Most efficient heat source, all else being equal?

[Coluber42]

We all know someone who's obsessed with energy efficiency, regardless of whether they can afford a high electric bill or not... You know the type: the ones who go ballistic if you leave the light on, even if it's a ten watt LED, and plug every single new appliances into a multi-meter the second it comes in the door. Maybe you live with that person. Maybe you ARE that person.

So here's a question for the wattage nuts out there: all else being equal, and assuming normal, safe operation of all devices, what's the most efficient heat source, in terms of how much it raises the temperature in an enclosure vs how many watts it consumes? I suppose that may be a two part question, if you consider heat sources meant to just provide a basking spot separately from heat sources meant to raise the ambient temperature.

In other words, if an 80 watt rhp heats the enclosure as much as a 100 watt bulb, it's more efficient. Obviously, insulation and the type of enclosure matter too, but that's sort of a separate question (unless you can think of a situation where product a is better at heating one kind of enclosure and product b is better at heating another).

Put it this way: I have a couple of friends who like to compete to see who can get their utility bills the lowest. They are engineers who enjoy optimizing systems, diy home improvement, etc. The guy who usually wins managed at one point to use so little water that he got a letter from the city asking that he notify them if the property was unoccupied. If that guy were shopping for reptile equipment, what would he buy? (Actually, that particular guy would build his own from the immaculately organized spare parts in his garage, but you get the idea)

[Skeletor]

Move to central western Africa...you wont need a device for a heat source. LOL Kidding. I think a RHP is the cheapest most efficient device. It doesn't have to get real hot to heat a cage from the inside. It mimics their natural environment the best also . Just my opinion

[Skeletor]

RHP will save in the long run they claim....it's more expensive up front than most heat sources available. However...they claim that they are 80% more efficient. inside the correct cage...this is probably true. I'm not an engineer but that's just my 2 cents.

[Pug50]

I replaced a 75w ceramic heat lamp with a 75w RHP and it does a great job - heating more of the enclosure without the hot-spot getting too hot.

I tested it outside of the enclosure and they do seem to manage to get hot on the "front" surface only. However, on the ceiling of my wooden vivarium, a huge amount of the heat goes to heating the top of the viv. I've put a duvet and pillows on top to try to trap heat, but that brings surface temperatures on the top surface to the point where I wonder if the laminate wood is going to de-laminate?

When I next do a big clean, I plan to put a sheet of the foil-covered insulation board between the RHP and the ceiling. I'm guessing it will be heat-resistant enough and not poisonous for my snake...


I guess my point is - RHPs do work better but the amount of heat loss in my situation/enclosure would seem to suggest it needs insulation to be efficient?

[Coluber42]

Heh, that guy I mentioned could tell you about insulation... For example, he runs his slow cooker at very low power, and then shuts it in a box of Styrofoam packing peanuts so that it gets hot enough to cook the food.