One of the bulbs above the vanity style bathroom mirror burned out; It’s clear and globe shaped, and reads “Canada 1237; 2*60W 120V” The fixture itself reads “100 watts”
At the drugstore they had an identical looking bulb but it said it was 60 watts; the bottom read “1*60”
So which should I buy?
60W is 60W - I have no idea what the 1* or 2* designation means (I’ve never seen it), but I can’t imagine that it is significant.
I have no idea what the 1* is. A 60 watt is below the 100 watt maximum rating for you fixture so there is no problem with using what you bought.
My guess would be that the bulb had two 60 watt filaments in parallel, making it effectively a 120 watt bulb. Which, being higher than the fixture was rated for, would be a fire hazard. If that’s the case, you’ll want to replace it with a 100 watt bulb, which is almost as bright, but would be cool enough to be safe. Or replace it with a 100- or 120-watt-equivalent efficient bulb (compact fluorescent or whatever), which would be even less wattage as heat, and thus still safe (possibly safer) for the fixture.
I’ve never heard of such a thing - have you?
The only multiple filament bulbs I have heard of have been 3 way bulbs, which wouldn’t normally be used in a fixture like this. Multiple filament bulbs are usually marked with the total wattage, not the wattage for each individual filament.
labeling the total wattage of the bulb is important for safety.
a three way bulb might be labeled with all filament combinations for safety and light levels, e.g. 30-70-100 (filament 1, filament 2, filaments 1 +2)
I’ve never heard of this “1*” or “2*” stuff either, but I’m American, and we’re talking about Canadian bulbs. Clearly, bulbs are different in Canada. I think it would behoove posters in this thread to identify where they’re from.
Not where the filaments are the same and switched together, no. That’s why I’m only calling it a guess.
In any event, using a 60 watt bulb in that fixture should certainly be safe. At worst, it won’t be as bright as the old one.
I bought the regular 1*60, it is identical in light production, works!