Electrical Contractors Association of San Diego

The Dangers of Mismatching Light Bulbs and Fixtures

It is dangerous to mismatch light bulbs according to the Electrical Contractors Association of San Diego. (Photo Credits)

The Electrical Contractors Association of San Diego (ECASD) is reminding homeowners to always ensure that their light bulb’s wattage match the capacity of their fixtures. In its electrical safety information campaign, the ECASD says mismatched bulbs and fixtures can cause electrical fires that could result to loss of lives and property.

The National Fire Protection Agency has also mentioned this in one of their safety reminders for consumers. “Use light bulbs that match the recommended wattage in a lamp or other light fixture. Check the sticker on the lamp to determine the maximum wattage light bulb to use.” Read the rest of their safety reminders here.

Home improvement website The Spruce has mentioned the dangers of Over Lamping in one of its web posts. In the same article, it also mentioned how to avoid doing such. Build Safe

“Putting a 100-watt bulb in a 60-watt fixture could cause intense heat, melting the light socket and the insulation on the fixture's wires. Any time you have that kind of damage on wires, you're at a big risk for arc faults, where an electrical current falls off its intended path— a leading cause of home fires. Even after you pull the offending bulb out, you could still have lasting damage to your fixture.”

Check out the full web post here.

The United States Department of Energy meanwhile shared helpful tips to keep in mind when replacing light bulbs at home. In their web article, they comprehensively explained the different types of light fixtures and how to maximize its use. They also explained how to properly dispose these light bulbs. Association of Edison Illuminating Companies

“Find out if there is a recycling program for them in your community--they are becoming more common, and many retailers will recycle CFLs for free. You can also dispose of the bulbs with other household hazardous wastes such as batteries, solvents, and paints at your community's designated drop-off point or during a designated day when you can put such materials with your curb-side trash pickup.”