Lighting (safety) question!!! =/

[tvd2]

Ok so I have this socket

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=34550-1189-34550&lpage=none <<pictured there

with a 15W CFL. I know it says 660W (my bad) but the site says no for cfls...

idk it seems to be working..


and most importantly... what the hell is a 3 way socket? and is that one?

Thanks!

 

[darkdestruction420]

that 15w cfl would be fine in a normal socket........

 

[wyteboi]

hey Tvd! that socket u have is rated for 250 volts not watts , so that is fine for a cfl (i seen where it said NO compact floro) i have no idea why they would put that ??? a cfl WILL work allll day with that socket. and as long as u dont touch the white and black together (of course) then u wont get zapped. here is the max watts it can hold :
"Maximum Wattage Per Bulb (Watts):660"
as far as a 3 way socket goes... ? i am an electrician and i have no idea what that means either.... unless they are talkin bout a regular plug with a hot, neutral and ground. They make 3 way Switches but that dont even apply to subject. hope that helps!

 

[wyteboi]

ok i checked out what people call "3 way sockets" and that is a socket with different power settings, , low , med, and high. so that dont apply to u at all.

 

[darkdestruction420]

ok i checked out what people call "3 way sockets" and that is a socket with different power settings, , low , med, and high. so that dont apply to u at all.

aha!so thats what he's talking about, i was trying to figure out what he meant too, thanks for solving the puzzle for me, lol

 

[tvd2]

ok i checked out what people call "3 way sockets" and that is a socket with different power settings, , low , med, and high. so that dont apply to u at all.

Thank you!

But I mean for flowering i wanna use a bulb and it says "for use in 3 way sockets" and with the socket from the link above i was wondering if i could still use it?

(the light works and all and it seems to be fine even for hours but im just wondering so i dont kill myself haha

 

[wyteboi]

no your fine!! i think that just means the bulb is adjustable , IF u had a 3 way socket then u could adjust it........when u go get more bulbs get the higher watt ones (23w or higher) your gonna need um soon if thats all u have....
plus that bulb u have is probably more expensive than a 23w cause it is adjustable .

 

[wyteboi]

get a few of these and add as many as u can!

 

[tvd2]

ya im gunna return them! thnaks for your help i appreciate it!

 

[darkdestruction420]

no your fine!! i think that just means the bulb is adjustable , IF u had a 3 way socket then u could adjust it........when u go get more bulbs get the higher watt ones (23w or higher) your gonna need um soon if thats all u have....
plus that bulb u have is probably more expensive than a 23w cause it is adjustable .

which setting would it use then? ive seen bulbs like that and they were like 20ww it used on low, 32w on med and 46w on high(approximately). would it just use the highest watt setting as a default?

 

[wyteboi]

which setting would it use then? ive seen bulbs like that and they were like 20ww it used on low, 32w on med and 46w on high(approximately). would it just use the highest watt setting as a default?

i am not 100% on that one, sorry. My guess is high would be the setting it would stay on. But it just depends on what contact is touchin the socket . I guess u would have to get a 3 way socket to really know though........i never even knew they had those.. i thought that is what a dimmer switch is for!

 

[tvd2]

Fyi -

I now have two 26W CFLs (6500K)....

Im just gunna plug it in and let it get bright as the sun!!!

And the mere 15W make me need sunglasses lol

thanks for ur help bud!

 

[tvd2]

no your fine!! i think that just means the bulb is adjustable , IF u had a 3 way socket then u could adjust it........when u go get more bulbs get the higher watt ones (23w or higher) your gonna need um soon if thats all u have....
plus that bulb u have is probably more expensive than a 23w cause it is adjustable .

Yo just one last little question...

With that socket I have

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=40273-1189-40273&lpage=none <<that cord

2 ends just tie them up and cover with electric tape and everything will be alright right?

(and since both ends of the lamp cord are brown how do u know which one goes in the white and black ends of the socket?)

 

[growone]

Not sure if you've decided to replace the 3-way switch, but there may well be a safety issue here.
I'm not sure of the 3-way switch function, but normally you you will have a 3-way bulb that will have levels of brightness for each switch position, these were incandescent bulbs. There may well be a resistive element in the switch.
If that is the case, that is unpleasantly close to a cfl/dimmer setup. That is dangerous. Dimmer and cfl is a fire hazard! At least for standard cfl's, there are dimmer compatible cfl's but they are labeled as such.
Again, not sure how a 3 way switch functions, but I would check closely on that.

 

[wyteboi]

Not sure if you've decided to replace the 3-way switch, but there may well be a safety issue here.
I'm not sure of the 3-way switch function, but normally you you will have a 3-way bulb that will have levels of brightness for each switch position, these were incandescent bulbs. There may well be a resistive element in the switch.
If that is the case, that is unpleasantly close to a cfl/dimmer setup. That is dangerous. Dimmer and cfl is a fire hazard! At least for standard cfl's, there are dimmer compatible cfl's but they are labeled as such.
Again, not sure how a 3 way switch functions, but I would check closely on that.

he is fine as long as he dont use the function. and even if he did its not a fire hazard it just wont work. i think we got him on the right track

 

[wyteboi]

Yo just one last little question...

With that socket I have

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=40273-1189-40273&lpage=none <<that cord

2 ends just tie them up and cover with electric tape and everything will be alright right?

(and since both ends of the lamp cord are brown how do u know which one goes in the white and black ends of the socket?)

its hard to tell with that pic of cord but there IS a difference in the 2 wires . one might have some hard to see stripes on it and that would be your neutral (white wire) and the plain side will be your hot (black wire)

 

[growone]

he is fine as long as he dont use the function. and even if he did its not a fire hazard it just wont work. i think we got him on the right track

that is not true, just did a quick google on cfl, 3-way,fire
there are warnings by safety groups/government sites not to use standard cfl's in a 3-way switch

 

[darkdestruction420]

that is not true, just did a quick google on cfl, 3-way,fire
there are warnings by safety groups/government sites not to use standard cfl's in a 3-way switch

they also say they have to be facing upward or its a fire risk, i hang my cfls horizontilly and never had a problem.

 

[wyteboi]

that is not true, just did a quick google on cfl, 3-way,fire
there are warnings by safety groups/government sites not to use standard cfl's in a 3-way switch

THERE is a big difference in a 3 way switch and a 3 way fixture. a 3 way switch means u can turn on hallway lights from this side of the hallway and u can go to the other side of the hallway and another switch will turn them off or on.
3 way switch= 1 light that is controled by 2 or more switches.......... didnt use google for that. but hey who can trust a pothead electrcian ? thats why we need people like u to double check things hell u had me googlin shit for a min. there! till i relized we were talkin bout 2 different things. keep up the good work there are alot of folks on here who do just shit out their mouth.

 

[tvd2]

THERE is a big difference in a 3 way switch and a 3 way fixture. a 3 way switch means u can turn on hallway lights from this side of the hallway and u can go to the other side of the hallway and another switch will turn them off or on.
3 way switch= 1 light that is controled by 2 or more switches.......... didnt use google for that. but hey who can trust a pothead electrcian ? thats why we need people like u to double check things hell u had me googlin shit for a min. there! till i relized we were talkin bout 2 different things. keep up the good work there are alot of folks on here who do just shit out their mouth.

hahah

Ya so um I tried electrical taping the wires one way (they flickered and thought something wasnt right...)

then tried it the other way it works fine.

I live in a apartment so i think im fine as they dont get hot (at all actually) and seem to work the way they're supposed to (extremely bright for a little 15W bulb! Need sunglasses! lol no 4 real)

Thanks for the help/concerns!