Heat lamp problems

[Kenzie2898]

Hey everyone! Having a few problems with my heat lamp and getting it to be warm enough/staying on. To start, I have a 100w halogen bulb in a zoo med reflector dome. I cant get my 4x2x2 enclosure warm enough on the warm side, it will struggle all day to get to 90. And now it keeps turning off after like 15-20 minutes and wont go back on unless i unplug it and plug it back in. Any advice?

 

[xp29]

If it's a mvb some of those have to cool down before they will come back on, although I've never seen them shut off (would be due to heat build up at the base). Or it could be that your power strip or timer has a built in slow blow breaker. Those will trip if to much current is being drawn through them and will turn back on after a cool down. Likely your dome isn't rated for the wattage of you bulb or the contacts in the socket have some corrosion. Either could cause an overheat or to much current to be drawn.
To get more heat i would run a couple slightly smaller wattage bulbs set close together in independent domes.

 

[Kenzie2898]

If it's a mvb some of those have to cool down before they will come back on, although I've never seen them shut off (would be due to heat build up at the base). Or it could be that your power strip or timer has a built in slow blow breaker. Those will trip if to much current is being drawn through them and will turn back on after a cool down. Likely your dome isn't rated for the wattage of you bulb or the contacts in the socket have some corrosion. Either could cause an overheat or to much current to be drawn.
To get more heat i would run a couple slightly smaller wattage bulbs set close together in independent domes.

You think a ceramic heater bulb would help if run alongside the halogen?

 

[xp29]

They can but be sure your dome has a ceramic socket, the base of the che's get extremely hot and can melt a socket not rated for them.

 

[KarrieRee]

You think a ceramic heater bulb would help if run alongside the halogen?

It would get temps up to what they need to be possibly but you need a digital probe thermometer to check

 

[Kenzie2898]

It would get temps up to what they need to be possibly but you need a digital probe thermometer to check

Ive got them

 

[KarrieRee]

Ive got them

ok try it see what you get for temps