Installing a can light

[sg57rks]

Hello my question is the warning on the new can light
it says: (RISK of Fire use only 50 watt, PAR20 or R20 MAX)

Can I safely use a standard 75 watt light bulb?

What are 50 watt PAR20 or R20 bulbs?

thanks

[Wgoodrich]

A 50 watt par 20 is a smaller style flood bulb.

I suspect if you look inside the tank you will find a sticker that has a list of trims using different types and wattage of bulbs set for each different type of trim that can be used.

You must not use a 75 watt bulb where a specific 50 watt par 20 bulb is required.

Hope this helps

Wg

[sg57rks]

What can happen if I do use the 75 watt or lower regular light bulb? and can doing this in conjunction with a dimmer switch cause real danger?

[Wgoodrich]

I think you are stuck on wattage thinking that means more light.

A 50 watt flood is a mirrored directional bulb that refracts the lumen output in a broadcast manner directy toward the room centering all the light output toward the room, but in a wide pattern [broadcast wider area called flooding of lumens].

A 50 watt spot is also a mirrored directional bulb the drastically refracts the lumen output to the point that the lumens actually cross each other intensifying the light output to a narrow spot in the room not broadcated but centered in like aiming a rifle on a certain spot in the room.

A 75 watt spot is without any mirror directional refracting allowing as much as 60% of the light to be contained within the recessed tank and never entering the room at all but the lumens die within the tank unused in the room.

After reading the above you should now discover that you 50 watt flood will light the room more than the 75 watt normal light bulb. This is why the trim and flood bulb is used directing the light output into the room instead of a normal light bulb where 60% of the light output never reaches into the room but is contained within the tank.

You can test what I am saying. Install your trim and spend the money betting on my knowing what I am talking about. If I am right then you can always use your 75 watt normal light bulb in a light fixture that is not recessed within the surface of the ceiling. Try both bulbs in the tank with just that tank running in the dark room. Suspect you will discard you desire to use the 75 watt light bulb that will cost you more to run but get less light in the room. YOu should notice the difference in light output if you will just perform that experiment believing that I might just be right in what I am saying. Try it you might like it. All you have to lose is the cost of that 50 watt flood bulb if I am wrong and you can come back in and point out that I was wrong. Doubt you will beilieve me wrong if you do the experiment.

As for a fire risk yes this is a fire risk because you are using a recessed tank trapping the heat of that bulb inside the tank. However you are safer as long as the thermal cut out is inside the tank. Check and see if the recessed tank says thermally protected. If it is not DO NOT USE THAT RECESSED TANK. Only use a thermally protected recessed tank for fire protection.

The problem with using the 75 watt light bulb is the heat will increase and cause the thermal to cut off the light before it has a chance to overheat causing a fire. Be careful though pushing trust that that thermal disc will always work. You will be betting your house on that bet if it fails due to a constant cycling on and off due to the wrong tank being used.

Let us know what you discover.

Good Luck and be safe

Wg