What happens if you put 75 watt bulb in a 60 watt fixture

[clare]

And you know what ASS U ME does - - -

What happens depends on the construction of the lamp.

The brass socket style have craft paper type insulator between the brass shell and the internal socket. Overheat and it burns. Usually no fire - but now there is no electrical insulation - and the brass, having been overheated, looses it's temper - gets soft - and now the pressed together shell gets loose, and it is easily knocked apert - so the shell now shorts to the exposed terminal on the socket - and the lamp becomes "live"

If it is an open lamp, that's generally the extent of the damage - untill someone touches it and gets a (possibly serious) shock.

If the lamp is an enclosed fixture, snug to the ceiling or wall, the insulation in the fixture breakes down - the insulation in the socket

- if brass- deteriorates as above, with the same result - except it can short to ground - possibly blowing the fuse - possibly establishing an arc which can ignite anything flamable - including, possibly, the wire insulation in the box.

The high heat can also melt or warp plastic shades and difusers - and depending on the design, the plastic can contact the hot bulb - causing either fire or toxic smoke.

In a best case scenario, the overheated socket simply looses contact pressure on the center contact, causing the lamp to flicker or not work. The high resistance connection - if left powered on for too long, can severely overheat and, again, POSSIBLY cause a fire or damage to house wiring in the box.

At the very least - the socket/fixture itself is damaged and requires replacement.

Replacing with a ceramic (not plastic) socket can REDUCE some of the problems, again depending on the fixture design.

GENERALLY ceramic sockets are rated higher than brass (or steel) and ALWAYS higher than plastic (which should really be outlawed).

[homeowner]

What are they? I assume the 72 watt replacements are halogen, but what makes these work?

[bob haller]

fixtures should have thermal fuse protection, preferably a restable type.

or a regular fuse or circuit breaker that would blow if a too high a wattage lamp is used

CFLs run so cool the incandescent rating could likely support a twice the wattage CFL of a standard incandescent

[Doug Miller]

Joe Mastroianni wrote in news:ke11qj$1lf$ [e-mail]:

[lots of irrelevant stuff snipped]

You've been trying for a couple days now to get somebody to tell you it's OK to put a 75W bulb in a fixture labelled 60W max. You obviously refuse to accept the idea that the rating is there for a reason, and you obviously intend on doing what you want to do, regardless of the UL listing, regardless of all the advice you have received to the contrary -- so why don't you just shut up and go do it?

[bud--]

But in what may be a miracle, I think everyone agreed on this one.

[gregz]

With Obama legislation, coal plants have been going off line around here because they are not cost effective. Perhaps we got enough plants.

Greg

[Joe Mastroianni]

to put a 75W bulb

the rating is there

regardless of the UL

why don't you just

I think you missed the post from this morning (9:03am) showing that I followed the overwhelming advice o the group and bought a SMALL set of CFLs to install into the lamps.

Here's what I had written:

[Joe Mastroianni]

Even me!

The 75Watt Par 30 bulb was just too hot for the lamps.

So I replaced all the bulbs with SMALL CFL bulbs.

[krw]

That may not be such a good idea. CFLs can easily overheat in fixtures that weren't intended for them.

[gonjah]

The space-time continuum will rip apart and the universe will explode.

[Dan Espen]

Hmm, didn't the OP just report how cool the fixture was? Seems like...

Why yes he did!

[gregz]

I had CFL's in an outdoor enclosed dome, in the sun, on continuously, until their expected lifetime expired. I suspect temperature was really high at times. I ran two CFL's that way until finally went to dark on relay.

Greg

[Rick]

Nothing specific about about the lamp itself, but

[krw]

Don't believe it.

[=]

Interesting -- sounds like the fixture might have been an old halogen torchiere which indeed is a fire hazard for lots of reasons including the high possibility of curtains/drapes blowing onto the hot surface of the bulb. A few years ago, (1992-97) articles reported that halogen torchiers were favorites of college dorm students as they could cook on them using the dimmer to control the heat. Some of those torchieres used 500 watt bulbs and then, later on, 350 watt bulbs.

But, what triggered the demise of halogen torchieres was the fire that destroyed the home of Lionel Hampton. When the cause of that fire was traced to a torchiere, people got excited, the CPSC got involved, UL tests were changed to require a wire or glass guard around the bulb. Then, as energy laws were passed in various places, torchieres had to become more efficient and did so by a redesign using CFL bulbs. Some manufacturers also redesigned torchieres into floor lamps. Here's the story:

and

Tomsic

[gregz]

I converted a 500 watt sky lamp to CFL many years ago. It was very good. Nice color temp, but of course not as bright as 500 watt. Even used same dimmer. Bulb bought at The Home Depot many years ago, as a dim able CFL. It was $

15-20 back then, and apparently a quality lamp.

Greg

[=]

>

>

That's good to hear after so much discussion about the short life of CFLs on this NG. I've also had some CFLs, including a nice 3-way, that have been working just fine for 9+ years now. I think buying Energy Star CFLs does make a difference in the quality of the product.

Tomsic

[ronco99]

You warning for the fool came too late. He's been drawn and quartered, keel hauled, burned at the stake and hung until dead for his hanous disregard for the law.

[Stormin Mormon]

And the Sisters of the Black and White Penguin Order beat his knuckles with a ruler until he recited ten Mail Hairys.

[Thomas]

+1