65w pc on a 55w pc ballast?

Bamm Bamm

Saltwater Guru
I thought I read here that this is fine to do I want to check I know they will fire up and everything but I just want to be sure that nothing is going to overheat or something and burn my house down=).. TIA

the search feature isn't working for me as always
 
I used to have those bulbs/ballast. The 55 and 65s are interchangeable.

From Hellolights, http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=384

Q. Are these bulbs 55W or 65W?
A. (Note: This applies to both Compact Fluorescent and Fluorescent bulbs only.) Actual wattage to the lamp is primarily a factor of the lamp electrical characteristics and the ballast driving the lamp. Without getting too technical, the wattage marking on the lamp does not necessarily determine the actual wattage to the lamp. (i.e. you could have 100W to a lamp that is marked 55W!!) Fixtures with different ballast will have different wattage to the lamp and as such the wattage marking on the lamp is for reference only.
Actual wattage to the lamp operated by electronic ballast can only be measured using special high frequency wattage measuring equipment. Input wattage to the ballast is not a direct indication of wattage to the lamp.
Simply put, 55W and 65W lamps have same or similar electrical characteristics and therefore if one replaces either lamp into a given fixture (either a 55W or 65W system) then the wattage to the lamps will be driven by the ballast(s) of such system. Wattage to the lamp determines lumen output or total light output of the lamp.
Conclusion: Lamps marked 55W or 65W can be interchanged with similar or equivalent light output performance. The ballast drives the bulb.
 
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