Safety of porcelain lamps inside enclosure-help!

[JoshSloane]

i have mentioned this in other threads, but I am finishing a build on a closed chamber plywood enclosure for my sulcata baby. I was originally going to hang two porcelain dome lamps in the enclosure, one for the 100w CHE and one for the 65w flood light. I have now been seeing many awful reviews about ZooMed dome lamps bursting into flames and such.

I'm now thinking of going with the ExoTerra wire porcelain lamps. Seem to have better ratings and more appropriate for a CHE. What are your thoughts? I am terrified of starting a fire.

 

[jaizei]

If it's going to be inside the enclosure, it might be better to forgo the domed fixtures and just mount a jbox and use keyless fixtures.

 

[JoshSloane]

Well that's why I was going to go with the exoterra, it's not enclosed, just some metal mesh around the bulb. I'm going to need to have the bulb closer to the floor than it would be if mounted.

 

[Tom]

I use theFluker domes or the Home Depot domes in my closed chambers. I've never had any issues with either, and some of them have been in use for more than a decade.

 

[JoshSloane]

Thanks Tom. I am just super paranoid about fire hazards. I guess I will be using 100w and 65w in a lamp that is rated for 150w, so that should err on the side of caution.

 

[jaizei]

Thanks Tom. I am just super paranoid about fire hazards. I guess I will be using 100w and 65w in a lamp that is rated for 150w, so that should err on the side of caution.

The sockets themselves are usually the same regardless of the rating that the fixture says. The rating on the fixture is determined by the dome it's attached to. A Zoo med mini dome and a 300w brooder may very likely both have a ceramic/porcelain socket rated for 660w & 250v. Of all the dome lights I've looked at, I've yet to see one that wasn't.

 

[JoshSloane]

So ironically today I was misting one of my other enclosures and I had a 75w basking bulb in a porcelain lamp literally explode. I know that you guys use flood lights inside the enclosure, do you ever have issues with the high humidity causing shortages in bulbs?