Originally Posted by
Efrem
Correct; the above posts do the math. However, if you put a 120v bulb on a 240v line, it will burn out in less time than it takes to read this sentence. You'll get a lot of light out of it while it lasts, though.
That said, the original question postulated European (hence 230v) bulbs. That raises other issues, but not this one.
Originally Posted by
ilgoldstein
Yes, a proper bulb changes the entire equation. I assume the switch could handle the extra voltage, but I would check that. Of course, a local hardware store could easily answer all the questions, but that would be too easy and deprive us of an interesting exercise.
I wonder if the lamp would be CE approved?
I somehow missed the part about using 220V bulb. Higher voltage is of no consequence. It's the current that matters. Since 110V bulbs have lower resistance and hence carry higher current than 220V bulbs, the wiring in the U.S. appliances is designed for higher current. Using a US made lamp in Europe wouldn't have any overloading issues if a local bulb is used. The only issues the OP would have is making a local bulb fit in the bulb receptacle and the plug fit in the wall socket.