Outdoor lights are durable and brighter than indoors. Some people might want to plug their outdoor light inside for warmth reasons or because of the brightness. You might also think that way and want one for your living room. But can you use outdoor lights inside?
You can definitely use outdoor lights inside despite their differences in builds and designs. However, it won’t be worth it if you buy new outdoor lights for your house. But if you ought to use the existing ones, it’s best to consider some facts like chemical coatings, voltage match, UL rating, safety, and temperature range.
Outdoor lights are costly. You don’t need to buy separately just for extra brightness and durability. Indoor lights can quickly fulfill the requirements.
What’s The Difference Between Indoor And Outdoor Lights?
Indoor and outdoor lights are different when it comes to their features and build quality. If you try to interchange them, you need to know their differences for better judgment. Here are the differences:
Waterproof
Typically, outdoor lights are designed as waterproof. The primary reason for this design is to ensure that bulbs can withstand any weather damage.
However, the indoor lights don’t have to be waterproof because there are no worries about weather changes like snowfall or rain. Therefore, they are not suitable to use outdoors.
Brightness
Outdoor lights are way brighter than indoor lights. That’s because outdoor lights need to cover much more area than your house.
On the other hand, indoor lights have less brightness. It should be bright enough to cover an average size room. Otherwise, you won’t be able to bear such high brightness inside your house.
Sensitivity
Regarding building quality, indoor bulbs are less durable and more sensitive than outdoor ones. A single drop of water or liquid can trigger the outer layer and break the bulb.
But the outdoor bulbs are more durable and less sensitive. They won’t crack or take harm much easily.
Luminosity
A lot of luminosity gets lost from outdoor bulbs due to the lack of surrounding walls. On the other hand, indoor lights get reflective walls in their surroundings. So, no luminosity gets lost. That’s why indoor lights have a lower power to emit less brightness than outdoor ones.
Can You Use Outdoor Lights Inside Your House?
Well, it’s pretty easy to answer because you can use outdoor lights inside your house only if it matches your intended fixtures.
For example, you want to use it in your bedroom. But too much brightness is not suitable there. So, using outdoor bulbs in the bedroom is not a good option. You can only use it in bathrooms or hallways, or drawing rooms.
However, you would need a standard plug to use the outdoor lights. That’s because of the voltage differences. A standard plug should be wired into a 120V circuit. If outdoor lights are low voltage, you can’t just directly connect them to the standard electrical supply. Otherwise, it will start a fire in the house.
So, you will need a small transformer to alter the voltages into suitable values. Other than the facts, outdoor lights can add a unique style to your living place. It’s easy to use them in a transitional room.
Why Using Outdoor Lights In Indoors Is Not Worth It?
Though you can use outdoor lights indoors, but it’s not worth your money if you buy new ones for your house. Here are facts to understand why it’s not worth the interchange:
Not Cost Effective
The price of outdoor lights is higher than the indoor ones because of the waterproof features and durable design. So, buying new outdoor lights will be like throwing your money away. But you can setup used ones in transitional areas.
If you cannot afford expensive lights, you shouldn’t go for outdoor ones. Use outdoor lights in your bathroom if needed.
Too Much Brightness
As mentioned, the brightness of outdoor lights is way higher than the regular ones. But you don’t need much higher brightness in houses, especially in your bedrooms or reading rooms.
Regular indoor lights can easily fulfill your criteria in this matter. So, getting outdoor light indoors will be a waste of money. Sometimes too much brightness can make a confined space uncomfortable. It would be better to get suitable ones.
Internal Power Supply
The power supply of indoor and outdoor lights won’t match because of different voltage requirements. It would need higher voltage and power to run the outdoor lights.
So, it’s pretty normal that it won’t match your inside circuits. It would be best if you used standard plugs to alter the voltage and keep it under control. Any mismatch can cause fire incidents inside your house.
Facts To Consider While Using Outdoor Lights Inside
If you decide to use an outdoor light inside your house, you need to consider some facts that will help to run the bulbs without any trouble.
Chemical Coatings
Some chemicals are used to protect the bulb from external reactive components. Even manufacturers give a protective chemical layer to their lights to withstand outside chemicals.
But these chemicals are not suitable for households. They can cause harm to humans and animals. Therefore, you need to know about the protective chemicals used in the outdoor bulbs you want to use.
Voltage Match
Indoor and outdoor have different voltage conditions; without a doubt, outdoor lights need more voltage to run.
So, if you want to interchange the lights, you must ensure a converter in the plug to adjust the voltage for outdoor lights inside your house. Otherwise, there will be chances for several accidents.
You can use a GFCI outlet with your outdoor lights. So that it cannot be overloaded if light consumes high power for a long time use. Also, it cannot blow fuse.
UL Rating
Every outdoor light has a UL rating that indicates the effectiveness and safety of the lights. It also certifies the quality and performance of electrical products. Therefore, checking the UL rating when you buy an outdoor light or want to use it indoors is a must.
Make sure you avoid fluorescent tube lights because of their high-temperature sensitivity.
Temperature Range
Different outdoor bulbs are designed to sustain a diverse range of temperatures. It also emits heat along with brightness.
So, you must check their emitting temperature range because it’s best to know how much your room will heat up due to the outdoor lights. You can get one that matches the ambient temperature of your room.
Safety
There are many records of incidents like an outdoor lamp on fire. It’s because they contain flammable materials. Any type of ignition source can set up a house on fire.
So, if you want to use an outdoor light inside your home, you must be aware of its safety risks. And make sure it matches the proper voltage with your household power supply.
Bottom Line
Due to seasonal changes like winter, many people consider using outdoor lights inside the house. But that’s a rough decision if you don’t know certain specifications like UL ratings, voltage, chemical coatings, etc. Otherwise, it will be a risk to interchange the lights.
Hopefully, the discussion on whether you can use outdoor lights inside has fulfilled your queries. So, learn about the discussed facts before installing the outdoor light inside. Best of luck to you!
