An electrician once told me that I should always be careful not to exceed too much wattage on each circuit in a house by replacing light bulbs with brighter ones that are of higher wattage (e.g. don't replace all 60W bulbs with 75W or 100W bulbs).
However, with the newer CFL and LED replacement bulbs, not only do the bulbs labeled of the same replacement wattage (e.g. 60W or 75W) have lower lumen output, they actually (in small print on the box) claim to actually use a lot less power (e.g. 60W replacement LED bulbs I just bought claim to only use 9.5W). I'm curious, then. If old traditional 60W bulbs that gave off 1000 lumens each need replacement, can I replace them with 75W 1100 lumen LEDs that claim to use only 13W or 100W LEDs that claim to use only 18W ... without fear of overloading the circuit?
In other words, which "power" rating do I go by to determine whether I am putting the right replacement bulb in ... the "replacement wattage" (i.e. 60W) or the "fine print" wattage of the new bulb (i.e. the 9.5W for a 60W bulb)? Which is the actual power that the bulb is driving the current that the bulb is drawing from the circuit?
Many thanks in advance for your help!
However, with the newer CFL and LED replacement bulbs, not only do the bulbs labeled of the same replacement wattage (e.g. 60W or 75W) have lower lumen output, they actually (in small print on the box) claim to actually use a lot less power (e.g. 60W replacement LED bulbs I just bought claim to only use 9.5W). I'm curious, then. If old traditional 60W bulbs that gave off 1000 lumens each need replacement, can I replace them with 75W 1100 lumen LEDs that claim to use only 13W or 100W LEDs that claim to use only 18W ... without fear of overloading the circuit?
In other words, which "power" rating do I go by to determine whether I am putting the right replacement bulb in ... the "replacement wattage" (i.e. 60W) or the "fine print" wattage of the new bulb (i.e. the 9.5W for a 60W bulb)? Which is the actual power that the bulb is driving the current that the bulb is drawing from the circuit?
Many thanks in advance for your help!