You can damage the bulb and/or the ballast. I recently had a fluorescent fixture installed in my kitchen. Could I use a lower wattage bulb (25W E14) and get away with it. This allows them to produce the same amount of light but use less energy. Usually the max wattage has to do with heat output of traditional bulbs more so than the current draw, but you should take this into consideration and not assume you can put a higher wattage in (only a higher output equivalent). Thanks It sounds like you previously had a problem with your electrics before but this would have not had anything to do with the different wattage light bulbs you used. LEDs work by using an electrical current passed through semiconductive material to illuminate the tiny diodes. Currently, the equivalent wattage can vary slightly between different bulbs and different manufacturers but most good bulbs will carry a conversion table on the packaging to help you to decide which bulb you need. I just recently started using it again and Ive noticed that after a couple of hours all the lava just seems to sit in the top of the lamp. Obviously it isn’t running at 250V, and it seems clear that whatever the 660W means it … 0 0. More modern fixtures should disclose their wattage rating—just don’t go above that with your bulbs and you’ll be safe. Top Answer. The ballast is designed to deliver a voltage and current for that wattage of bulb. The lamp base is mogul so a 400 & 1000 W bulb will phisically fit, but will it work? I know what it means when a single sockets fixture says 60W/125V, but I’m unclear on what this means and in particular I need to know what the maximum watt bulb I can use in each socket is. In this post, we’ll help you decide which type and wattage of bulb you should use with your lampshades. Light Bulb Safety What is the highest wattage bulb I can use for a light fixture? 7 8 9. If the wattage is too high it can try to draw too much current through its wires, which will heat them up I believe (unsure). Obviously the voltage will be the same and as long as i'm not exceeding the wattage … No, the ballast has to be matched to the lamp. can i use a bulb of lower wattage, and, if so, does anyone have a recommendation for what wattage i should use to keep from melting the gobo? Some specialty lamps or other fixtures may have even lower watt ratings for other safety reasons. The specifications on the ballast don't list anything close to that wattage. Ranging from 3 to 15 watts, our selection offers a variety of options for across the home. Can a 400 watt high pressure sodium bulb be used in a 250 watt ballast? Answer. Can I use a lower wattage of bulb in a lava lamp? A lower wattage bulb is safe, but higher may not be. Yes. How many watts can a dimmer switch handle. i'm using a 750W bulb, and the Leko has "750" stenciled on its side. Also, when you use the incorrect wattage you run the risk of wasting your money. If i were you i would just use the combinatoin you've got, it's no big deal, will only shorten the life abit; and in future you can run a 600w light. - Wattage: Wattage is the amount of energy is used by a lamp or light bulb. The documentation lists the maximum wattage bulbs that can be used for the fixture, but makes no mention of the minimum safe wattage. There are hundreds of different low wattage light bulbs on the market, but there's one thing they all share in common: they use less electricity than most. 0 0. Oct 9, 1999 25,162 1 56. Increasing the bulb wattage can possibly damage your warmer as it is designed to work with a lower wattage bulb for lower temperatures and safety. However, as I understand it for lighting, Wattage is actually more of a temperature rating than brightness or electrical consumption. In fact, LED bulbs consume about 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. How Can I Avoid It? The bulb itself too will be hotter. It looks like it will take a 375, 575, or the 750, the stenciled marking probably indicates the maximum wattage. You can fit a higher (or lower) wattage bulb, that's fine. A further note, you may have noticed that congress is getting ready to ban incandescent bulbs after 2012. I currently have an electronic ballast for 1 or 2 54W T5 F54T5HO bulbs and two F13T5 bulbs. We highly recommend that you check the maximum recommended wattage before installing a light bulb. LEDs have lower wattage than incandescent bulbs but emit the same light output. Can you use a higher watt light bulb instead of a lower watt light bulb E.g. A 100-watt bulb will draw more power through the wires than they safely can handle. Energy saving bulbs use a lot less electricity than traditional light bulbs (typically between 60-80% less) and require a much lower wattage to produce the same amount of light. The wattage of bulb one uses in a bedroom lamp depends on several factors. This particular configuration will power the system and drive it; however, the only issue will be that it will overdrive the lower wattage bulb. gaetano catelli, Dec 5, 2007 #1. g._armour_van_horn. But I was wondering if you could downgrade with a lower wattage bulb ? I gather this is generally possible, as long as bulbs draw less power than the ballast can provide, but are there limits on how low you can go? Higher bulb wattage with low ballast wattage there is no problem but there is a difference in illumination since the ballast canot produce enough power to light up the bulb with its required power but still it will work. They are costly, but likely to last around 25 years. The recommended wattage is usually listed on a label or included in the instructions. John. P. Pepsi90919 Lifer. A smaller bulb will usually be fed a wattage close to what the proper bulb takes, and will generally overheat and may catastrophically fail. I assume that the lightbulb is too hot. They are interchangeable, although obviously with limited functionality. What’s important to notice though is that the LED bulb’s actual wattage will be significantly lower than the incandescent light bulb’s wattage. 250 watt ballast, 250 watt lamp. Chris B. Lv 4. Is it possible to use two 15 watt bulbs instead or will that cause problems? (It is okay, however, to put a bulb with lower wattage in that fixture—drawing less than the wire’s maximum load isn’t a problem.) For years—ever since electric lights replaced gas lights—you've heard about light in terms of bulb wattage, especially when we’re talking about incandescent lights. I have had this lava lamp for about 10 years now. My oven bulb has blown and it takes E14 40W bulb. Yes it is OK, the only difference between wattage is the amount of light and energy they use, so a 100 watt bulb has a flow of 100 joules of energy each second and 45 watt 45 joules of energy each second. Not all dimmer switches are the same, and if you get one that’s not rated for the total wattage of the lights you want it to control, you could have problems. These devices are so common that it’s so easy to take them for granted. The most common maximum wattage is 60 watts, but it depends on the fixture. Not good in that sense - but if the difference is only slight, as is ~4w, that's hardly much. If the question is 'Can I use a 20 watt led bulb with 100 watt output in a light fitting which says max 60 watts?' Our LED and CFL designs are excellent replacements for incandescent bulbs. Lower wattage bulb and higher wattage ballast. This causes the lifetime of the whole system to decrease drastically. I also couldn't find any information on the vendor's web site. Dimmer switches can handle bulbs from 1 Watt to 1000 Watts. If it is a lamp used for back ground lighting or a night lamp, one would use a very low wattage bulb. CFL bulbs are cheap and widely available and four times more efficient than incandescent bulbs. That's not worth worrying about. If you will use a lower wattage bulb in your fixture you will have less light than before, choosing a lower wattage bulb is fine as long you understand that you are compromising on light output (this statement is correct only for incandescent and halogen bulbs). The function of the ballast, as described above, is to drive the systems and control the outputs. It uses two 20 watt bulbs. This is fine. This means that you can get the light output you want without having to worry about exceeding a fixture’s wattage rating. Any catastrophic failures may not necessarily happen quickly. Vice versa you could also run a light with a higher wattage then the ballast and it will result in longer life span but lower output from the light as it will obviously run on the lower wattage being fed in from the ballast. You should not use a higher wattage bulb in a lamp that says 40 watts. Some dimmers can even handle different bulb types in the same circuit. But higher ballast wattage with low bulb wattage will cause problem if your bulb is 20% and up lower from your ballast wattage will shorten the life of your bulb. This is fine. So bu sure to check the fine print before you buy it. I will outline three factors to consider when you are looking to save money with your light bulb purchases. Can I use a lower wattage fluorescent bulb in a higher wattage fluorescent fixture? The common Edison Base (or Screw) (E26 or E27*) sockets and bulbs exist in both single and double (“three-way”) contact forms. Incandescent (including halogen) bulb: * If you connect a 5W 440V bulb into a 440V supply, it will consume 5W and should shine for its rated lifetime. For those of you that dont understand, some lamps and fixutres say "rated for XXXw bulb" ... OP if you are talking about a light fixture that's rated for a maximum of 100w then you can use any bulb that's 100w or under. Asked by Wiki User. A lamp uses 9w light bulbs can I use a 13 watt one? What happens depends on the voltage rating of the bulb. LED are the most energy efficient type of energy-saving bulb. The higher wattage could cause the lamp to catch fire due to the excess heat and could cause you serious electrical problems. However, it is a bit brighter than I had hoped (I just want to leave it on all the time as light to see in kitchen at night.) A larger bulb will be underpowered, and will operate at reduced efficiency and may have a shortened lifetime. LEDs can last over 20 years and don't contain mercury. If you use a bulb with lower rating, then it will use less current and everything will be safe. Lots of folks out there throw out all kinds of numbers stating that you can save money by purchasing lower wattage and more efficient light bulbs but don’t really explain themselves. Using higher wattage bulbs could cause problems. If you use a higher wattage bulb and it does damage your warmer you have voided the famous Scentsy Lifetime Warranty. Lower wattage bulbs are fine. However, this has always seemed quite bright and uses quite a bit of leccy. Saving money with lower wattage light bulbs….what does that really mean? That is - until the time comes when a light bulb needs to be replaced. or would I have to change the ballast? The bulb wattage must be matched to the ballast. For Metal Halide I know you can't upgrade a higher wattage bulb in a lower wattage fixture. When it comes to replacing old incandescent bulbs with LEDs, a common question that customers ask is: “Can I use an LED bulb that has a higher wattage equivalent than my fixture allows?” The simple answer is yes, as long as the LED bulb uses less wattage than your fixture. 8. Aug 21, 2005 #15 it's "maximum 100W" not just "100W" L. … You might think that you want a 60-watt bulb in a lamp, for example, when what you're really after is for that lamp to be as strong as what you're used to seeing from a lamp with a standard 60-watt incandescent bulb in it. I just bought a light fixture that uses GU10 base Halogen bulbs and came with 50 watt bulbs that are way too bright for my purposes. If your fixture is older, and without a wattage recommendation, go the safe route and use 60-watt bulbs (or lower). Everyone uses light bulbs in their daily life. Types in the instructions but makes no mention of the minimum safe wattage uses! 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