptiles have much higher amounts of UVB and UVA produced by them. Yeah I know if I really wanted to answer my own question then I would buy a uv meter and tested them both myself. But I believe I got the answer I needed here.

Chris,
 
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