What happens if you use a light bulb with greater wattage than the socket suggests?

Question

If a socket says to use 60w bulbs, what happens if you use a 100w bulb? Is it dangerous, or is it simply less efficient? Explanation is greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

The socket or the fixture that it's in will probably  be affected / damaged by the higher heat level.

Answer 2

Everyone has hit the highlights but I feel some detail would be helpful. The issues of heat are two fold. One side is the heat generated by the current draw in the wiring, generally the wiring in lighting fixtures has some healthy overage built into it, this is the heat that everyone says not to worry about. The other side, however, is the heat created by the bulb itself. In lamps this heat generally dissipates in the air but may cause damage to lamp shades. The greatest concern is ceiling fixtures, here the wattage rating is tied to the amount of heat the fixture housing can take and since they are generally mounted in a wooden ceiling and the wiring is above the fixture and absorbing the heat of current flow plus the created heat of the lamp you can create a significant risk of fire.

Compact fluorescents are in some ways a whole lot better. They create light by electrically stimulating mercury vapors to cause phosphor to fluoresce. Since they don’t heat a filament then there is very little heat created by the lamp. You still have to pay attention to the actual draw however.

Answer 3

Ten 100 watt light bulbs produce as much heat as a 1 KW portable electric heater!  The light bulbs get too hot to handle and a 100W bulb produces twice the heat of a 50W bulb.  The generated heat must be dissipated to the environment of the fixture in all conditions (even on hot days).  Recessed closed fixtures don't have a constant airflow to carry away the heat.  If heat is not dissipated it may build up reducing the life of the fixture insulation and possibly result in a short circuit or fire.

Answer 4

More than 90% of what an incandescent bulb puts out is heat. If the socket isn't made to handle that much heat, things can start to melt and catch on fire.

Answer 5

You draw more current than permitted and get your fuse blown up.

Answer 6

In 99.9% of the cases where you use a higher rated wattage bulb in a socket that is rated for a lower wattage, nothing will happen.  The reason for the warning is because the wiring in the socket might be of a higher (thinner) gauge wire, and the added draw of the bulb could cause the wires to get hot and melt the insulation, causing the fixture to short out.

Answer 7

The idea here is the rated safe Wattage of the lighting fixture, socket, etc.  According to Underwriters Laboratories, one should not use bulbs of a greater Wattage than rated, as there is a risk of fire, or electrical failure of the device.  A good alternative would be a compact fluorescent bulb, which can produce 60 Watts worth of light (compared to incandescent) for only 13 Watts of electricity.  There are higher Wattages with similar efficiency.  There are disposal issues, and you can check local recyclers, but responsible disposal is possible.

  On the horizon are Light Emitting Diode bulbs (L.E.D.) which remain very expensive today but will become cheaper as the technology becomes more mainstream.  These lamps reportedly burn for 20 years or more, and are super-efficient.

Answer 8

It's a heat problem. something will get overheated, perhaps the insulation. I don't advise it.

However, you can use a 100 watt EQUIVALENT CFL lamp, which is actually about 30-40 watts.

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