# Will a 100 watt heat lamp burn/melt fiberglass window screening?



## fishyfriends876 (Apr 25, 2020)

Hello! I recently made a new tub for my roaches and cut half of the lid and replaced it with fiberglass window screening. For heat, can I just place the lamp on the screening or should I elevate it a little bit with an aquarium screen top?


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## The Snark (Apr 25, 2020)

Fiberglass screen is in fact plastic screen with fiberglass re-enforcement. So the question is will the plastic degrade, discolor and become brittle? Depends on the quality of the plastic. Some thermo-plastics can withstand temperature up over 1600C.(Insulcast epoxy and silicone used to glue the tiles on the space shuttle).
Glass already is a liquid. It transitions to viscous at around 1000C or above depending on what the glass is made from - from cheap commercial glass at around 1000C (soda lime) on up to borosilicate at over 1600C. Incandescent bulbs typically reach temperatures not much hotter than 200C.
But to answer your question, it's unlikely the average screen plastics will survive more than a few days up against your average incandescent bulb before degrading and decomposing. Test some and see.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Rhino1 (Apr 26, 2020)

A 100 watt bulb would use a hell of a lot of power/electricity just to be keeping a roach colony warm, a low wattage heat mat or cable would be a much more energy efficient choice imho.

Reactions: Like 1


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## fishyfriends876 (Apr 27, 2020)

The Snark said:


> Fiberglass screen is in fact plastic screen with fiberglass re-enforcement. So the question is will the plastic degrade, discolor and become brittle? Depends on the quality of the plastic. Some thermo-plastics can withstand temperature up over 1600C.(Insulcast epoxy and silicone used to glue the tiles on the space shuttle).
> Glass already is a liquid. It transitions to viscous at around 1000C or above depending on what the glass is made from - from cheap commercial glass at around 1000C (soda lime) on up to borosilicate at over 1600C. Incandescent bulbs typically reach temperatures not much hotter than 200C.
> But to answer your question, it's unlikely the average screen plastics will survive more than a few days up against your average incandescent bulb before degrading and decomposing. Test some and see.





Rhino1 said:


> A 100 watt bulb would use a hell of a lot of power/electricity just to be keeping a roach colony warm, a low wattage heat mat or cable would be a much more energy efficient choice imho.


Thanks for the replies. I will actually be using a 60 Watt ceramic heater. I experimented with the bulbs and the 60 watt gave the perfect amount of heat I wanted. Also, I don't have a heat mat or a thermostat, and I think that would be expensive. It is also getting warmer in my area, and I can turn the bulb off in a few months.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Pegi (Oct 26, 2020)

where can i find low wattage heat mat or cable?...thanks


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