|
|
|
|
| Author |
|
|
The Unsettler
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lantanna TX
Posts: 23,885
|
Advice on light bulbs
Seems every new fixture these days calls for low watt bulbs which is driving my wife nuts.
Spent the weekend on a fan for my daughters room. My wife found and bought a light kit that she liked. Problem is it was a 3 stage paint job so good luck finding a fan that matches it. Well if you are my wife this is not an issue, you just buy a fan whose style you like and have your husband (me) completely disassemble (voiding warranty and any chance at returning it) and repaint to match the light kit. Problem is the bulbs, the kit says no more than a 25 watt type B bulb. 3 lights on the kit so it's really not nearly enough output for the room. Ran to Lowes and picked up 3 40W fluorescent's which only draw like 7 watts a piece so that should work. But the insulation/ballast on the bottom of all the fluorescent bulbs is too large to fit the shade on the light kit. So we are back to traditional bulbs. Is it really that big a deal to put a 40W when the manufacturer lists 25W as max? What is the reason for the low wattage warning anyway?
__________________
"I want my two dollars" "Goodbye and thanks for the fish" "Proud Member and Supporter of the YWL" "Brandon Won" |
||
04-19-2009, 08:48 PM
|
|
|
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: South of Heaven
Posts: 21,159
|
You should be ok with 3x 40, but if you want to be extra safe just start out with 1 40w and observe for a few days.
I've been ignoring lamp manufacturers ratings for decades though, lol. That being said someone is sure to come in here and warn of impending doom. Last edited by m21sniper; 04-19-2009 at 11:44 PM.. |
||
|
04-19-2009, 08:56 PM
|
|
|
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: cutler bay
Posts: 15,136
|
hunt around there are many styles
and base sizes of fluorescent bulbs some may fit better or look better up there or try to find low watt higher illumination LED bulbs as they should be smaller and less liable to suffer from fan shake problems use less current and produce less heat too |
||
|
04-19-2009, 10:26 PM
|
|
|
Back in the saddle again
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Central TX west of Houston
Posts: 57,094
|
I've used out of spec bulbs before without problems. I assume that the specified bulbs are taking into account some portion of the wiring and that running over spec could cause overheating which could eventually cause fire. Maybe not even in the first few years, but eventually after enough heat cyclings of the plastic it could become brittle and crack.
But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that's not the driver for the recommendations.
__________________
Steve '08 Boxster RS60 Spyder #0099/1960 - never named a car before, but this is Charlotte. '88 targa  SOLD 2004 - gone but not forgotten
|
||
|
04-20-2009, 06:00 AM
|
|
