Electrical Help - Desk Lamp - Going from 20W to 50W?

[kennys2003]

I've got a desk lamp with 3 20W/120V Halogen GU10 bulbs that isn't bright enough. I'd like to use 3 50W/120V GU10 bulbs to see if that makes a difference.

The unit is all metal (so nothing to light afire) and the fixtures themselves have UL 120V 100W imprinted on them. Is that the maximum UL Rating for each fixture?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I'd figure I'd ask before I burn my place down. The instructions that came with the lamp say only to use 20W bulbs, but as I mentioned it isn't bright enough.

 

[ff500]

If the fixture has a ul listing for 120v 100w than thats what the fixture is rated for, but halogens do get hotter than a regular a lamp, is it an edsion base type lamp.

disclaimer: I may or may not know what the hell I'm talking about.

 

[kennys2003]

No, its not an edison base lamp, its a halogen GU10 base.
Thanks
Ken

 

[SonicDTR]

I'm no electrician, but I would say to throw the bigger bulbs in and leave it on for quite a while, if it gets too hot then you should know now to use that big of a bulb. You could always set it in a garage or somewhere on a concrete floor, or in your yard and leave it on nonstop to see if it melts down.

 

[ford_racer]

Do it. The most you can do is blow up your house! DO IT!

 

[ff500]

UL stands for underwriters laboratories and they test equipment,I cannot legally install any device,wire etc,etc without a UL listing on it. If the fixture has a ul listing for 120v 100w lamps it should specify what type of lamp and does it specify each lampbase or the whole fixture as being rated for 120v 100w, anyways if the instructions say only 3-20w lamps thats all I would use those lamps do get hot and a higher wattage could melt the lamp socket causing a short circuit or potentially a fire,you could do what Rubenk says and see what happens,or simply go out and buy a brighter lamp.

 

[kennys2003]

Each lamp socket has the 120V 100W imprinted on the socket base. There isn't a rating or any information for the entire fixture itself.

thanks