Ceramic Fittings & Viv Attachment

[VW_Rick]

For my ceramic heater I obviously use a ceramic fitting and I just dangle it down via the wires through a small hole in the top of the viv as the hole I made to slot the ceramic fitting in got worryingly hot for chipboard.

For my basking light I have a standard light fitting (the push and turn one) pushed into a hole I made in the top of the viv so the bulb can just go in. My problem is that all the bulbs with this fitting (push n turn, called bayonet cap?), that I can find, are crap. They're thin and break at the first sign of water (bit of spray gets on it etc.). I've now broken about 5bulbs in a few months.

My cure for these crap bulbs is a different sort :P. I have a hefty bulb here that is a 150W spotlight bulb with screw fitting, BUT I can only find screw fittings (ES/E27 'Edisson') in ceramic. I don't want to put a ceramic fitting in the hole again because the old hole got really hot so much so that I was worried about a fire hazard.

So what do I do? I don't want a gaping hole were the old light fitting was slotted & I don't want the new bulb dangling down because my rep is arboreal and having this huge thing dangling down will take quite a lot of room.

Maybe the ceramic fitting for the bulb wont get as hot as with a ceramic heater in it so I'll be okay by just slotting it into the old hole? Or are there any products I could put in the hole to stop the heat getting to the wood as much?

Sorry about the very long and winded confusion of this but it's right pi***ng me off now! I'd get some pictures up but the girlfriend seems to have hidden away my camera cable, I should be able to put some up later.

Thanks for Reading, Rick!

[lee young]

get a small square of aluminium sheet 3" or 4" square should do it, drill a small hole in it and glue that to the roof of your viv (covering the hole) and then screw the ceramic fitting to the roof of the viv, through the aluminium sheet. The square of aluminium will act as both a reflector, reflecting some of the heat from the bulb downwards, and will also act as a heatsink for the ceramic connector, spreading the heat over a wider, less dangerous area. If you cant afford sheet aluminium, other metals will work, but not as well, or use aluminium foil, folded over loads of times until its quite thick.

[VW_Rick]

Ahh yeah that's a good idea. But how do i screw the ceramic fitting into the aluminium, there's no screw hole?

ES/E27 Ceramic Lampholder - ES/E27 Lampholder - LED & accessories — (UK) Light bulbs, halogen lamps, spot lights and tubes by mail order in the UK

[lee young]

just drill a small hole in the sheet. Either that or unless its really thick sheeting a self tapping screw would probably go through it. the bigger the sheet the less it will heat up too, so if you can only get a bigger piece it wont matter.

[VW_Rick]

Sorry, didn't word that right, there is no screw fitting on the ceramic heater.

[Lotus Nut]

Firstly its not a good idea to spray bulbs with water! its a safety hazzard and they dont like a sudden cold change in temps it can cause the glas to crack!.
If buying cheap bulbs like those from wilcos or b&q they dont last too long.

If using lampholder like the one in link there are two holes in base of lampholder to fit on viv, also if using a metal heat sheild mak sure there are no stray strands of wire from terminal which could touch shield. Alos dont but those expensive lampholder you can get tme much cheaper elsewhere.

Lampholder will get just as hot weather using ceramic bulb or filament bulb of about the same wattage. You should also be using heat resistant cable with these as normal cable will burn and become brittle exposing bare wires.

When using bayonet lampholder be sure to check its rating, T1 are ok for 60w, T2 upto 100w.

[VW_Rick]

Thanks, that's really helpful. What are the best bulbs that'll fit in a T2. The full 100w would be nice.

Thanks, Rick.