Getting the Most Out of Halogen IR Heat Lamps
We build these halogen IR lamps in a range from 500W to 1500W, specifically for when you need to move a lot of heat quickly. Think of them less like a light bulb and more like a precision tool. They send energy straight to the target, skipping the middleman of heating up all the air around them. Picking your power How much wattage do you actually need? It really comes down to your space and how hot you need that surface to get. If you’re just warming a few plants or brooding a small batch of chicks, 500W usually does the trick. But if you jump up to 1500W, you’re dealing with a whole different level of heat. We use quartz glass because it’s one of the only things that can handle those internal temperatures without cracking. Just a heads-up: these things getscorching. Double-check that your fixtures aren’t made of cheap plastic, or you’ll end up with a melted mess on your hands. The secret sauce: Halogen Ever wonder why some bulbs go dark or get cloudy? That’s usually the tungsten filament evaporating. We use a halogen gas fill to stop that from happening. It keeps the glass clear and the heat steady for a lot longer. Plus, these emit short-wave radiation. In plain English? The heat actually sinks in. It penetrates deeper—whether it’s through a chick’s fluffy down or a plant stem—than those old-school ceramic heaters ever could. Putting them to work Getting these installed is easy. They fit right into most standard R7s or linear sockets. We see them used everywhere from greenhouses to livestock barns. One pro tip: don’t just plug them in and leave them at 100% power. That’s a great way to burn them out early. Grab a dimmable transformer or a PID controller instead. Dialing back the voltage keeps your temperature steady and makes the filament last way longer. Just keep in mind that your wiring needs to be beefy enough to handle that first big surge of current when you flip the switch.