Any Electricians Out There

[dstroyed]

My wife had me put up a new ceiling fan with light. It has 2 50 watt halogen bulbs that came with he light. They are small threaded halogen bulbs. She wants more light but it says 50 watts max.

Question is. What are the risks and/or danger of running a 75 or 100 bulbs or maybe just 1 larger bulb?

Thanks

Edited January 15, 2007 by dstroyed

[HSMITH]

You run the risk of melting the wiring on the soft side, starting the thing on fire on the heavy side. Adding just 25 more watts probably won't be a deal breaker, but it she wants more light go down to the home depot and get a 5 bulb fan. If you run two 100 watt bulbs you are going to run double the power the light was rated and UL listed for. That is a LOT over the safety margin. The last 2 I put in my house will take 5 bulbs at 40 watts, that makes 200 watts of light compared to 100 in yours when using just the recommended wattage.

If you really don't want to change the fan/light you might try different bulbs. There are white, soft white, bright, and everything else. You might find a bulb that gives enough light to satisfy the boss without risk.

[EricW]

Don't do it. Not only will the current draw smoke your wires, but the extra heat will travel up and cook the fixtures. And halogen bulbs already run hot, so upping the wattage could turn out to be very bad juju.

[paraman1]

I are an Electrigician and I second what Eric says . You draw to much current and it can melt your wiring at best . Worst case is it burns you house down .

You could run 1 100 watter but what would be the point of that . Tell Honey its MOOD lighting .

[AlamoShooter]

If you did go with two 100 the light would have (hot)/ bright areas. And the Heat from the bulbs is more that two 50s All the conventional math may say it is the same = but you can feal the heat with the 100s.

Spend the extra cash to get the four or five bulb light and go for the matched dimmer.

I have taken plenty of fixturs off the ceiling and found the sheetrock pompletly burned trough around the elect box. and the wire coating melted off, with just bare wires

All this from the heat the bulb put out, as much as from the heat in the wires.

but I may not know nothing

Oh and I am not a cert. Elec. ... I just over see them.

[dstroyed]

I appreciate all the comments. I was expecting to hear that. One has to assume they put a maximum wattage sticker on there for a reason. Problem is we all don't assume that is for a good reason and obey it like we should.

She bought a lamp and put in the corner of the room. It seems to work fine for adding the extra light.

it doesn't bother me much but I think i could live in a cave as long as i had, cable for tv and internet and a fridge.

[Jon Merricks]

You could buy just the lamp kit. I had an older single bulb fan and just added the kit to add more light and more bulbs. BTW turn the fan off while you do it if you want to keep your hair.

[George]

Never EVER increase the wattage when using the modern mini-halogen bulbs. These little suckers run hot and on the edge as they come and adding heat/wattage is just asking for it.

+999999 to getting one with more bulbs in it and considering the one you already have a cheap lesson in home fixit safety.

Only the older style Tungsten bulb we all know and love can be upgraded with any measure of safety. They just don't generate the level of heat these new Halogen puppies do.

The current draw issues are secondary, but worth worrying about because modern lighting fixtures bought in most home stores are manufactured in places on this earth where they consider UL requirements to be a minimum point to just barely achieve, not a point to exceed by a fairly safe margin!

I like to sleep soundly at night. No funky electrical for me ;-)

[Singlestack]

BTW turn the fan off while you do it if you want to keep your hair.

I bet the story behind that is not as funny as the story that my mind conjured up Jon.

You turned off the light, climbed the ladder and....

... it was dark...

[Nate]

When my father was alive he asked me to install a ceiling fan for him. The conversation went like this: "Is the power off? yea, you sure? yea" BAM! (sound of young man falling off ladder to floor) "hey you want to go double check that breaker?"

[TDean]

How'bout those sexy flourescent flood lights?

The 35w are equal to 100w light output.

[AustinMike]

Can't remember the brand, but I got some bulbs that said they are supposed to be like daylight. Saw them at Lowes or Home Depot, one or the other. I put one in the kitchen and it was noticeably brighter than other bulbs I had tried at the same wattage.