You know you need a heat lamp if you have a reptile in your home. No matter if you have one or many, every enclosure requires one.
The heat lamp provides them with the needed heat and light to flourish. Unlike sunlight, a heat lamp can be controlled and there are few incidents in which your beloved pet dragon might get a burn.
As fun as it might seem to be the father/mother of dragons, the most frustrating feeling comes when one of your pieces of equipment doesn’t work accordingly. And most of the time, it is the heat lamp.
As it provides the needed warmth from time to time and doesn’t let any sneaky stuff harm your buddy, the lamp light goes out all of a sudden. No matter how many times you change it, it goes out.
Makes you question why my heat lamp keeps burning out. Well, there are a few reasons behind that and we are going to talk about those in this article.
Why Does My Heat Lamp Keep Burning Out in a Month
There are a lot of things that can go wrong with your heat lamp. As you want the right amount of heat coming out of your lamp, you might be also using a thermostat to regulate, a timer to shut it off occasionally, and a good powerful bulb.
All of these combined is the ultimate warmer for your reptile friend. But oftentimes the bulb keeps on blowing off.
There is no sign of any water splattering on them, no sudden temperature change to blame. Only the light itself dies on you.
Here are the things that might be causing your heating lamp to burn out.
- Wrong wattage bulb.
- Not properly fitted socket.
- Light is tightly fitted into the socket.
- Too much heat.
Wrong Wattage Bulb
Most of the time we think that a high wattage bulb will produce more heat. Which is actually a great idea. You will get the heat faster and it will cut the coming bills.
This is where you are wrong. A heating lamp bulb should be no more than 75W. Putting something greater than that will cause it to die on you faster.
Also, you should be using incandescent bulbs rather than other types of bulbs in a heating lamp.
Not Properly Fitted Socket
Often times there is a crack or damage on your heating lamp. Also, the light you are using might not fit on the heating lamp socket properly.
This might not seem to be a big issue at first, but in long term, it will. Poorly fitted bulbs will have a hard time operating and will end up dead sooner than usual.
Bulb Tightly Fitted Into Socket
As poorly fitted bulbs are an issue, you should also not fit your bulb to its very end of the twist.
The reason behind it is obvious, the bulb end gets heated up faster. This causes the bulb to overheat more than usual and you end up buying a new one in a few days or a week.
Too Much Heat on a Wrong Bulb
Too much heat damages anything made out of glass. This also goes for the bulbs.
As heating bulbs are made differently, they can withstand more heat than any house bulb. So if you are using a regular bulb on your heating lamp, it won’t go as far as a heating lamp bulb.
Solution: To all of these problems, there is one solution. Getting the right wattage bulb and a heating lamp bulb to be precise. Otherwise, you will have to buy a bulb every week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my heat lamp bulb keep blowing?
If your heating lamp bulb keeps on blowing, you need to check the socket for any damage. If the socket is good, try a low-wattage heating bulb. Also, the thermostat and timer might need a check. A heating bulb has low wattage but produces more heat. It is different than regular bulbs used at the home.
How long do heat lamps last?
Heating lamps last for over 3-4 years. Lights on the other hand can last from 3-4 months to a year. Depending on the type and quality of the bulbs, they last longer.
How to stop a heat lamp from burning?
To stop your heating lamp from burning, use the right type of bulb that is made for a heating lamp. Incandescent bulbs are the ideal type of bulbs for your heating lamp. And keeping the heat to a minimum level would be a good trick too.
Why does my reptile light keep burning out?
Your reptile light keeps burning out for a couple of reasons. The use of wrong wattage bulbs, tightly or loosely fitted sockets, overheating, thermostat, or timer malfunction is all connected to it. So check on all of these components to be sure.
Conclusion
Heating lamps are not only found in reptile enclosures but are also used in our bathrooms. Though both are of different wattage and power, the function is the same. So the problem with the bulbs most of the time is the bulbs themselves. Going for better quality bulbs with more heating characteristics will give you better results than using regular bulbs in a heating lamp.
