Paul Franklin wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jul 2005 11:11:30 -0700, tenplay wrote:

As I get older, I am needing more light to read and tasks. I have a
couple of lamps that are rated at 60 watts. Is there any harm in using
higher wattage bulbs to increase the illumination? Thanks.

Yes, often they will overheat. A 100 bulb puts out a lot more heat.
This can melt plastic parts, or even damage the bulb socket and
wiring.

What you can do is replace with a compact flourescent. A 60 watt CF
gives out as much or more light than a 100 watt incandescent but runs
cooler. They are available in shapes that will screw into a standard
lamp socket.

HTH,

Paul

I second the advice, but I differ on the math; around here it's the 23W
CFs that are rated as equivalent to 100W incandescents. If one fits in
the lamp (the 23s are not the smallest) and the lamp isn't on a dimmer
switch or something, you should find that works fine and runs cooler
than the 40.

I use a 23W CF in my shop light. Nice bright light, stays cool in close
quarters and it'll even survive a bit of a bump. Great minds must think
alike, it's one of the bright reader ideas in this month's Fine
Homebuilding.

Chip C