Fixture wattage rating

[nizak]

I have a recessed housing and trim ( same brand) that is giving a maximum wattage rating and lamp type. It does not differentiate between LED , Halogen, or Incandescent .

90 watt Par 38 is what’s listed.


Does that rating pertain to the amount of wattage that can safely be carried through the socket?

Can an LED lamp that produces more lumens than a 90watt Par 38 incandescent for instance be used as long as the consumption does not exceed 90 watts?

Thanks

 

[GoldDigger]

The maximum lamp size rating is based on several factors.
One of them is the temperature and heat carrying capacity of the socket, even though for most lamps conduction through the socket is not the major heat rejection path.
Another is the ventilation and air flow around the lamp and through the fixture.
Normally the electrical capacity of the socket is not an issue.
For a recessed housing the air flow will be restricted by a large PAR lamp shell compared to an A type lamp, but less visible and IR output from the lamp will hit the inside of the fixture.
Bottom line, the fixture itself can certainly handle an LED lamp of the same light output as the 90 watt PAR. But depending on the details of the particular LED lamp the fixture may not be able to keep that wattage or a larger LED lamp at the far lower ambient temperature it can withstand.
Particularly if the fixture has any sort of a lens or other cover over the opening.