# Electrical question here... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2002, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-here/141295 "2002-12-08T12:35:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-here/141295/21 "2002-12-10T12:42:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gouda \* > I’ve put two bulbs in my room, one 40W and one 60W. I was wondering whether it would make more sense to put in a single 100W bulb in place of these two. I mean, is it more economical to use a single bulb than two. > > **We run a 220V system here (if that makes any difference!).** You might just have a problem here. I live in Germany, and we also have a 220V system. For some odd reason, all light bulb sockets here are rated for maximum 60 Watts. Even light sockets for outdoor use (where you could really use more power) are rated for 60 watts. The rating is no joke. I put a 75 watt bulb in an outdoor fixture, and the additional heat caused the insulation on the wires to melt - resulting in a short circuit and all kinds of fun. Even when the insulation doesn’t melt, the plastic on the socket may get brittle and fall apart. Another fun thing is that the sockets are made very cheaply in many cases. The screw in base may not be made of metal. In mort of the ones I’ve seen, it is plastic with a springy metal contact along the side and a little tab at the bottom for the second connection. On these, the extra heat can cause the contacts to weaken and not make good contact - which results in flickering lights and burned spots on the light bulb base. So, along with maybe not getting a good distribution of light with a single bulb, you may run your sockets outside of their ratings and get into trouble - and possibly cause a house fire. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-here/141295/22 "2002-12-10T12:54:40Z")
In Germany _all_ sockets are rated for a max of 60W? I find that _extremely_ difficult to believe. Extremely difficult. Generally all sockets I have seen will easily accomodate more than that and it is the _fixture_ which is limited because it encloses the heat. At any rate, are you telling me in Germany nobody is supposed to use lightbulbs over 60W? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-here/141295/23 "2002-12-10T12:56:50Z")
BTW, the issue is solely heat. The fact that we are talking 220V means the current is halved so current is a non issue. It wouln’t be with 110 volts either since we are talking under 1 amp. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-here/141295/24 "2002-12-10T13:05:25Z")
**sailor:** hasn’t this gotten out of hand? The OP is happy. Let it go or start it up again in the pit. I’ll be on your side. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-here/141295/25 "2002-12-10T14:52:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*In Germany _all_ sockets are rated for a max of 60W? I find that _extremely_ difficult to believe. Extremely difficult. Generally all sockets I have seen will easily accomodate more than that and it is the _fixture_ which is limited because it encloses the heat. At any rate, are you telling me in Germany nobody is supposed to use lightbulbs over 60W? \*\* I’ve yet to find one rated for more than sixty watts. My wife and I built a house here a few years back, so we’ve had good reason to look at lots of lights. Actually, I presume that light sockets with higher ratings are available, since I can buy 75 and 100 watt bulbs. It is just that I can’t find the damned sockets rated that high. You can get halogen spot lights and stuff of much higher power (I have a 500 watt halogen with an infrared sensor that lights the door area in front of the house.) For the life of me, though, I can’t find plain light bulb sockets rated for more than sixty watts. Also, Germans tend to be rather cheap. They are perfectly happy with sixty watts and lower - they use less current. The screw in flourescent bulbs aren’t terribly popular. They are available, but they cost a fortune so hardly anybody buys them - that and the one or two that we have in our house are of piss-poor quality. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2002, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-here/141295/26 "2002-12-11T23:24:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mort Furd \* > The screw in flourescent bulbs aren’t terribly popular. They are available, but they cost a fortune so hardly anybody buys them - that and the one or two that we have in our house are of piss-poor quality. This might explain the lack of German inventiveness. 'Cause, y’know, without those light bulbs, how can anyone get a good idea? Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2002, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-here/141295/27 "2002-12-12T08:18:10Z")
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