A retrofit light is a new light installation in a container or lamp that was meant for an older generation of lights. Depending on the lamp or fixture, this might be a very simple chore or a little bit complicated. A fixture is designed to supply so many watts to a bulb. If the new light bulk requires only a fraction of this power, it might be damaged if not able to cope with the excess current. Learn about retrofit lights and find them on this website.
A fluorescent or LED light is interesting in that it is possible to install a bulb in a socket that supplies far more lumens than the lamp was originally designed to provide. This is a bad idea for table side lamps because these are meant to be soft light sources. On the other hand, a head light source, such as for a kitchen or dining table, might benefit from an extra bright light source.
A socket that was originally meant to supply 60 watts to a tungsten wire bulb might be fit with a bulb that is equivalent to a 100 watt bulb in its light output but require 18 to 20 watts of power. This is possible because a fluorescent tube is coiled into a compact design that provides the same benefit of a white light overhead tube. These were used for years for kitchens and grocery stores and warehouses until someone had the idea of just creating a light bulb.
While this is a handy upgrade, the bulb itself needs some internal electronics to provide the desired effect of a tungsten bulb equivalent. Some of the early models had a warm up time where the initial light was weak and took about a minute to reach full brightness. The tubular bulb also needs a fuse to control of electricity so that it does not experience a surge.
Current is frequently controlled with a carbon rod, but the bulb itself might have further electronics to optimize turning on and off. Too much current can still damage a bulb, so it pays to read its specifications. A retrofit light does have specifications and limits even though they are meant to be simple to use.
Retrofit lights do not have to appear conspicuous. They might contain their own shield to mimic soft light. They are least conspicuous if covered by a glass bowl such as a standard bedroom fan fixture. If not shielded, retrofit lights have greater brightness than incandescent bulbs and can contribute to growing plants indoors.
