What Happens When You Use The Wrong Light Bulb Wattage?

Everyone uses light bulbs in their daily life. These devices are so common that it’s so easy to take them for granted. That is - until the time comes when a light bulb needs to be replaced.

Before you go out replacing that busted light bulb in your home, office, or appliance, it pays off to know if you’re buying the right bulb for your needs, because buying the wrong one can mean an ill-fitting bulb, higher energy consumption, and could even be a potential safety risk.

Light fixtures have a manufacturer-recommended wattage rating that you need to follow. Replacing your light bulb with a lower wattage should not be an issue; however, replacing it with higher wattage could potentially lead to trouble.

Overheating - using a light bulb with too high of wattage can lead to overheating of the light bulb. This heat can melt the light socket as well as the insulation of the wires. Once that happens, you put yourself at risk of arc faults, and this is something that could even lead to property fires.

Permanent damage - even if you realise that you are using a light bulb with a higher wattage than you are supposed to and attempt to fix your mistake, it may already be too late. Chances are that you could have already dealt with permanent damage to your light fixture.

Be smart - once you identify your fixture’s wattage rating, buy a bulb that matches or is below what’s listed. As long as you don’t go over the manufacturer’s recommended wattage, you’ll be safe. If your fixture doesn’t have a wattage recommendation, the rule of thumb is to choose bulbs with 60-watts or lower.

If in doubt - for better safety, have an electrician inspect your electrical system to see if there are any damages that need to be addressed.