What happens if you put a 60W LED bulb in a 40W socket?
Mia Horton
Updated on January 07, 2026
Using a light bulb with too high of wattage can lead to overheating of the light bulb. This heat can melt the light socket as well as the insulation of the wires. Once that happens, you put yourself at risk of arc faults, and this is something that could even lead to property fires.