Is this okay to use?

[Noella]

My ceramic heat emitter fell off my tank last night and the ceramic heat bulb came apart. The screw in part was still attached to the fixture I have it in. It was hanging by a thread. I checked the threads and they're still intact this morning and I twisted the bulb into the base. It's tight, but I was wondering if it'd work still? Or will it catch on fire? Did this happen to anyone?

I had two ceramic heaters before, each time, they melted the fixture and the bulb itself. I don't want to make a third trip to this petstore because I have a feeling he's got cheap stuff. The only thing that works still is my dragon's Reptisun 10.0 UVB Tube light...and basking light of 100.

 

[Germ]

You should only use a fixture with a porcelain or ceramic socket for a CHE. They should not be used in plastic sockets. If the CHE housing broke away from it's threaded base, it will likely not work anymore & definitely would not be safe if it did.

 

[Noella]

Going to buy a new one at Petland. I'd prefer to go over there now. The pet store I went to kept giving me a basking bulb fixture for a CHE. After two times, I exchanged it for a CHE socket fixture. One that says it's made for CHEs. Not for basking bulbs or those awful coil bulbs everyone's been warning not to use.

Thanks for helping me.

 

[cybercat]

Lowes and Home Depot also carry the correct bulb holders and might be cheaper. Just make sure socket is ceramic/porcerlin.

 

[Noella]

Thank you for the suggestion. I should've thought about that when I needed one.

Do you think they'd have a thermometer with a probe at the end to take readings on the basking spot and cool spot? I've been looking all over the place for them and wasn't sure about where to get one that tells me degrees.

 

[Germ]

Walmart is another one, from what I understand the AcuRite thermometers are readily available in their Pet Dept. Either of these mentioned stores will quite likely have ordinary Indoor/Outdoor thermometers that work quite well also, with the sensor (Outdoor) fastened to the basking spot & the main unit (Indoor) mounted on the wall on the cool side with Velcro strips on the Low wall furthest from the Basking bulb. Giving you both temps at a glance. Just an idea, here is an example pic ...

 

[Noella]

Thank you. Would've replied sooner, but been very busy with spring cleaning.