130V bulbs with 120V power?

[Ryan Wilke]

Hi Fellas,

What is up with this - Is this a problem or what?
Will they still provide the rated amount of Lumens?
Will they last as long as a 120V bulb would?

I'm looking at Halogen bulbs that say they're rated for 130V.... but I've only got 120-125V for power in my pole building/shop. What are my + or - .

Thanks in advance for any and all advice/guidance, Guys!

Ryan W

 

[frankush]

The lumen output may drop a little but you probably won't notice it. In theory, they would last longer, but I doubt you'll see any difference. Shouldn't be an issue. Put em in.

 

[Cedge]

AC voltage ratings have a 10% +/- rating variance. You'll be fine with the 130 volt lights.

Steve

 

[jvitez]

130V rated bulbs on a 120V circuit were designed to prolong bulb life. What you'll get:

1. Double the bulb life of a 120V rated lamp of equal wattage.
2. 25% less lumen output.
3. 10% less electricity use.

 

[Ryan Wilke]

I've been sick with the flu & then pneumonia...so I've been slow getting back.

Thanks, Everyone, for all the replies & advice!

Ryan W

 

[tech-one]

130 volt bulbs will last longer,they have a heaver filament for 130 volt,but replace 120 volt bulbs.. they are made higher shock use.(drops)

 

[Steinmetz]

Hi Fellas,

What is up with this - Is this a problem or what?
Will they still provide the rated amount of Lumens?
Will they last as long as a 120V bulb would?

I'm looking at Halogen bulbs that say they're rated for 130V.... but I've only got 120-125V for power in my pole building/shop. What are my + or - .

Thanks in advance for any and all advice/guidance, Guys!

Ryan W

I've long suspected that the 130v items are also intended for the Mexican market. I think that the voltage is generally maintained a little higher down there.

 

[Fast Orange]

This is a common trick to get longer lamplife- the lumen output will be a bit less,but the lamplife will be much longer.Energy usage will remain about the same.

 

[Gary S]

Lamps like this are made for traffic signals, tower lighting, and other critical situations where a burned out lamp is costly.
Years ago, I got my hands on a few used 130v signal lamps. They had 6 months use on them when I got them, and they ran another 3 or more years when I used them. They have great life, but as mentioned, you lose a lot of lumens compared to running them on 130v.

 

[rburke65]

We used them at work....a manufacturing setting. They supposedly last longer.

 

[mwbailey]

Just installed light fixtures in my workshop. They came with 120V bulbs, but I lost about 6 bulbs in the first month of use. Salesman said he would get 130V bulbs like he thought he had ordered for me to begin with. He stated that sometimes the voltage near the power plant would exceed 120V enough to blow the bulbs! We measured at 125V at one point. Don't know about the power plant thought, but I do know that we've had no more bulbs blow since he replaced the 120's with 130's!

 

[GGB]

After we got hit by lightning in 1999, our electrician suggested 130 volt bulbs for an outdoor floodlight that was 2 stories up on the back of our house with a walkout basement-a real hassle. The electrician said these 130 volt bulbs where made for the Canadian electrical grid which operates at 120-130 volts, vs. the US grid at 110-120. He indicated that you should expect about double the life but with a slight decrease in lumens. But to me a minor reduction of light output was a lot better than no light because the regular bulbs had burned out again. I never had to replace those bulbs before we moved 8 years later.

But today I'd just buy LED's.

GGB

 

[Stuart in MN]

Lamps like this are made for traffic signals, tower lighting, and other critical situations where a burned out lamp is costly.

Yup, I've specified 130V bulbs a lot for the access ladders going up inside water towers or other similar places where they're hard to access.