Three way light bulbs have been used thoughout the years for many home lighting applications. The need for three-way bulbs started when people would need different levels of light at different times or for different tasks--but in the same location. It sure makes more sense than having two or more floor lamps or table lamps in the same room.
The most popular style of 3-way light bulb is called 50/150. This designation simply tells us the minimum and maximum wattage of the bulb. In effect, it also tells us the middle wattage as well, which will make sense later in this article. Besides the 50/150, there are 15/150, 30/100, 100/300, and more. In each case, make sure the maximum wattage you use does not exceed the largest wattage allowed in your light fixture.
In addition to choosing your wattage, you can select from Sylvania Daylight, soft white, clear, or frosted varieties of 3 way bulbs. You can also, in some cases, choose the base size. There are select models available in both a medium and mogul base. A medium base may be referred to as an Edison base or an E26 base. The mogul may be referred to as an E39 base. It is important to select the color shading and base size that will satisfy your lighting needs the most.
While Sylvania lighting offers the largest selection of three-way bulbs, Westinghouse, GE, Satco, and more also offer models on our website. If fact, you can even find sockets and switches for three way lighting.
Make sure to check out all of the compact fluorescent 3-way options that we have. TCP lighting, Sylvania, and Westinghouse offer bulbs in energy saving models. In fact, TCP offers a complete floor lamp fixture in a three way model. This torchiere uses 30/36/65 watts but produces light levels equivalent to 120/150/250 watts. It's available in black or white finish and it will save you a lot of money on your electricity bill. It also replaces unsafe halogen models that may start a fire if used improperly.
So, how do three-way lights work? Incandescent three way bulbs have two filaments. The smaller filament is rated at the lowest wattage the bulb produces. On the lowest setting, this is the only filament that receives electricity. On the medium setting, the other filmanet receives the energy, producing the middle-range light output. When the third setting is activaed, both filaments are energized and the bulb produces the top value of wattage and light output.
Thanks for visting us! I hope we've helped you understand a bit more about 3 way bulbs. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to let us know!
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