Need help with (heat) light fixture!

[Rebecca Stout]

We are installing the lighting for hallogen par38 bulbs tomorrow.

Yesterday, my son did a dry run with his smaller enclosure he built for his snake. He is using a ceramic heat emitter and an led in two separate sockets, obviously. The porcelain socket/fixture is really hot after 24 hours. Like two hundred something if I remember right. Is that going to slowly burn the wood??

We think we did it wrong. This is what he did, you tell me if we need to change anything okay?
He got the porcelain fixture from home depot (2 dollars). Cut a hole in the plywood ceiling. Bolted the fixture to the plywood edges that overlapped over the porcelain fixture. Then on top of the enclosure and on top of the installed fixture he covered it (the wires) with a plastic pancake. Is that all wrong?

 

[Rebecca Stout]

Meanwhile, Im so stressed. I gotta get my enlcosure lighting done. I don't know the best way to put my halogens in and what to use. I mean is there an easier way than buying the porcelain fixture/socket and wires like my son is doing? I don't know what to buy.
What does my son need in the meanwhile ... was there something that is supposed to go between the porcelain and where it is bolted on the wood?

 

[Rebecca Stout]

this is what my sons looks like. I think its wrong or missing something caues of the heat?

 

[Josh]

You could try putting a metal spacer between the porcelain and the wood but it looks OK to me. I am also not an expert

 

[Rebecca Stout]

Thank you! We'll go on ahead with it as is and I'll just watch it to put my mind at rest. He said he feels okay with it reading replies here and looking up wood flashpoints etc. As for me, I opted to get an outdoor flood light fixture and mounted it on the inside of my cage. I'm using 2 hallogen par38's. 75 watts I think (I forget). Seems not quite hot enough, but if I build a shelf it'll be fine. If she is one to get huge, I"ll then install another flood a but further apart from those doing it the way my son did above I guess. Its just been diff setting values with it being 4 foot high. I don't know... I wish I had done it 3 foot high now. But its all good.

 

[RickyNo]

I have a heat emitter far bigger than that and its fine on the wood. Thats the point of having the ceramic it doesnt absorb heat like other fixtures do. If you add metal spacers your going to conduct a **** load of heat and then you may have problemas...

 

[Rebecca Stout]

Thanks for the great advice and calming my worries!

 

[Mike Mirabelle]

Did you figure out your problem? Im using a ceramic fixture on a metal ceiling pan but it seems to hot on the wood.

 

[Rebecca Stout]

I did thank you!! Turns out the ones in my sons cage, as pictured above worked great. They are pretty. And cheap too. Now for me? I chose to buy an outdoor flood light fixture that holds two bulbs. You can buy a power cord and just connect the fixture to it relatively easy. My husband and son did it. Just took a few minutes. Very attractive. And she's not going to be a giant brute. She runs small. So the bulbs being next to each other and directed downwards are perfect. If she ever did grow up to be a beast, all i have to do is add another fixture (they come in singles too).

 

[Mike Mirabelle]

I did thank you!! Turns out the ones in my sons cage, as pictured above worked great. They are pretty. And cheap too. Now for me? I chose to buy an outdoor flood light fixture that holds two bulbs. You can buy a power cord and just connect the fixture to it relatively easy. My husband and son did it. Just took a few minutes. Very attractive. And she's not going to be a giant brute. She runs small. So the bulbs being next to each other and directed downwards are perfect. If she ever did grow up to be a beast, all i have to do is add another fixture (they come in singles too).