Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - maximum 75W

Hi!

Kitchen light (on the ceiling) has two sockets that say 'maximum 75W'. Can I put in those sockets two of those newer light bulbs that use less energy, but give higher light output. For example, if I would use the ones equivalent to 100W (23W energy used), would it be safe?

Thank you.

Yes, it would be safe.

It's a 23 watt bulb. That is well below the rating of the fixture. Now the question is are the bulbs rated to go into an encolsed fixture. Many of the new CFL bulbs are not.

Fixtures are rated for actual watts, not perceived watt light output.

ok...

also, someone said how the light the newer ones give is apparently diffusive and lacks contrast? should there be a difference in the quality of light between the newer light bulbs and the regular ones?

The higher equivalent CFL's will give off less heat (substantially less) in the enclosed fixture than a comparable light-output (i.e., comparing a 13-15 watt CFL to a 60 watt incandescent; or comparing a 23-25 watt CFL to a 100 watt incandescent) incandescent. A small probe-type thermometer placed in the fixture will bare this out (or if you have and can point a hand-held infrared thermometer at it). Also, there should be info one can read up on - what the percentage of a given watt light, by type, gives off in light and how the remainder goes to heat. I actually heard the end part of this very thing on some news report on the radio today. I THOUGHT I heard that a given size (or all sizes?) incandescent only give off 10 % of the energy coming into them, as light, and the rest is given off as heat. They started out talking about the CFL's, and I missed that part, unfortunately.