Re: Only use 60 watt bulbs?
- From: don@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Don Klipstein)
- Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 02:33:34 +0000 (UTC)
In article <M4jZf.15299$zk4.1828@trnddc05>, Ray wrote:
We just had out bathroom remodeled and decided on 2 wall sconces for the
lighting. The sconces are rated for 60 watt bulbs max, but now I'm finding
that it is a bit dimmer in the bathroom than I would prefer.
How conservative are those ratings?
Possibly not conservative at all, if there is any good indication from
my experience with a friend's "bankers' light" style desk lamp that takes
tubular "short showcase" or "refrigerator" bulbs of T10 size.
The lamp is rated for maximum of 60 watts. With the included 60 watt
bulb, the wires started burning near the socket, discoloring and producing
a burning odor.
I have a suspicion why that happened: The lamp was designed overseas,
where the line voltage was probably 230 volts. And there, the bulb of
that shape and size and wattage may have a vacuum. 120V bulbs that shape,
size and style have a vacuum up to 40 watts but the 60 watt one is at
least sometimes gas-filled, due to wattage being near 25 watts per inch of
filament length (if you do not uncoil the filament). That is roughly the
"break-even point" where the ability of the usual gas fill slows down
filament evaporation enough to permit a higher filament temperature that
achieves increased light output for a given wattage and life expectancy
despite the gas conducting heat from the filament.
And, what I suspect is that the fixture was Ok with a vacuum-containing
60 watt bulb of that style but not a gas-filled one.
And, even if the fixture burns your home down for a reason other than
the bulb being of higher wattage than the fixture is rated for, you can
have liability trouble if the fire insurance company finds that the fire
started at a fixture rated 60 watts max and having 75 or 100 watt
lightbulbs.
- Don Klipstein (don@xxxxxxxxx)
.
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- From: Ray
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