Brinsea Ecoglow chick brooder - one BIG flaw!

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
Well, it's 18W compared with a 250W heat bulb. Just think of the money you'd save on electricity!
And it only costs about the same as a heat lamp and a couple of bulbs in the first place.
Have I talked you into it yet? It's an absolute bargain. And the chickies really seem to like it...

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Well, it's 18W compared with a 250W heat bulb. Just think of the money you'd save on electricity!
And it only costs about the same as a heat lamp and a couple of bulbs in the first place.
Have I talked you into it yet? It's an absolute bargain. And the chickies really seem to like it...

Yup. Ordered.

Because I usually have a few hatches going on, I can have as many as four or five heat lamps going, and last month's utility bill WAS pretty "impressive."

Crap. I should have ordered two! I could put one in the ginormous brooder, too, instead of using the two heat lamps in it. Oh well.

 

[Gypsy07]

I've just done a quick calculation based on my own energy supplier's prices.
I'm not sure how much you pay for your electricity but mine is £0.09 per KwH.

250W heat lamp - £3.78 per week

20W Ecoglow - £0.30 per week.

The Ecoglow cost me £31 including postage, and just nine weeks of use would save me that amount.


What you said about constant hatches and usually having four or five heat lamps going?

At these prices, five heat lamps going constantly would cost me £982 in one year

Five Ecoglows going constantly would cost me £78. A saving of over £900.....

 

[sonew123]

Could this be used outside in a brooder cage?? Is it safe to be around bedding??? I was thinking I could get a small piece of plywood for it to sit on so no bedding could get under it. But instead of a 250 bulb this would be great!!! what do you think? or just inside. Right now I have a brooder with a 250 bulb and would love to not have that blocking me from sleeping soundly-I wrry about it blowing up or falling:-(

 

[Mahonri]

off to the brinsea site, but I'm afraid I'll have to have it delivered to work...

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
just checked it out 60$ plus shipping Ill have to wait on it...but it looks great-I searched ebay and amazon for a deal but none to be had:-( LOL

 

[mrslb333]

I have 2 I bought 5 months ago. Yesterday I went to set them up for my new babies and they have both stopped working Brinsea say's it could be a fault with the adaptors so they are sending replacements but it seems strange. So easy to use though I hope they can be fixed

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
Well, mine is sitting directly on top of 2" of wood shavings and some shredded kitchen towel. Because it's supposed to mimic a mama hen, it's not all that hot. When the chicks huddle under it, they're actually touching the hot-plate bit of it. I just put a thermometer against mine and it's reading 102F. I don't see that starting any fires. I'm not worrying about it anyway.

As for the cost of it - see the above calculations on running costs compared with those of traditional heat lamps!

Edit: Sorry, just realised I didn't answer the actual question. D'oh! I think it would be perfectly safe to use in an outdoor coop or shed. Anywhere you have a safe power supply to plug in a heat lamp, I'd imagine this thing could be safely plugged in too. I'm using mine in a cardboard box indoors but in a couple of weeks it'll be in a larger wooden brooder in a garden shed. I'm not anticipating any problems with it...

 

[featherz]

I actually bought one of these last week.. Should be here on friday. I get too scared when brooding chicks in the house and using a heat lamp so I thought this might be worth a shot. It looks too small to really warm 20 chicks tho?

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Well, mine is sitting directly on top of 2" of wood shavings and some shredded kitchen towel. Because it's supposed to mimic a mama hen, it's not all that hot. When the chicks huddle under it, they're actually touching the hot-plate bit of it. I just put a thermometer against mine and it's reading 102F. I don't see that starting any fires. I'm not worrying about it anyway.

As for the cost of it - see the above calculations on running costs compared with those of traditional heat lamps!

Edit: Sorry, just realised I didn't answer the actual question. D'oh! I think it would be perfectly safe to use in an outdoor coop or shed. Anywhere you have a safe power supply to plug in a heat lamp, I'd imagine this thing could be safely plugged in too. I'm using mine in a cardboard box indoors but in a couple of weeks it'll be in a larger wooden brooder in a garden shed. I'm not anticipating any problems with it...

Thanks Gypsy--my issue--I dont know the cost conversion:-( to american $$