Light bulb wattage Max for fitting.

[Gus]

Light fittings are marked with max wattage figures e.g. max 60W. The newer hi-tech types of light bulb are shown as say 23Watts but also as equilivant to 100W. Can say a 23 watt bulb (shown as equivilant to 100w) be used on a fitting showing max 60W

[Jackie]

LAST EDITED ON 26-Jul-04 AT 11:47 AM (BST)

I am not an electrician but my feeling is that you can do this. The rating for a light fitting in watts relates to the amount of heat that can be tolerated by the fitting and that which would be produced by a tungsten filament bulb. The heat produced by conventional bulbs is considerable, say 90 percent of the energy consumed is expressed as heat and not light. The high efficiency lamps produce much less heat and more light power for power so a 23 watt lamp may well have the same light output as a 100 watt filament bulb but not get nearly as hot. They do tend to be physically larger though and this can cause a problem trying to get them into some light fittings......John in Dept 79