problems with CHE getting too hot

[byviolet]

I got a nice 75w CHE yesterday and I'm having trouble because it's so hot. I put it in a ceramic socket and tied that to a light diffuser panel with zip ties. I also cover the top of my enclosure with garbage bags to keep in humidity. The CHE is very hot to the touch (burning) and it makes the garbage bag area also really hot to the touch. How can I fix this? I'm also worried about the light diffuser panel and the zip ties melting

 

[Tom]

I'm not sure what a light diffuser panel is or why you would use that with a CHE or over a tortoise enclosure, but your solution is two fold. First run your CHE on a thermostat to keep the temperature in the enclosure where you want it, and second you need more clearance between your bulb and items that can be damaged by heat. Using a larger enclosure might give you the space you need.

By the way, I would not trust zip ties to hold a hot bulb over my enclosure. UV, heat and time makes zip ties get brittle and break. Eventually your fixture will fall. If you must use the clamp to hang it in your situation, I would recommend metal bailing wire to hold it in place. Generally, I prefer to hang mine from over head.

 

[mini_max]

I run 100w and while it gets hot, it isn't too hot in the enclosure. I also am unsure what a diffuser is, but I am kind of surprised that it is needed to make your enclosure temp ok. Are the temps inside the enclosure too hot even at substrate level? And just personal opinion, but a meltable plastic over a hot fixture sounds like a recipe for trouble. I'd swap for foil or a sheet of plexiglass with holes cut for the lights

 

[byviolet]

the light diffuser is just a panel to hold the lights and heating elements -- I cut holes in them to put lamps on.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Could you post a photo? It would help a lot. In the meantime, don't leave that setup unattended. Sounds like a fire risk.