'Regular' flood incandescent bulbs bulbs - what does that mean?

[MasterOogway21]

In The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise, @Tom mentions that he uses 'regular' flood incandescent bulbs for heating his torts. Does that mean bulbs specified as flood bulbs (the wide-bottom ones), or the most common ones that you see everywhere? I looked it up and the bulbs do seem a bit different, but I'm not sure.

 

[JoesMum]

Good old fashioned reflector bulbs. The kind that were trendy in kitchens and bathrooms until someone came up with halogen and then LED.

They give off a lot of heat as well as light which is why the energy saving alternatives came about.

They are getting harder to buy now as most people want to save on electricity. They used to be considerably cheaper than the same thing with a picture of a tortoise printed on the box sold as a basking lamp.

 

[Tom]

In The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise, @Tom mentions that he uses 'regular' flood incandescent bulbs for heating his torts. Does that mean bulbs specified as flood bulbs (the wide-bottom ones), or the most common ones that you see everywhere? I looked it up and the bulbs do seem a bit different, but I'm not sure.

Regular incandescent household flood bulbs bought at a hardware store or department store, and not reptile specialty bulbs ought from a pet store. No spot bulbs, no halogens, no mercury vapor bulbs.

The term "flood" indicates the angle of the beam projected by the bulb. Flood bulbs have a relatively wide beam, while "spot" bulbs project a much more narrowly focused beam.

 

[MasterOogway21]

@Tom @JoesMum as in, something like this?


This may sound funny, but I genuinely can't find anything like the wide-bottomed bulbs you have in the US available here.

 

[Tom]

@Tom @JoesMum as in, something like this?
View attachment 303343

This may sound funny, but I genuinely can't find anything like the wide-bottomed bulbs you have in the US available here.

That is a regular round type bulb. Not a flood. This is a flood:

65 watt 120 volt BR30 Medium Screw Base 2850K Warm White Flood

65 watt - 120 volt - BR30 - Medium Screw (E26) Base - 2,850K - Warm White - Inside Frosted - Double Life - Reflector Flood | Sylvania Incandescent Light Bulb

www.lightbulbs.com

If you can't find a flood bulb, you can make the round type work better if you put it in a domed hood. Like this:

Woods 300-Watt 8 ft. 18/2 SJTW Incandescent Brooder Clamp Work Light and Heat Lamp with 9.75 in. Reflector and Bulb Guard 167 - The Home Depot

The 18/2-Gauge SJTW Brooder Clamp Lamp is a multi-purpose lamp that is ideal for use as a temporary heat source. Use this lamp for pig and chicken brooders, or use it in your garage, workshop, shed and

www.homedepot.com

 

[JoesMum]

@Tom @JoesMum as in, something like this?
View attachment 303343

This may sound funny, but I genuinely can't find anything like the wide-bottomed bulbs you have in the US available here.

What Tom said. We call them reflector bulbs in the UK

 

[MasterOogway21]

Thanks for the help @Tom @JoesMum. I think I might have one of those lying around somewhere in my house.