Helogen Lamp

[marcus5771]

I have a Halogen 35 watt desk lamp and recently the bulb went I change the bulb still did not work so I change the 3amp fuse but all can find is a 13amp. Is it safe until I find a replacement.

[Headtime]

I would say yes, although I'm sure others will contradict me. I've put 13amp fuses in lamps for years, when I haven't been able to find a low rated fuse.

The bulb will blow before any major problems. But it is best to keep it as a temporary measure, and get the correct fuse fitted.

[Gef]

Definitely not. The bulb might well blow if there is a problem but you might blow with it if you are touching the lamp. The fuse is the safety device not the bulb.

[Gef]

Sorry, should have also said that with a 13 amp fuse then if there is a problem the wiring could overheat and cause a fire without the fuse blowing.

[marcus5771]

Thank you very much for the advice also read that 13 amp pushes enought wattage to power an immersion heater thats 3000watts. It is now unpluged. Once again THANK YOU.

[Tweed]

You should be fine, the chances of the wires heating up enough to cause a fire are extremely small. A 13 amp fuse is designed to be able to carry 13 amps; anything above that will blow it, the higher the current, the faster it will blow. The wires can carry much more current than that required for the load they are supplying. The problem with fitting a higher fuse comes if the electrical system isn't earthed properly. So if you have an earth fault, the appliance can still work, but if the earth leakage isn't large enough to blow the fuse, you run the risk of electrocuting yourself. A trip switch will detect a leakage of 30mA, or 100mA and will trip well before the fuse breaks. So if your electrics are in an extremely poor state don't risk it.