Replacing a compact fluorescent bulb in a bathroom exhaust fan with an LED bulb?

Question

I have a bathroom exhaust fan that has a built-in light that is a compact fluorescent bulb. It does not provide sufficient lighting (2400 lumens) and they do not produce a replacement bulb that is brighter. My idea is to remove this light and associated ballast from the assembly, rewire it to accept a 65 or higher LED light bulb. Are there any reasons why I can’t or should not do this? A specific question I have is whether it is acceptable to put an LED bulb inside a closed assembly from the perspective of heat build-up. Thanks to anyone who responds.

Answer 1

Regarding your specific question: the bulb itself will be rated for enclosed operation if it is capable of such. Most high-wattage LED bulbs are not rated for enclosed operation.

Answer 2

If it is truly a compact fluorescent then there is no separate ballast, no rewiring, and this is a simple bulb replacement.

How can you tell? If the bulb unscrews to expose an Edison base, has a large plastic base above the base, and (usually, not always) has a curled tube/bulb like this example from Amazon:

then it is a compact fluorescent or CFL. There are also some others, such as this 4-pin CFL from Amazon:

If it doesn't look like one of those, then you may have a regular fluorescent bulb with a separate ballast, which would require rewiring, etc.

But if it is a CFL then generally speaking you want to match with an LED that is the same or lower power consumption (because power --> heat) and the desired light (Lumens).

For example, if it is a 13W CFL rated for 900 Lumens then look for an LED with the same base type and 13W or less power and more Lumens. A typical 13W LED (same power) might produce 1150 Lumens (27% more light). There are a lot of variations depending on brand, quality, etc.

Answer 3

If you replace the socket with an Edison, you have to mount it securely as well as wire it, and you won't know if you have enough light until you've done all that. Given the 4 pin socket and the presumed age of the fan motor, I would recommend replacing the whole unit and be done with it. (If you get one with an Edison socket, you can easily increase the light level as needed, assuming the enclosure is so rated.)