What will happen if put a light bulb in a light with the incorrect wattage?
confidentone04 asked:
My light went out in my bathroom so I went and bought some 100 watt light bulbs, but when I got home I noticed the light said 75 watts was the max….Will my bathroom catch on fire? So far all I’ve put is one of the 100 watt light bulbs in but I was wondering will it be ok to put the second one in…
My light went out in my bathroom so I went and bought some 100 watt light bulbs, but when I got home I noticed the light said 75 watts was the max….Will my bathroom catch on fire? So far all I’ve put is one of the 100 watt light bulbs in but I was wondering will it be ok to put the second one in…
nothin girl, just put it in.
25 watt difference ain’t no big deal but better to go lower than higher. [who] Ms. Mabel Marmalade
nothing will happen it will just b incorrect just put it in [who] whatever
1 SHOULD BE OK. DON’T WANT TO OVER LOAD AND EITHER POP THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OR BLOW A FUSE. IT’LL ALSO MAKE YOUR BULB BURN UP FASTER. [who] lyn
Nothing except your bathroom will be brighter. [who] skcs69
you should not use a wattage higher than recommended. it could cause high heat. [who] Ron E
I would use what is recommended so they don’t overheat. Me, I don’t want to take any chances. It must have those requirements on there for a reason. [who] Darby
It’s perfectly safe, the light will just be brighter and you will use fractionally more electricity. [who] Rainbow Daemon
it should be ok. just don’t let the lights stay on constantly and when you get a chance change the bulb to the correct wattage. Using the incorrect wattage can cause a fire so be sure to put the correct bulb in asap [who] niteflyer
It could produce too much heat and melt the plastic light/bulb cover to the unit (if there is one) an that could be a fire hazard. [who] abbersmomma
Don’t do it. With the extra heat from the higher wattage makes a fire a real danger. Also some components in that lamp may not be rated for more than 75 Watts. I would say don’t put any of the bulbs in the lamp. Just buy some 75 Watt bulbs, don’t take the risk. [who] Flare
Take the 100W bulb out, or you do seriously risk starting a fire. The wattage rating on the fitting tells you the safe maximum power that can be pulled through the fitting without it overheating; as it heats up, this increases the internal resistance and exacerbates the issue.
Read a paper; people do stuff like this all the time and end up burning their homes down. [who] Thin Kaboudit
Wattage is the power consumed, or in alternative explanative terms the brightness or dimness of the bulb. Nothing to worry, only that a 100 watt bulb will give more brightness though consuming more power than a 75 watt bulb. You electricity bill will be a little higher using 100w rather than 75w. Though consequentially brightness at home will cause you to be less afraid of the dark. But why be afraid of the dark?? It is universal. [who] rand
It will burn alright.But the lamp cover or shade may scorch.That’s mainly why they say max wattage,because the shade’s or cover’s.Brighter then need’ed for a bath room.Beafe change it to a 60 bright enough. [who] olddude
Go purchase 75 Watt or lower. The 100’s will give off more heat and be brighter, but may cause damage if they are covered or surrounded by material that can handle the heat coming off of 75 watt bulbs but not a 100 watt bulbs. I would watch out for this more. High heat is a bad thing and fire hazard, and an insurance company can’t go after the light manufacturer if you put in the wrong bulbs.
Always better safe than sorry. [who] AvionicZ
maybe nothing will happen,… but as you know , the recommended wattage is “75″ (to not create a load on your
existing fixture…!)
and yes , by not complying …could provide
an electrical fire.
mitch
ps: other alternatives are more practical [who] mitch m
Long answer, but for a reason. If I am right, the you will have wasted a dollar or so. If I am wrong, the risk to you is that you could potentially start a fire. Perhaps I am wrong, but are you willing to take the risk?
It depends on how the fixture is constructed. If the bulb is in the open, with no glass over it, and it is not too close to anything that might burn, you MIGHT be okay.
I hesitate to say that you will be okay because none of us has seen the light fixture. Without seeing it, we are all guessing. Some manufacturers cut corners to save a couple of pennies. They might have used wire that is not as heat resistant as it should be.
The proper thing to do is to never exceed the maximum rating on a fixture. Sure, you can get away with it on some fixtures, but not on others. The people who told you it was okay are going ONLY from experience. Will yours be the same as theirs?
It will NOT blow a breaker or put too much load on the electrical system. Sorry, but that reply was totally wrong. The real risk is that the bulb will create more heat than the fixture is capable of handling. And yes, it will put out more light, but that isn’t the point at all.
If the fixture was designed with a 50% overload tolerance, you will be fine. If it was designed at 20% over tolerance already, you may get into trouble.
Feeling lucky today?
P.S. a compact floresent bulb can give you more light for your money and is safe. They cost more to purchase, but save a lot in usage. [who] DSM Handyman
Never go over the recommendations.
One of three things will happen:
The bulb will keep burning out
You can cause a fire
It will blow a fuse
I have seen many lamps where people used higher than a 60w which is recommended and the shades melted or the lamp caught on fire. If your home is newer there are safeties in place to help prevent fire but you will keep blowing the bulb out or blowing a fuse. This prevents the fire.
But an older home, built maybe before 1980’s, it can be downright dangerous. The real old homes are the worst and you can get electrical fires. It is never worth the risk. Follow the directions. [who] Nevada Pokerqueen
Exactly the same has happened here. Thanks for all you that answered you did a two for one. I went promptly and changed the 100 W bulb to a 75 W bulb, and now feel much safer. And it only took a step stool, and about a minute to do it. Random kindness done for today, for all your answers, I am grateful [who] pooterilgatto
If you use a higher what bulb it could start a fire. [who] M l