11/05/2023
Make Your Reptile Lighting Safer and Last Longer.
© Todd Goode, Pres. LightYourReptiles.com / LYR Inc
Whenever I get reports of failing T5 or LED light fixtures in cages,
I always try and find out how they are installed.
And lately I have noticed over the years, a pattern has emerged.
So, I really want to make folks more aware of this issue.
Hopefully it will help cut down on this problem.
Folks are literally COOKING their light fixtures, (both LED and Fluorescent T5 fixtures), causing them to burn out and fail.
Many keepers make their own custom cages.
Also, many folks are buying custom cages from many different cage makers.
And each cage maker seems to have their own cage designs.
Problems occur most when the lights are mounted inside the cage to the cage ceiling.
More specifically, inside a CLOSED / SOLID TOP CAGE.
Enclosures that have no ventilation or inadequate ventilation, especially up near the top of the cage, are usually at least in part to blame.
In addition, the light fixtures that fail fastest are almost always ceiling mounted VERY CLOSE to a high wattage basking / heat bulb, heat projector or radiant heat panels.
Why is this?
Well, we all know heat rises looking for an escape out of the top of the cage.
Think of it sort of like:
Heat rising into your house's attic on a hot summer day... with nowhere to go!
And the temperature will keep rising and can hit 120 - 130 degrees or more. (48C – 54C)
The same thing happens in a solid top cage, with poor or no air flow.
The temperatures at or near the top can easily reach 120 – 130 degrees. (48C – 54C)
It creates a POCKET of high heat at the top of a cage right around the lights.
This can cause extreme heat buildup INSIDE the light fixtures.
Because instead of dissipating the heat that they generate, they start taking on MORE and MORE HEAT.
And heat is the enemy of ANY electronic device.
So, this extreme heating can cause the electronic ballasts or LED drivers in the fixtures to fail.
How long does it take for them to fail when installed under these conditions?
That depends on how hot it is getting.
It can take as little as a few days or so if it is very hot.
But usually, the lights will last for weeks or a few months before they start to fail.
This sometimes is noticed first if the T5 Fluorescent lights or LEDs start flickering.
Or “turning off” by themselves. This is the fixtures internal thermal safety cut-off trying to stop the overheating and turning "off".
They are trying to "save" themselves and shut down to cool.
It goes without saying that this is not the product’s fault. And it is not a defect in the product.
It is not a warranty issue.
All high-quality lights and LEDs are made to withstand some heat.
But the amount of heat they are forced to deal with under these conditions is just too much.
At some point it could even become a real household safety issue.
The solution is to increase the ventilation at the top of the cage.
By cutting holes or venting the cage better. Especially above the light fixtures.
And use a thermometer or your trusty temp gun to monitor temperatures at ceiling level around your lights.
How hot is too hot?
There is no one answer. Because many different brands and kinds of fixtures are made with many different components. Different components can be made with different manufacturing specifications.
All I can say is that in my past 45+ years’ experience, lights positioned OUTSIDE a cage. Set on or over a screen top LAST LONGEST. Period. Lights mounted inside cages that are designed to be well ventilated usually do OK… especially IF the heat projectors / basking bulbs etc. are mounted at a reasonable distance from them. The father away far from where the internal ballasts or divers are located inside the fixtures housing, the better.
I hope this provides some help for people out there to get the best results with their reptile lighting.
ADDENDUM:
Many folks ask about adding small fans, muffin/ computer fans etc. to blow over the lights.
Speaking from experience, if not done right, you can easily cause an un-ending DRAFT on the animals in the cage. And then that in turn that can lead to chronic respiratory problems that are very difficult to treat. © 2023 Todd Goode, Pres. LightYourReptiles.com / LYR Inc.
