Whenever you purchase a UL or ETL-approved lamp, you should find a wattage sticker on the socket of the light you purchase. Legally, this wattage sticker needs to be placed directly on the socket.

The incandescent wattage warning sticker on your lamp socket helps to inform the consumer what wattage lightbulb they can safely use for their lamp. The sticker also indicates that the lamp has been tested up to the UL or ETL standard for the amount of wattage listed.  All the other electrical parts would also have been tested for the same incandescent wattage listed on the sticker on the lamp socket.

Table of Contents

• Meaning Of Incandescent Warning Wattage Sticker On Your Lamp Socket
• What Does Watts Or Wattage Mean?
• What Are Lumens?
• Understanding Your Lightbulb Labels
• Related Content
  • What Is The Difference Between LED, CFL, and Incandescent Light Bulbs?
  • What are the Standard Light Bulb Base Socket Types and Sizes?
  • Do Your Lighting Products Need To Be UL Or ETL Listed?

Meaning Of Incandescent Warning Wattage Sticker On Your Lamp Socket

Anytime you purchase a UL or ETL-certified lamp, you will find that the lamp you purchase has a warning label. The incandescent wattage warning label means that the lamp has passed all the lamp’s UL and ETL safety tests.

The warning sticker also means that all the lamp parts have been tested for the same wattage. The wattage label on the socket is put there to help consumers know and understand what kind of wattage lightbulb they should purchase for the lamp.

Here are a few things to remember when you look at the incandescent wattage label on the lamp:

• Use Bulb Wattage As Listed On Label – If the label says for a 60-watt bulb, you should use a 60-watt bulb or a lower-wattage bulb but not a higher-wattage bulb. All the parts and other things have been tested for up to that wattage and not over.

• Do Not Take Off the Label – The lamp’s wattage label is a legal part and should not be peeled off or removed.

When a lamp has a sticker on it, it has passed the testing and safety requirements of UL or ETL requirements. It also means that the lamp production parts have been tested for that same wattage.

What Does Watts Or Wattage Mean?

The sticker on your lamp will tell you what watts or wattage of a bulb you can safely use on your lamp. These stickers are essential for you to know and understand.

The reason why the wattage is so essential is because of the following:

• The wattage of light is the energy it will take to produce a certain amount of light.

• The higher the wattage number, the brighter the light will be and the more energy or power it will be using.

The sticker on your lamp is important as your lamp has only been tested to handle the amount of wattage listed on the sticker safely. 

In other words, if you decide to put a 100-watt bulb in a socket that says it should not be any more than 40 Watts, you risk not only damaging your lamp but also causing other safety issues.

All the parts of your lamp have only been tested to handle this amount of wattage for the bulb. Everything from the socket, plugs, cord, and all the inner workings of the lamp has been tested only to handle the amount of wattage as listed on the sticker.

The amount of wattage for your lightbulb also affects the lumens or the amount of brightness or light that your lightbulb will give off.

What Are Lumens?

The lumens for lighting are the amount of light that a lamp or lightbulb will give off. Lumens are the brightness of the amount of light that the light gives off.

In simple terms, the amount of light shines from a light bulb. Here is a basic chart to show the Wattage to Lumen’s conversion for many standard types of light bulbs:

The chart above should help you understand how bright a 100-wattage bulb is in lumens, LED, CFL, or Halogen bulbs. The chart can help you know what light bulb to purchase when you have a sticker on the socket that says 60 watts.

Understanding Your Lightbulb Labels

Today, there are so many categories on the lightbulb label, so it is essential to understand the labels on the light bulbs you purchase.

Here is what each category means:

• Brightness – The brightness is measured in lumens on the label; the lumens are the brightness or how bright the light will be. 1100 lumens will give you the brightness of a bulb that is 75 Watts, or 800 lumens is the same as a 60-watt bulb.

• Estimated Yearly Cost – The label may show you the estimated cost to run the lamp or light based on a certain amount of time per day. The figures they are using are based on an average and are not the exact cost. The estimated yearly cost should only be used as a guide.

• Life – Life is the overall expected life of the bulb. Life is again based on the average hours per day and how many years or how long the bulb will last. Life is also an estimate, not an actual number.

• Energy Used – The energy used in the watts of the lightbulb. As lightbulbs have become more energy-efficient, you may see the energy used in a much lower wattage than before.

The incandescent wattage sticker on your lamp socket is an important part of your lamp and should not be ignored. Consumers should look at and read the sticker to fully understand what kind of lightbulb they can safely put into the lamp socket.

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Related Content

What Is The Difference Between LED, CFL, and Incandescent Light Bulbs?

They can be a little bit of confusion about what the difference is between an LED or incandescent bulb and which light bulb is really the most energy-efficient one to use.

You can discover more by reading What Is The Difference Between LED, CFL, and Incandescent Light Bulbs? by clicking here.

What are the Standard Light Bulb Base Socket Types and Sizes?

Considering different types of light bulb socket bases can get quite confusing. Many people get confused about the different numbers used for each light bulb base and their meanings.

You can discover more by reading our blog What are the Standard Light Bulb Base Socket Types and Sizes? by clicking here.

Do Your Lighting Products Need To Be UL Or ETL Listed?

Products sold or imported into the United States or Canada should have a UL or ETL mark to show they are UL or ETL listed. UL and ETL-listed products show that they have passed particular safety and other standards and have verified “third-party certification.” For buildings, the building code inspectors will ensure that all electrical products, including the lighting, have UL or ETL marks and certifications sold in a commercial building.

You can discover more by reading our blog Do Your Lighting Products Need To Be UL Or ETL Listed? by clicking here.