This Is the Most Overlooked Fire Hazard at Home
Updated: Nov. 24, 2022
Hint: It's probably in your closet right now.
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Those closet lights that don’t have an enclosure around them pose a fire and safety risk in the home. According to Buell Inspections, under normal circumstances, a 60-watt light bulb will not get hotter than 175 degrees Fahrenheit but under some conditions it could reach close to between 290-500 degrees, high enough to ignite things like table tennis balls, which begin to melt around 130-150 degrees, according to Nittaku, a table tennis equipment manufacturer. Also, make sure to watch out for these other hidden items that can be a fire hazard in your home.
A light bulb like this needs to be moved farther away from the PVC pipe or replaced with a LED or CFL bulb, which work at much cooler temperatures.
While at one time it was acceptable to have these lights in closets as long as the bulb was at least 18″ away from the closet shelf, exposed incandescent lights are no longer allowed in closets, period. Here’s what the National Electric Code (NEC) says about closet lights:
410.16 Luminaires in Clothes Closets.
(A) Luminaire Types Permitted. Only luminaires of the following types shall be permitted in a closet:
(1) Surface-mounted or recessed incandescent or LED luminaires with completely enclosed light sources
(2) Surface-mounted or recessed fluorescent luminaires
(3) Surface-mounted fluorescent or LED luminaires identified as suitable for installation within the closet storage space
Also, here’s the definition of a luminaire:
Luminaire. A complete lighting unit consisting of a light source such as a lamp or lamps, together with the parts designed to position the light source and connect it to the power supply.  It may also include parts to protect the light source or the ballast or to distribute the light. A lampholder itself is not a luminaire.
To prevent a fire hazard, try installing a LED closet light replacement, like this one, or the one pictured below. It is a UL Listed LED luminaire that comes with the parts needed to make it hardwired, or it can simply be screwed into an existing light bulb socket, right over a porcelain lampholder. Next, make sure you know about these items in your home that are a fire hazard if you don’t clean them enough.
