60 watt flood bulb?

[TaylorTortoise]

What kind of flood bulb is safe to put in a ceramic light fixture? The screw bases are different for different 60w brand types. Not sure if they all fit and work, the brands.
Any recommendations if any? Looking to switch my bulbs that I currently have to keep the humidity from floating to the top of the room, to maintain cooler room temps from exploding from regular basking bulbs. Since flood bulbs are more efficient.

 

[Tom]

What kind of flood bulb is safe to put in a ceramic light fixture? The screw bases are different for different 60w brand types. Not sure if they all fit and work, the brands.
Any recommendations if any? Looking to switch my bulbs that I currently have to keep the humidity from floating to the top of the room, to maintain cooler room temps from exploding from regular basking bulbs. Since flood bulbs are more efficient.

I've never seen floods in 60 watt. 65 is more common. I've used Sylvania, GE, and Philips. All worked well for me.

The way to keep humidity in is by using a closed chamber and having the lights inside. One bulb or another won't have any different effect. If the lights are outside on top of the enclosure and not enclosed, any bulb will draw your heat and humidity up and out. Changing bulb won't change this.

No bulbs should be exploding. You have a bigger problem if that has happened.

Flood bulbs are not more efficient. 65 watts is 65 watts regardless of bulb type. Because the heat and light is reflected downward, you can usually use lower wattage bulbs, and I suppose that could be considered as a form of efficiency.

 

[ZenHerper]

When a bulb package advertises "efficient" it means non-incandescent (cool fluorescent or LED). "Efficient" bulbs do not produce usable heat.

The only way to save both money and environmental effects on the room is to use a closed chamber habitat (also called a "vivarium"). You use smaller wattage bulbs that are more easily controlled by thermostats, and the humidity does not escape (so you have to add very little new water once the micro-environment is established).

That all being said, ceramic lamps work with any standard screw-in bulbs as long as the lamp is rated for the wattage of bulb you want to use. Check the lamp's package or company website for the allowable wattage. This information is also supposed to be printed on the ceramic part of the lamp. If a lamp is only rated for 60 watt bulbs, then using hotter bulbs (100W, forex) voids the warranty and poses a fire risk.

 

[TaylorTortoise]

I've never seen floods in 60 watt. 65 is more common. I've used Sylvania, GE, and Philips. All worked well for me.

The way to keep humidity in is by using a closed chamber and having the lights inside. One bulb or another won't have any different effect. If the lights are outside on top of the enclosure and not enclosed, any bulb will draw your heat and humidity up and out. Changing bulb won't change this.

No bulbs should be exploding. You have a bigger problem if that has happened.

Flood bulbs are not more efficient. 65 watts is 65 watts regardless of bulb type. Because the heat and light is reflected downward, you can usually use lower wattage bulbs, and I suppose that could be considered as a form of efficiency.

Thanks Tom.
I'm nervous to go closed chamber with the lights inside because I am not as experienced as many are on here with lighting and enclosure set up skills.

I'm afraid if I do a closed chamber set up, the lights being enclosed inside can fail or get too hot inside causing fire or death. Also, I only own ceramic dome light fixtures for open top tables with plexi to help maintain a warm side cold side. I need to look into different light types for closed chamber set ups.