How Hot Does A Heat Lamp Get: Things To Know

Heat lamps are often used to provide warmth in pet enclosures. Buying one for your chicks, ducklings, kittens, puppies, or piglets is wise as these baby animals still have trouble regulating their body heat. Heat lamps can work for both cold and warm-blooded animals.

Are you curious how hot does a heat lamp get? Find out in the next sections.

Heat Lamps

Incandescent lamps are inefficient because they produce more heat than light. A 100-watt incandescent bulb only produces 2 watts of light and 98 watts of heat. No wonder more and more households are turning their back on this light source.

Do you know that a heat lamp is an incandescent bulb? It is used more for its heating function than its lighting component. Heat lamps are useful for keeping pets and animals warm and healthy.

Unlike most incandescent lamps that run at 100 watts or lower, heat lamps are at 250 watts and even more. They come in a ceramic base, not plastic, to avoid melting from too much heat.

A heat lamp also features a reflector that focuses the heat and light straight down, heating what’s supposed to be heated.

Heat Output

So, how hot does a heat lamp get? You will know the heat lamp temperature just by looking at its efficiency, as indicated in the retail package.

Take a 250-watt heat lamp. If the package says it has 10% lighting efficiency, it means that the heat lamp produces 25 watts of light and 225 watts of heat. Remember, wattage and efficiency are the main factors that will help you determine a 250w heat lamp temperature or any lamp for that matter.

However, there are also some factors to consider. The actual temperature produced by your heat lamp is also relative to the temperature of the basking area. Also, the actual heat output may be slightly higher if its heat and light are concentrated in a single area rather than being emitted in all directions.

Tips In Using Heat Lamps For Pets

When using this type of lamp, always remember that it gives off more heat than light. Follow these steps to keep pets safe:

• Keep a safe distance between your heat bulbs and the animals. The heat lamp should not be too close to your pet. The animal may overheat or burn itself from accidentally touching the heat lamp.
  
• If you mean to use a heat lamp for your reptiles, buy one with a bulb that provides both UVA and UVB lights.
  
• Remove the heat lamp when your pets or animals are mature enough to regulate their body heat. Having heat lamps at this stage will stress them.

Conclusion

You have learned that how hot does a heat lamp get generally depends on its wattage and lighting efficiency. Always read the labels to get the right lamp for your pets or animals. Install the bulb carefully, at a safe distance from your pets. Regularly check your heat lamps to avoid potential hazards.