Really boring question about light bulbs

Yes you are OK.

However, some fitting are marked as being unsuitable for energy efficient bulbs - irrespective of wattage.

The warning is to prevent overheating and possible scorching or even fire. Thus, as long as the actual power being dissipated is less than the warning level, you will be ok. However, because compact fluorescents are larger than the usual incandescent lamp of the same light output, keep any possibly hot parts of the lamp away from the shade itself.

Bill

-- Fermez le Bush

Note that energy efficient bulbs are fluorescents, and they degrade many plastics and fabrics -

thus making them far from net-energy-efficient in a silk shade or a plastic-shaded fixture.

save $5 on your energy bill, and lose a $200 lampshade...

fwiw

Thanks for this, and to the others who have replied.

This is a kind of frosted glass effect, and relatively cheap (about thirty pounds here in the UK, so maybe $50 US). If anything happened to it cosmetically it wouldn't be the end of the world, my main concern was safety.

The other thing I ought to have mentioned, and I was reminded of this after the other poster said that some fittings are not suitable for energy saving bulbs, is that the actual wording on the box said "Max

I don't know what GLS stands for but it appears to relate to non-fluorescent bulbs. Is this meant to imply that you can only use standard light bulbs?

After all, we're only talking about a bit of glass that fits over a light bulb, it's not something which has any kind of current going through or is wired up itself in any way. Am I worrying about nothing?

Richard

The max for a compact fluorescent would be less in any type of enclosed fitting, because the CFL won't survive if it runs at the same temperature as a filament lamp. However, since you typically use one which is about 1/4 of the power, that's not normally an issue.

GLS = General Lighting Service, i.e. a regular pear-shaped filament lamp.

No, it just means they only guarantee a GLS lamp. Compact fluoresents come in loads of different shapes and sizes, and all are physically larger than a GLS in some respect, so there's no way they could guarantee they would all fit.

Without seeing it, no one can say.

You are worrying about nothing.

That's what I wanted to hear. Thanks.

Richard

$200 Lampshade? thats just over 100 quid..... I thought my missus was takin the piss when she wanted to spent £20 on a lamp shade

sQuick..