I have recessed lighting in my kitchen. I've always used 65W, 120V (BR40) GE bulbs. Here over the last few months, I haven't been able to find any replacements for these bulbs that are the same size and wattage. The ones I do find are 85W. I guess companies have stopped making that specific bulb.

I looked at the sockets and the say 660W/250V on the backplate of the socket. Could I use an 85W LED bulb in that fixture?

I've run out of my replacements and I'm already down 1 light in the kitchen

Yes, pretty much any BR40 LED equivalent bulb will work in that can. The 65W specification in primarily based on the heat output of a 65W incandescent bulb, so if you are going LED, you can go even brighter if desired. They do make 65W equivalent BR40 LED's.

From a brand standpoint, I would recommend either Philips, Feit, or Ecosmart (Home Depot's private label brand). In my experience, GE's LED bulbs have gotten wildly inconsistent these past few years. Lowe's, Walmart, and Target all primarily carry GE.

Also, keep in mind that if the lights are controller by a dimmer, there is a good chance that the dimmer will not be LED compatible and will need to be replaced.

I would definitely go with LED. I replaced most of ours with the CREE LED bulbs, but went with the Philips HUE bulbs upstairs so I can dim them and selectively turn them on/off

I think you need face-face help on this.
Home Depot would be better than Lowes but a real lighting center could worth a one-time trip with an old bulb/lamp in hand.

You are asking a lighting pro for a full set of LED lamps + backups (to save a trip if one/more fails) to

• match the K-color of what you have now
• produce the same amount of lumens/lamp
• compatible with the voltage supplied (usually 110-120v)
• if current lamps are on a dimmer, they need to know this
• a photo of the current lamp in fixture will help if any new odd sizes are considered

660W 250V is very common for light bulb sockets. '660 watts' and '250 volts' are its maximum ratings, however it does NOT mean that it dictates the recommended or allowed size light bulb. You can use whatever type and wattage of bulb suits your preference, as no standard household bulb will get close to those limits.

Keep in mind that in many cases a socket will be rated for a high wattage but be part of a light fixture that is rated for a lower wattage. If they are the kind of light fixtures that are basically just an open ceramic socket, they shouldn't be limited to a low wattage. If they are enclosed fixtures, a good rule is to stick to 65W or less per socket. In most cases, the fixture will have a sticker indicating the max wattage of the bulb allowed; however, these tend to fall off over time.

Thanks to our gov't, the phase out of standard (non-LED) BR40 in 2012. They are no longer manufactured in the US; however, you can still find some occasionally on Amazon and Ebay. As everyone has recommended, it's best to switch to an LED equivalent now. When I switched to LEDs, I got a few to try out and returned the ones I didn't like. Good Luck!