can light bulbs be a fire hazard?
 

Hello. I was wondering what the maximum wattage you can use in a lamp or
light fixture and it still be safe. My question is would a 40 or 60 watt
bulb be a fire hazard if a lamp got knocked on the carpet or something
for a extended period of time?

I understand that your not suspose to exceed the rating for whatever
your using the bulb.

I have also experimented with the cf bulbs and they seem a little harder
on the eyes and slowly degrade in brightness. not really sure if they
are worth it to pinch a few pennies. You also have to factor in that
they cost more up front.

thanks

In article 5ZIze.148910$nG6.23148@attbi_s22, George
wrote:

Hello. I was wondering what the maximum wattage you can use in a lamp or
light fixture and it still be safe. My question is would a 40 or 60 watt
bulb be a fire hazard if a lamp got knocked on the carpet or something
for a extended period of time?

I understand that your not suspose to exceed the rating for whatever
your using the bulb.

I have also experimented with the cf bulbs and they seem a little harder
on the eyes and slowly degrade in brightness. not really sure if they
are worth it to pinch a few pennies. You also have to factor in that
they cost more up front.

thanks

cfs are a realistic alternative. They cost less in the long term and are
less of a fire hazard in the scenario you describe. Different ones have
different light output, but in a lamp I've never noticed enough
difference to matter.

Any wattage would be a fire hazard as described above. Just teach your
cat to leave the lamp alone...or cover your floor with fire proofing

"George" wrote in message
news:5ZIze.148910$nG6.23148@attbi_s22...

My question is would a 40 or 60 watt
bulb be a fire hazard if a lamp got knocked on the carpet or something
for a extended period of time?

Most countries have specialized laboratories that
investigate fire risks (e.g. in North America the US
National Bureau of Standards, Underwriters'
Experimental Laboratory, Building Research Institute
of the Canadian NRC.) You may find exact quantification
of various types of risk is helpful.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

George wrote:
Hello. I was wondering what the maximum wattage you can use in a lamp or
light fixture and it still be safe. My question is would a 40 or 60 watt
bulb be a fire hazard if a lamp got knocked on the carpet or something
for a extended period of time?

I understand that your not suspose to exceed the rating for whatever
your using the bulb.

I have also experimented with the cf bulbs and they seem a little harder
on the eyes and slowly degrade in brightness. not really sure if they
are worth it to pinch a few pennies. You also have to factor in that
they cost more up front.

thanks

Well the housing rating is related to the wiring of the housing and how
much heat can escape the housing safely without affecting the quality of
the wiring in general. Knocking the lamp onto the floor and all bets
are off. I don't think anyone is going to certify a bulb for use in
contact with carpeting. not familiar with 'cf' bulbs.


--
Respectfully,


CL Gilbert

"George" wrote in message
news:5ZIze.148910$nG6.23148@attbi_s22...
Hello. I was wondering what the maximum wattage you can use in a lamp or
light fixture and it still be safe. My question is would a 40 or 60 watt
bulb be a fire hazard if a lamp got knocked on the carpet or something for
a extended period of time?

I understand that your not suspose to exceed the rating for whatever your
using the bulb.

I have also experimented with the cf bulbs and they seem a little harder
on the eyes and slowly degrade in brightness. not really sure if they are
worth it to pinch a few pennies. You also have to factor in that they cost
more up front.

thanks

Sure, there can be a fire hazard; but electric lighting is very safe
particularly when operated as intended because of numerous safety standards
by UL, CSA and others for light fixtures.

Incandescent light bulbs, however, are not covered by those standards since
they are a "part" rather than a light fixture. Oddly enough, compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are covered by safety standards -- or at least the
screw-in types are -- because they have a built-in ballast and are
considered a complete fixture.

But, just about the worst thing you can do from a fire hazard standpoint is
to put a high-wattage bulb in a fixture not designed for it. Most fixtures
(including table lamps) are marked to show the maximum bulb wattage to use.
Changing to a CFL is a good idea because there is more light for the wattage
used and its the watts that generate the heat.

Remember too, that it's O.K. to turn on another light. You can get
multiple-bulb fixtures or a small task light to boost up the lighting level
on a book or other small area. A good rule is to have general illumination
at a relatively low level throughout a room and then boost that level with
an accent or task light where needed. That saves energy too.

CFLs don't save penniers. They save dollars. A 100 watt bulb can be
replaced by a 26 watt CFL with no loss of light averaged over time. If you
pay 10 cents per kilowatt hour for your electricity (that's low for many
areas; I pay 13 cents), then your savings each year are $7.40 per socket
assuming you operate the CFL 1000 hours each year. Year-after-year, that
adds up.

I've put CFLs in my sockets that are used for a couple of hours or more
every day. They don't make sense for a closet socket where the light is
only on for a few minutes.

TKM