LEDs have become increasingly popular as the go-to solution for all your lighting needs. As such, more people have been replacing their traditional incandescent bulbs with LEDs. However, as the change progresses, many people find themselves asking whether it is okay to use LED bulbs of 100W on a regular 60W fixture.
The simple answer is yes, you can use a higher-wattage LED light bulb with your regular bulb fixture. An LED bulb with a wattage equal to the fixture will work perfectly. If the LED light bulb consumes greater than what is rated on the fixture, it should work without issue.
So Let Us Explain
When you pick an LED bulb with a label on the box printed, “60-watt LED equivalents”, this does not necessarily mean the light bulb consumes 60 watts to operate. It instead indicates that the bulb produces the same light as a 60-watt incandescent light bulb.
The danger of using a bulb whose wattage exceeds the fixture is a greater risk of fires due to overheating. However, this does not apply when working with LED bulbs because they do not produce much heat. On the other hand, incandescent bulbs have a lot of heat output, thus increasing the risk of a fire.
Therefore, when a socket says, “not to exceed 60-watts,” and you would like to install a 100-watt LED bulb, you can do so without fearing for your safety as the risk of fires, in this case, is significantly lower. However, it would help if you were careful even with LED bulbs, as high-wattage LED bulbs may not suit enclosed light fixtures. For example, when you have a small LED bulb rated at 100W used through a 40W fixture, the bulb will likely fail after a short time when used in a smaller fitting.
Are LEDs More Efficient?
Yes, LED bulbs are a lot more efficient when compared to incandescent bulbs. This is because LEDs, unlike incandescent bulbs, do not use direct heat to produce light.
Regular standard incandescent bulbs produce a considerably wider spectrum of radiation because they typically heat a piece of metal to create illumination. Moreover, as they produce light, they also emit other forms of radiation like infrared light and UV light rays. This is why incandescent bulbs use up more energy as compared to their LED counterparts.
On the other hand, LED bulbs only emit visible light because the bulbs work on a match narrower spectrum. This is what makes LED bulbs more efficient compared to incandescent bulbs.
How do I Know My LED Bulb Will Be Bright Enough?
Since LED bulbs are different from incandescent bulbs, using wattage as a measure of comparison is not very useful. Therefore, it is important to think about LED bulbs in lumens and not watts. Typically, with an 800-lumen LED bulb, you will get about the same light quality as a conventional 60-watt incandescent bulb.
Maybe you are in the market for a brighter bulb. In this situation, you can use a 100-watt, 125-watt, or even 150-watt LED and their equivalents because they all consume less than 60 watts.
Since LED bulbs are highly efficient, a 150-watt or its equivalent emits about 2600 lumens but consumes only a small 30 watts. This allows you to use a 150-watt LED bulb or its equivalent in a socket with a 60-watt rating, and you will receive three times as much light as a traditional 60-watt bulb.
How do CFL Bulbs Compare to LEDs?
Compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, CFL bulbs are a lot more efficient in producing light. In a CFL bulb, an electric current is passed through a tube containing argon and small amounts of mercury vapor. This leads to ultraviolet light that hits the phosphor coating on the tube, generating visible white light.
CFL bulbs are dimmer when first lit and will take a minute before they reach their peak brightness. However, once operational for a few minutes, CFLs will typically use 70% less electricity than traditional bulbs. Unfortunately, they are not quite as efficient as LEDs and they tend to have a shorter bulb life.
How Do the Costs Compare?
Initially, the cost of LEDs used to be almost double what incandescent bulbs cost. However, over the past few years, the production costs for LEDs have steadily fallen, translating to lower purchase costs for the consumer. In addition, since LED bulbs are so efficient in the long run, they will save the user money in lighting and energy costs. This has been a major driver of the adoption of LED bulbs over the past few years.
With the average home having about 40 bulbs, replacing them with LED bulbs could result in $300 per year in savings. You of course have the option of waiting for your CFL and incandescent bulbs to burn out before replacing them with LEDs.
How Does Bulb Quality Compare?
There is, however, a quality gap in the light emitted by the bulbs. Typically, many people prefer CFL bulbs over LEDs because they have a broader light beam, making them great for use in floor lamps. On the other hand, LED technology has experienced a lot of development over the past few years, with output light now broader and warmer.
There is also a gap in light output and efficiency in CFLs, incandescent bulbs, and LEDs. This is driven by the different technologies that are used to create light. Wattage does not draw a clear picture when comparing bulbs. Instead, you should use brightness and lumens for comparison.
Lumen is a measure of light. All bulbs with the same lumen, regardless of the technology, also have the same brightness level. The lumen rating of every bulb is typically indicated on the packaging. To be most effective, you should look for the lumen that would serve you best (the higher the lumens, the brighter the bulb), and proceed to pick out the bulb with the lowest wattage and highest illumination.
Conclusion
LED bulbs have become the go-to option for all lighting solutions. As the world becomes more conscious of energy waste, individuals and organizations have adopted energy-saving bulbs for their lighting. Since they are energy-efficient bulbs, you can use a 100-watt equivalent LED bulb on a 60-watt outlet without any problems.
Lastly, LED bulbs are different from CFLs and incandescent bulbs. As such, we use LED bulb brightness to compare them to other types. Lumen ratings serve better as gauges than wattage because CFLs, incandescent, and LED bulbs of the same wattage will produce different light levels.
