Lamp questions?

Question

i want to know how hot it would be right next to (about an inch away) a 60 watt bulb. i want to build a lamp and i need to test out some materials to see if they can withstand the heat. on a similar note, do you need special/thicker wires and switches to make something that would plug into a wall/do you need to add something to a lamp so that the bulb doesn't explode?

please include a source.

thanks

Answer 1

Buy a cheap table lamp that using light bulb. Replace the light bulb with a 60 watts light lulb that you want to experiment. Buy a cheap thermo-meter,possible you can find it from a dollar store. Turn on the light. Bring the thermo-meter close to the lamp and measure the temperature. You do not need to add anything to do this heat experiment. Very safe indeed !

The source is come from loolee's electronic experience.

Answer 2

A lot depends on the design of your lamp.

Always try to provide some way for air to flow around the bulb. Remember hot air goes up, so give that air some way to escape and be replaced by cooler air. Look at a typical table lamp with a lamp shade. The shade is open at the top and bottom to allow air to flow up past the bulb and cool it.

You don't need a large opening, something 6 inches across is more than enough.

If you don't have openings to allow the air to flow, temperatures will be a lot higher. The 60 watts of heat has to get out somehow. If you don't allow for air flow, it will escape some other way, by heating the other parts of the lamp up.

If you have the openings as described, most materials would be ok, as long as they are not flammable.  Build a fixture and put the test materials near the lamp and see what happens. I'd test at 1/2 inch so you know it will be OK at 1 inch. See if it turns brown or discolors in any way.

You can buy lamp kits at hardware stores. They contain the power plug, the cables, a switch, and a lamp socket. Start out with one of these.

PS, should have mentioned this before. This all assumes a 60w incandescent bulb. If you use a CFL *compact flourescent light", one that puts out the equivalent of 60 watts of light will dissipate only about 20 watts and will run much cooler, giving you a larger choice of designs and materials.