You don’t think about the light bulbs in your home too much until they need to be replaced. But before you head out the door to buy new ones, it’s a good idea to know which ones you need. Buying the wrong one means it might not fit properly, you may use more energy than necessary, and you may even be creating a potential safety risk. It can actually be dangerous and become a safety hazard in your home when you use a light bulb with a higher wattage than you’re supposed to as it can potentially lead to overlamping – a safety hazard for your home. In fact, one of the biggest fire hazards and most common causes of house fires is due to overlamping.

What is Overlamping?

Overlamping happens when you use a light bulb with a higher wattage than your electrical fixture can handle. All fixtures have a wattage rating that the manufacturer sets. It’s a rating that you need to follow, or intense heat is the result. Overlamping can create several problems, and the longer overlamping continues to occur, the more risk you put on yourself, your family, and you home. Lighting fixture insulation is only designed to resist heat up to a certain temperature. Newer fixtures can handle temperatures up to about 194 degrees Fahrenheit, but older ones can only handle about 140 degrees.

Dangers of Using Wrong Wattage Light Bulb

Overheating. Replace a burnt-out bulb with on that has too much wattage and you can create overheating of the light bulb. This can cause the light socket to melt as well as the insulation of the wires. When that happens, you are at risk of arc faults that can lead to fires.
Damage to fixture. You can cause permanent damage to your light fixture when overlamping occurs. Even if you realize that you’ve made a mistake, it might be too late. Unfortunately, you are probably already dealing with permanent damage—a mistake that is easy to avoid. It’s so important to make sure you’re using the right wattage when you need to replace a light bulb. If you have a light bulb that is enclosed in a fixture, you will need to be even more careful because an enclosed fixture increases the chances of overheating. This of course means that a fire is more likely to start.

Electrical Services in Lithonia, Decatur, Stone Mountain, Snellville, Conyers, Covington & Metro Atlanta, GA & Surrounding Areas

Again, you can locate the maximum wattage for a fixture somewhere in the assembly, you just have to look for it. When you locate it, make sure you only use bulbs that are at or below what’s listed to avoid any problems. If you can’t find it or your fixture doesn’t have one, the rule of thumb is to use bulbs that are 60-watts or lower. Added safety comes when you have an electrician come in to inspect your electrical system to rule out any overlamping situations or damages. They can also let you know which light bulbs are best to use for your fixtures. Contact Sullivan Electric Services for all your electrical needs. We have expert electricians and use the best products in the industry. Give us a call today!