Equipment Review and Discussion :: Lamp for UVB?

[powerofvoodoo]

Hey, as some of you may know, I've been having trouble with my UVB bulbs - my first blew out after a month, and my second never worked.
I just got off the phone with Exoterra Customer Service, discussing options to get my defective bulb replaced (paying the same amount for shipping that i spent for the bulb = a sad jes)
Anyway!

I mentioned that I use the light bulbs in a regular 60 watt desk lamp and she informed me that I have to use a 26 watt lamp because that's what the wattage for my bulb is. At this point I kind of just went said okay and got off the phone.
Is this true or not? I was under the impression for light bulbs that as long as the wattage was the same or below the lamp wattage, it was okay to use, but then again, stuff like this goes straight over my head. Should I be running out to the pet store to buy a 26 watt lamp (because I've never seen one at Target or anywhere like that) or should my 60 watt lamp be okay?

[DavidY]

I've never heard of such a thing. A regular desk lamp should be fine as long as the bulb will fit inside of it and it's rated higher than the bulb, which it sounds like yours is. I don't think the person you spoke to knew what they were talking about.

Did you try returning the defective bulb to where you bought it from? They should replace it for free.

[powerofvoodoo]

The light bulb is being replaced for free, but because I bought it online, I have to pay for the shipping to give the defective bulb back.
She was saying something about voltage being too high and I asked a friend of mine who also said that my lamp fried the first light bulb because it was giving too much power to the light bulb.
The good news is, if you ask about it Exo Terra will actually send someone to pick up the defective product (in my case, the light bulb) so the customer doesn't have to pay shipping. It's too bad I live on campus and don't have an actual address other than my mailbox.

I'm just going to suck it up and spend the $20 on an Exo Terra lamp. Although I still think that people just want my (nonexistant) money.

[Tattoo]

This is what I bought for my reti glo 5.0. I hope it doesn't blow my bulb. But it says it is perfect for compact bulbs. http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.ph ... 4ikgcsdch6

[DavidY]

Hmm, the amount of electricity being drawn by the bulb is totally dependant on the light bulb, not the lamp fixture. The lamp is rated by wattage only because that is the limitation of the lamps ability to withstand the heat generated by the bulb. The lamp is merely a conductor of electricity to the bulb. It doesn't change the level of power being supplied from the electrical outlet in the wall. It may be possible that there is a loose connection or a short circuit in your lamp that is blowing the bulb when you screw it in. In that case you should definitely replace the lamp since it could be a fire hazard. Well, whatever it was, I hope you have better success with your next bulb. Money is not easy to come by especially when you're a student.

[powerofvoodoo]

http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.ph ... cts_id=421
This is the one that I'll probably get.
DavidY, that's what I thought too, but I'm not going to risk blowing out all of my light bulbs and might as well buy the lamp.
Being a student is bad for my wallet. I still buy clothes and stuff like I'm still getting my summer paychecks (I babysit) but I make a lot less because at school I can only count on making $120 a month. (And I give $100 a month to my dad because I'm in debt to him)

[steve]

What their rep said doesn't make any sense. I use an off the shelf lamp from Target and it works fine. I even use one for a halogen bulb. I also have the large Exo Terra Glow Light for a MVB, it's a good lamp.

Compact fluorescents are pretty fragile. I had an Exo Terra stop working, only to work a few days later. I've had Reptisuns that lasted only a few weeks.