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Community Corner

A Spark of Light

A dim-bulb move by homeowner presents fire hazard.

The other day, I flicked on the upstairs hall light in my home, only to have the light bulb immediately burn out in a flash of light.

I was confused, since I had only changed out the light bulb a few days before. On further inspection, I discovered that I had inserted a 75-watt light bulb in a maximum 40-watt, builder-grade fixture. Apparently, I didn’t see the caution sticker in the cheap fixture, which looks much like one that sells for less than $6 at Home Depot.

The risk of putting a bulb of too high wattage in a fixture is that it could cause an electrical fire, and could also damage the wiring in the fixture.

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Now I am afraid to use that fixture. I don’t know if I am being silly or practical, since I don’t know much about such things. The reason why my mistake could have caused damage or even a fire is because placing a bulb of too high wattage in a fixture could cause excess heat in that fixture.

I am going to order a new fixture for the upstairs hallway since it is one of the last builder-grade fixtures left in our house, and I have been wanting to replace it anyway. I plan to order a three-bulb fluorescent fixture by Nuvo that matches the other eco-friendly fixtures that I’ve recently installed in my home. Once the new fixture arrives, I’ll be sure to call a good local electrician.

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