This is the most common light bulb base that you can buy and is used in HID, CFL, CCFL, halogen, and incandescent light bulbs. That usually is listed somewhere on the bulb as well as on the packaging. So we had to just buy multiple bulbs to see which ones would fit. If you see a metallic base with screw threads, approximately 1 inch in diameter, you most likely have an E26 bulb. Blogger, editor, developer who loves green living. For LEDs, the PAR designation is used for defining the shape since most of the LEDs lack any have a reflective lower surface. For bulbs powered by AC current, the thread is generally connected to neutral and the contact on the bottom tip of the base is connected to the "live" phase. E27 Medium A little larger than the common E26 medium base, this bulb base can still be used in most applications. For example, there are many different bulbs that are the same shape and even have similar looking bases, but those bases might be different sizes. These bulbs come in various beam angles and they are widely used in spotlights and flood lights. The first letter designates the shape or form of the base, and the number represents the width of the base (normally in millimeters). 243 Stafford St. Worcester, MA 01603. But how can I tell if the bulb I am holding in my hand is an E-10, E-27, E-40? As for the diameter and length, the categorization is a lot more simple. Screw in bulbs use a base called an Edison Screw or ES base. The second letter designates the number of pins or contacts on the lamp. You might also hear them referred to as Edison base light bulbs. Light bulb bases and sockets are normally defined by a letter-number-letter format, with the last letter optional. There are several types of screw bases. Your lamp or fixture’s socket will dictate which cap or base a light bulb needs in order to fit, but there are a number of different base types and sizes to choose from, and it’s not always easy to determine which type is right for your fixture. Why is it good to know this? In an incandescent or halogen screw base light bulb, two contact wires link the filament to the base where the electrical voltage is connected to the bulb. It’s the traditional A-type bulb. Find the light bulb base type you’re looking for with this visual chart- detailed illustrations of general bases, fluorescent bases and specialty halogen base types. Light Bulb Bases. Pin Type bases are normally used for track lighting & landscape bulbs. E39 bulbs are primarily used in North America while E40 bulbs are popular in Europe. It is found on smaller light bulb shapes such as S11, R12, and T6 light bulbs. Keep up the good work. Different LED bulb shapes. Bulbs.com. Most of the light bulbs that you buy in stores or online are going to have this kind of base. Light bulbs are identified by the diameter, length, shape, and screw type. Source – http://www.bulbs.com. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. A normal household light bulb is on average a 60 watt light bulb. Light bulbs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are generally categorized by their bases (the part that screws into a light socket). E26 bulbs are primarily used in North America while E27 bulbs are most... Common bulbs with E26/E27 bases:. Filament configurations such as the C13D (coiled, zig-zagged) emit far more light perpendicular to the zig-zag than parallel to it. Simply because the next time you will go to purchase a new light bulb for your fixture, you will know what you are looking for. C7 bulbs have E12 Candelabra bases while C9 bulbs have E17 Intermediate bases. From top left to bottom right: B10 LED bulbs in wall sconce, CA10 LED bulbs in chandelier, C9 LED bulbs in Christmas light strings, C7 LED bulb in night light. The most familiar is the Edison screw base found on most incandescent bulbs and many halogen, compact fluorescent, HID and now LED bulbs. The most common bulb base in the US is the screw medium E26 base. A-19 and A-21 light bulbs, which are most 60 watt and 75 watt light bulbs respectively, are two common examples of "A" bulbs. You might also hear them referred to as Edison base light bulbs. Light bulb bases and sockets are normally defined by a letter-number-letter format, with the last letter optional. The cap or base of a light bulb joins the bulb to the lamp socket in order to provide an electrical connection. The main shape designations of light bulbs are: Light bulb shapes. Tel. This article will briefly cover each category and provide you some useful information so that you actually know which type of bulb you need for different situations and fixtures. Bulbs with this shape have a bulged base that attenuates to a rounded tip. In its root meaning, though, this is what it is: an object shaped like a flower bulb which produces light. Look at your fixture to determine its base type. In North America and Europe, these light bulb base types are the most common and widely used. This post covers screw bases. The letter indicates the shape of the bulb but the number following it is the diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch. Most common light bulb uses, including lamps, recessed flush mount flood lights are going to have one of the first three base types shown above. Wow. Often they are referred to with a letter-number designation that starts with an "E" followed by the number of millimeters in diameter of the base. They’re also found in ceiling fan light fixtures. This is done in the form of letter followed by a number. Thank you SO much for your detailed explanation WITH PICTURES! However, the standard bulb sizes are A19 and A60. The number refers to the diameter of the base in millimeters. Most standard screw-base light bulbs—such as the GE 60 watt incandescent light bulb—are "A" bulbs. However, bulbs have been evolved significantly and now you have them in numerous categories divided by shapes, sizes and base types. When thinking about the image of a typical bulb, most of the people picture that one sort of bulb many of us have been using all our childhood. Our bulbs can be no longer than 3.25 inches in order to cant them sideways and then insert the bulb base into the receptacle to begin screwing down and into the receptacle. Of course, such a variety of shapes and sizes can be not only overwhelming but even confusing, yet, the principles of how light bulbs are divided are, in fact, very logical and you will get the whole picture once you learn about all the possible types. The first letter designates the shape or form of the base, the numbers represent either the width of the base or the distance between the pins. Candle-flame-shaped bulbs: C7, C9, CA10, B10. So a bulb with an E26 base is 26 millimeters. Most CFL and LED replacements for incandescent lights will use the "E" base. B and C-shaped bulbs. The common terms are medium, intermediate, candelabra and mogul. Screw bases are the most common light bulb base. The mogul pre-focused (MPF) base is similar to the screw base in that it connects the filament to the base with two soldered … the principles of how light bulbs are divided are, in fact, very logical. B-shaped bulbs are also known as Candelabra bulbs. Pin bases are mainly used in linear fluorescents, plug-in compact fluorescent bulbs, MR16s, and a few types of HID light bulbs. ER – Extended reflector light bulb shape; K -Krypton or narrow reflector light bulb shape; PS – Elongated standard incandescent bulb. What are Light Dimmers and Which Type of Light Bulbs are Dimmable? You can most instantly recognize an E26 bulb by looking at the bottom, or non-light emitting side of the bulb. Since light bulbs have different base types, if you know the base of the bulb you are looking for, we can omit the bulbs that do not have that base type. Let’s learn more about lamp bases, which come in all shapes and sizes. Screw-in bases, also known as Edison bases and light bulb sockets are used through out the world. The second letter designates the number of pins or contacts on the lamp. There are four commonly used thread size groups for lamps: Candelabra: E12 North America, E11 in Europe. Samantha is a copywriter/blogger at Super Bright LEDs, Inc. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor's in journalism and currently lives in St. Louis with her husband. A-shaped bulbs: A19, A15, A21 BR (bulged reflector… Simply take your current incandescent watts and select the corresponding LED bulb equivalent on the lumens brightness scale. Interested in photovoltaics and solar lighting. Screw-base bulbs, often called Edison bulbs, are named after their inventor—Thomas Edison. It refers to 26 millimeters (which is 1 inch). My wife and I have installed new outdoor ceiling fans which require special candelabra bulbs. It’s most likely E26 which is the most common base. household), namely:eval(ez_write_tag([[970,250],'ledwatcher_com-box-4','ezslot_1',129,'0','0'])); A-shaped bulbs. Like candelabra bulbs with E12 bases, bulbs with E17 bases are used for decorative applications, such as chandeliers, wall sconces, Christmas lights, restaurant pendant lights, ornamental lights, and sign or marquee lights. What is Full Spectrum Lighting and What are its Advantages. Required fields are marked *. From Wikipedia on the Edison Screw Base: "The Edison screw fitting is a system of screw mounts used for light bulbs, developed by Thomas Edison and licensed starting in 1909 under the Mazda … Specialty Christmas Bulbs. It is used in most incandescent, nostalgic, LED, CFL and halogen light bulbs. The main diameter classifications are: As for the length, the bulbs are divided into S (short) and L (long) categories but not always you will see the length indicator mentioned in the product description. 1 (888) 455-2800 Fax 1.508.363.2900. www.bulbs.com A further explanation of the light bulb base sizes, you can look at the letter-number references (E12, E17, and E26) to help understand a bulbs base style and size. Thank you again SO much for writing such a great and in-depth article! The letter E before a number indicates it’s an Edison bulb. The A means Arbitrary Shape and the 19 means … Light Bulb Shapes Types Sizes – Identification Guides and Charts Read More » Tags: cfl bulbshalogen bulbshid lampshigh pressure sodium vapor lampsled bulbsmetal halide lamps. The principle of pin base bulbs differs significantly from screw base lamps. A – Standard household incandescent light bulb shape. The bulbs have right-hand threaded metal bases (caps) which screw into matching threaded sockets (lamp holders). The Edison screw fitting is a system of screw mounts used for light bulbs developed by Thomas Edison in 1909. Is an E26 bulb the standard base size? All of the bulbs in these groups resemble the shape of a candle flame and are often referred to as candle bulbs. An E26 bulb, therefore, is any bulb or lamp that utilizes the E26 cap or base for mounting and electrical contact. Unlike in the case of the light bulb shapes, the number in the light bulb base indicates the light bulb base diameter in millimeters, for instance, the candelabra E12 has a diameter of 12 millimeters. The intermediate E17 base is not very common. PAR-shaped bulbs. LEDwatcher © 2015 - 2021. None of them have any base designation on box or bulb. Electrical current then can pass through the pins and flow into the light bulb to excite the filament and produce light. 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