Fire Hazard with Cardboard and Heatlamp

[SweetTea&Chicks]

I might of been put this in the wrong forum but that's ok! Is a heatlamp a fire hazard to cardboard? That's probably a stupid question but I'm just making sure. I don't wanna burn the house down.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I might of been put this in the wrong forum but that's ok! Is a heatlamp a fire hazard to cardboard? That's probably a stupid question but I'm just making sure. I don't wanna burn the house down.

Depends on the circumstances. Too hot of a bulb like a 250 watt placed too close to cardboard could start on fire. A bulb like a 125 suspended over a box away from the sides with bedding should be okay. I have a wooden brooder. I think a cardboard may breakdown too fast if gotten wet too. Hopefully someone who has used card board will answer.

 

[SweetTea&Chicks]

Ok thanks! When I get home I'll check to see what it is. I'm gonna replace the box when it gets wet and such.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I might of been put this in the wrong forum but that's ok! Is a heatlamp a fire hazard to cardboard? That's probably a stupid question but I'm just making sure. I don't wanna burn the house down.

I used cardboard taped to the inside of a baby crib with the bulb hanging in the middle from a stick. I thought the 250 watt bulb was way too hot and I was afraid it would start a fire too. I ended up ordering 75, 100 and 150 watt heat lamp bulbs from Amazon. The kind that only give off heat and no light. That way at night it was just dark for them but still warm. I just put a lower wattage bulb in every week or so as they started to feather in.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Do you have any plastic storage containers laying around? You should use that instead, just to be on the safer side.

 

[PirateGirl]

My 250 watt heat bulb said to be sure it is at least 18 inches from any surface. If you measure the temperature at 18 inches, it's not that hot. Paper ignites at 480 degrees Fahrenheit, so as long as your bulb isn't touching anything you should be safe. Coop/brooder fires tend to start when bulbs either fall or shatter in a way that the hot glass is touching a flammable surface. The most important thing is to be sure your light cannot fall or topple over and the birds cannot crash into it (or any other pet) and break it. Aside from securing the light fixture I put a screen over the top of my brooder so that if the light did fall it would land on the metal screen and not in the pine shavings.

 

[April’s Zoo]

Also, as long as you are checking your bulb..... make sure it isn’t coated... it will usually say if it is— it might say shatter proof/ resistant... or it might say it’s coated with Teflon or PTFE.
Coated bulbs give off toxic fumes when they heat up.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

I used a large cardboard box with a 250 W heat lamp. I made sure the lamp was secured with zip ties and as long as it is secure and far enough from the box to keep the righy temp for the chicks, you will be fine. I just raised mine and resecures each week. Threw out the box when they spilled water. The second time I replaced the box, I went to the dollar tree and bought a box of puppy pee pads and put them under the pine shavings to absorb the spilled water and just replaced those as needed. I know others have just used the puppy pads without the shavings

 

[KikiLeigh02]

That is an awesome idea! Thank you!

I went to the dollar tree and bought a box of puppy pee pads and put them under the pine shavings to absorb the spilled water and just replaced those as needed.

 

[Chickassan]

Agree, much too hot. When your heat source puts off the same scent as your oven it is too hot. Stellar thinking slowly decreasing heat lamp wattages.

I used cardboard taped to the inside of a baby crib with the bulb hanging in the middle from a stick. I thought the 250 watt bulb was way too hot and I was afraid it would start a fire too. I ended up ordering 75, 100 and 150 watt heat lamp bulbs from Amazon. The kind that only give off heat and no light. That way at night it was just dark for them but still warm. I just put a lower wattage bulb in every week or so as they started to feather in.