Kinds of bulbs and types of socles

Buying in a store this or that lamp, we first of all should pay attention to what kind of bulbs will suit it. In the complete set with the device they are absent, therefore it is important to know those of their varieties, which are presented today on sale. The bulbs differ in shape, size, power, as well as the cap, which they are fixed in the lamp holder. Through it, an electric current flows into the lamp.

The plinths themselves are made of metal or ceramic. Inside of them there are contacts for supplying current to the working element of the lamp. Each luminaire is equipped with one or more bulbs for attaching lamps. The socles of the lamps to be purchased must conform to their shape and size. Therefore, when buying a lamp it is important to be guided by what types of bulbs and types of socles are suitable for it.

In addition, most lamps are required to be changed from time to time, since they do not have a long life. To make the best choice and not get lost in all their diversity, it is important to know what kind of lamps and types of socles generally exist. In addition to the cap, when buying a lamp, one must also take into account the lamp's consumed power, voltage, its dimensions and the connection diagram to the chandelier.

What are the types of socles

There is a large variety of types of lamp caps, which are now used in certain areas. In this regard, there is their classification, according to which all types can be divided into several groups. In everyday life, we often encounter only two of them: threaded and pins. Let us consider in detail each of these two types.

Screwed cap

It is customary to consider a threaded base or, in another way, a screw base. It is marked with the Latin letter E. This type of socle is widely used in many types of lamps, including most household lamps. After the letter must necessarily go the number, which means the diameter of the threaded connection. Household bulbs use two sizes of threaded connection - E14 and E27.For more powerful lamps, for example, street lighting there are socle E40.

Threaded cap type we are accustomed to seeing in almost all home lighting fixtures. Most modern lamps are equipped with just such a connection design. It is considered the most convenient for general consumption. The dimensions of the threaded connection for the lamps have not changed for several decades, so even a modern LED light bulb that you have purchased today may well be screwed into an old rare chandelier of the 30s and 40s of the last century. This is very important for those who are fond of reviving old things.

In the USA and Canada, the sizes of the socles do not match the European ones. This is due to the fact that there is a voltage in the network of 110 V. Therefore, in order to avoid accidental screwing of European light bulbs, they have a diameter of E12, E17, E26 and E39.

Pin header

This is also quite popular base, which is successfully used in various types of lamps. It represents two metal pins that play simultaneously the role of electrical contacts. The bulb is held in the socket by these pins, since they are inserted into the cartridge sufficiently tightly. The pins may be different in diameter and distance between them. Hence the marking with the letter G, which means that it is a pin base, and the number after it determines the gap between the two pins. For example, socles G4, G9 or G13.

This type of socle is found in almost all types of lamps: incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, LED.

In addition to the traditional ones listed above, there are a few more rare types of socles that are less popular, but, nevertheless, are used in some types of lamps.

• Plinths with recessed contact( R).They are used, mainly, in devices with a high intensity of operation, which are powered by alternating current.
• The pin socket( B) makes it possible to replace the bulb in the chuck as conveniently and quickly as possible due to the fact that their side contacts are asymmetrical. In fact, this is an improved analogue of the screw-type cap.
• Single-pin( F), which come in three different subspecies: cylindrical, with a grooved surface and a special shape.
• Sofitic sockets( S) are used in luminaires of various hotels and car lighting fixtures. They are distinguished by a kind of bilateral symmetrical arrangement of contacts.
• Fixing( P) socles are used in special powerful searchlights and lanterns.
• Telephone( T) socles are equipped with bulbs for various control panels, one or another illumination, warning lamps, mounted in the control panels.

Often, available on the base, the marking of the lamp consists of several letters. The second letter most often means a subspecies of this lighting device:

• V - a plinth with a conical end.
• U - energy-saving luminescent.
• A is a car light bulb.

household lamps Types of lighting bulbs

We will talk about the most common lamps that we usually use at home, in offices and in various production areas. You can refer to them incandescent, energy-saving, halogen, fluorescent and LED.Let us examine each of these species in more detail.

Usual incandescent lamp

Probably, this is the most common lamp, despite the fact that its age is more than 150 years, and for the last 100 years it practically has not undergone significant changes, we use it up to now. The thing is that its production is very cheap, and the design is simple. It is a flask without air, in which a tungsten filament is placed. Under the influence of electric current it is heated to high temperatures and emits light. Modern incandescent lamps with a tungsten filament have one feature: at room temperature, the resistance in the tungsten filament is very low, about 15 times lower than the working one, which increases the risk of its burning out when passing a stronger current at the moment of switching on. In the first lamps, graphite filaments were used, whose resistance decreased on the contrary with increasing temperature. This gave the effect of a gradual increase in brightness. At the same time, graphite threads developed their resource more quickly.

According to its technical characteristics, incandescent lamps are much inferior to other types of lamps. The service life of a conventional light bulb is about 1000 hours. It is noteworthy that in the fire department of the small town of Livermore, in California, there is a light bulb that has been burning continuously since 1901. This, of course, is an exception to the rules. In addition to a short service life, incandescent bulbs become turbid with time due to the formation of vapors in the bulb. This greatly reduces their luminosity. The incandescent lamps shine with yellow light, which is close to the spectral characteristics of sunlight. Almost all incandescent lamps are produced with E14 and E27 socles. The exception is small bulbs, which a couple of decades ago screwed into flashlights and fur-tree garlands. Today it is already difficult to find a cartridge for such bulbs.

Among the lamps of this type there are special reflector lamps. Their distinctive feature is the silvered inner surface of the flask. Such devices are used to create a beam of directional light, when it is necessary to illuminate an object. On the shelves of the shops there are reflex lamps, which have the markings R50, R63 and R80, where the number is the diameter of the lamp. As for the socle, it is the same as for simple incandescent lamps. Some light bulbs have frosted glass to produce more scattered light. There are also multi-colored lamps used to create various light effects.

Halogen bulb

This light bulb can last about four times longer than a conventional incandescent lamp. Manufacturers claim that its lifetime can be about 4000 hours, and the so-called color rendering index is 100%.By its design, this lamp is not much different from the usual one, but a pair of substances such as iodine or bromine are added to the flask. This greatly increases light output and service life. Modern halogen lamps have a light output of 20-30 lm / watt, which persists for the intended service life and is not lost with time, as with a conventional incandescent bulb.

Most often halogen lamps are much smaller than usual in size. They have many different forms, and the socles are: G9, G4, R7S, GU10.There are even lamps with halogen built into the bulb of a regular light bulb with E27 socket.

One disadvantage of halogen lamps is low-frequency noise when used in conjunction with dimmers that regulate luminosity. The widest application of this type of lamp found in the automotive industry. Modern headlights of cars are fitted with halogen lamps.

Fluorescent Tube Lamps

These light sources have a characteristic elongated shape in the form of a tube of various lengths and diameters. The latter is indicated by the letter T on the marking. For example, T12( diameter 12/8 inches = 3.8 cm).For such lamps, special lamps with a trigger device are required. It is required to create an electromagnetic field inside the bulb, which can cause the luminescent to glow under the influence of mercury vapor. In such lamps there are no incandescent parts, which at times increases their efficiency and efficiency, as the need for heating up the substance disappears and almost all the energy is converted into a light flux. The plinths of this type of lamp are most often pins and are located on both sides of the bulb.

Energy-saving lamp types

This term is used for small fluorescent lamps. Today they have gained high popularity, since they are able to cut energy costs very significantly. They are sold in any stores, and install them in a regular threaded cartridge is not a problem, because they are equipped with the same socles.

Thanks to modern technological developments, energy-saving light bulbs have very compact dimensions, various power variations, a wide variety of shapes, but definitely a long service life and extraordinary efficiency. However, it must be remembered that such lighting devices "do not like" too frequent switching on and off, and, like all fluorescent lamps, require special disposal conditions, since the mercury vapor contained in them is very dangerous for humans and the environment. Today there are energy saving lamps with any type of socle: E14, E27, GU10, G9, GU5.3, G4, GU4.

LED lamps

They can also be called "energy-saving", but this is not their main advantage. With significant energy savings, they have a truly huge lifespan, which can amount to tens of thousands of hours and years. From 25 000 to 100 000 hours the LED lamp will serve, which equals 3-12 years of continuous operation. In addition, their light output is almost 100%.LEDs do not use heat, so these lamps are completely safe in the fire sense. Most LED lamps are equipped with standard socles, which allows them to be used in any luminaires. They are completely environmentally friendly, as they do not contain any harmful substances.

Of the disadvantages, it should be noted only a very high cost. This, of course, is compensated by a very long period of operation. To buy the same cheap LED lamps is not recommended, because by saving on the capacitors they shine with an invisible flicker, which in a hidden form affects the eyesight. Another disadvantage is the radiation spectrum shifted towards the blue color, which does not correspond to natural sunlight. LEDs shine with a rather cold unnatural light.

Using energy-saving lighting sources can save a lot on electricity. At the same time, when buying them, you should be careful about choosing a manufacturer and buying only known models, since otherwise many advantages become less obvious.