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Five simple steps to indenfity your Light Bulb
Five simple steps to indenfity your Light Bulb
If you’ve ever been to buy a lightbulb, you’ll have probably faced an overwhelming display of bulbs in all different shapes and sizes. In store we are usually able to quickly find the exact replacement for you, although when your shopping online it can be like a never-ending maze of options, shapes, styles, bases and wattages. Here at LiteLec we’re going to help you navigate the world of light bulbs to find exactly what you’re looking for. In this guide we’ll show you step by step how to identify your bulb.
1. Know your base
The most common and recognisable bases are Edison Screw (E27) and Bayonet Cap (B22). Bayonet cap, sometimes know as push and twist, is the most common base type found in the UK as most ceiling pendants have a Bayonet lamp holder. Edison Screw is the traditional screw type for a lightbulb, it’s most common in the USA, but is also used in abundance in floor and table lights. After that you’ve got, Small Bayonet Cap (B15) and Small Edison Screw (E14), smaller versions of the bases we’ve previously mentioned, which again used for table and floor lights but most commonly found in chandeliers. GU10 and MR16 are reflectors found in downlight fittings in kitchens, bathrooms and commercial environments. Capsules bases come in two main styles G4 and G9, they’re found in decorative light fittings. Using our tool below you should be able to identify your base and shop from there.
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2. Wattage
Traditional light fittings have a maximum wattage, so when buying halogen or incandescent bulbs you’ll have to check the wattage of your bulb. Although, with the introduction of LED’s which have such a low wattage its rare you’ll exceed the maximum. LED bulbs should say what the equivalent in incandescent wattage is on the box, although if they don’t here’s a helpful guide.
2-3w LED = 25-30w Incandescent
4-6w LED = 40-60w Incandescent
8-10w LED = 60-100w Incandescent
10-13w LED = 100-150w Incandescent
3. Shape Breakdown
Lightbulb shapes are fairly simple. You have the traditional light bulb shape is known as GLS, most commonly found in a ceiling pendants. Candles, which resemble a candles flame, are used for decorative purposed in chandelier style fittings. Reflectors which are found in spotlights and downlight, in kitchens and bathrooms. Mini-Globes or Golf balls are small round light bulbs found in outdoor festoon lights and table or floor lamps. Theres also capsules which are found in fridges, decorative light fittings and ovens. Using the image below you should be able to identify your bulbs shape. Don’t worry if we haven’t mentioned your bulb, feel free to get in touch and just like in store we’ll do our best to find your bulb.
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4. Colour Temperature
Light bulbs often come in different colour temperatures for different settings and environments. They’re measured along the Kelvin scale and so they’ll often have a temperature followed by a K for example, 3000k. You may have heard the names of different colour temperatures mentioned like; Warm White, Cool White and Daylight. Warm white is the traditional light bulb colour and the most popular temperature, they usually have a range of 2500-3500k. Daylight and Cool White Bulbs are designed for settings which require a brighter light like kitchens and bathrooms, they usually range between 4000-6500k. You can see a better example of the ranges on the Kelvin scale below.
5. Is it dimmable?
If your lightbulb is on a dimmer switch or touch dimmer you should make sure the bulb you’re buying is dimmable. While all Incandescent and Halogen bulbs are dimmable, LED’s have to be specially designed for dimming, this is one of the most common mistakes we see our customers make which is why we always check if they’re dimming. The description or box should say whether the bulb is dimmable or they may make use of the dimmable and non dimmable symbols below. If you want any more advice on dimming check out our other blog:
Hopefully this guide has helped you find what you’re looking for. While we try to put as many of our bulbs on our website as we can, there may be a few obscure or less common bulbs we miss. If you can’t find your bulb on our website its worth getting in touch as we’ve got a collection built up over the 35 years we’ve had in the lighting business.
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