A guide to light bulbs – Shades at Grays

A guide to light bulbs

In the past, most light bulbs were either incandescent or fluorescent. However, in recent years, many consumers are making the switch to more environmentally friendly LED bulbs.

Light shade ring size guide.

We recommend that our shades are fitted with LED bulbs to help save earth's resources and also for safety reasons as they remain much cooler.

Our shades and lamp stands fit bulbs sized E14 – E27 and B15 – B22.

What do these figures mean?

E stands for Edison.

Standard-size E27 and small E14 are the most common screw-mount bulb sizes.

B is for Bayonet.

The bayonet light bulb mount is the standard fitting in many former members of the British Empire including New Zealand.

E27

The E27 fitting has a 27mm diameter. It is very popular and widely used in NZ, UK and Europe.

E14

An E14 bulb is one of the most used bulbs in our homes today and is the little brother of the E27 bulb that we know as the old-fashioned light bulb. The bulb is called E14 because it refers to the socket: 14 millimetre diameter. A bulb with an E14 socket always has the same base but can differ in shape.

B15 – B22

A bayonet bulb is secured in the light fixture by pushing down and twisting. The standard size is B22.

The number refers to the diameter of the base (e.g. B22 is a 22 mm diameter bayonet cap lamp). B15 is also known as a small bayonet cap.

Conversion

An E bulb fitting is slightly larger than a B-fitting. It can be converted easily in to a B-fitting with a bulb ring transformer which are commonly available.

A B-fitting cannot be made larger to fit a lamp stand which has been designed for an E-bulb.

Choosing the Correct Brightness and Wattage

The insides of our lampshades are fitted with fire retardant styrene. Modern LED bulbs put out very little heat. If traditional bulbs are being used then the maximum recommended bulb wattage depends on the size of each shade. Generally small shades are designed to have bulbs of up to 40 watts while larger shades can have higher.

The wattage tells you how much energy a lamp uses and therefore provides an idea of how much it will heat up. This is why, traditionally, lamp shades have a maximum wattage – for safety.

LED bulbs use far less energy and therefore keep much cooler. As more efficient lighting becomes common the brightness of a light globe is becoming represented as the ‘lumen output’ rather than wattage.

The table below shows the number of lumens produced by traditional incandescent bulbs. For example, if you’re looking to buy a bulb that will give you the amount of light that a 60-watt globe would produce, you should look for a bulb with 700+ lumens.

Choosing your globe colour

When choosing a bulb you have a choice between cool white and warm white.

Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin and indicates what the colour tone the light has. For example, a low colour temperature is light with a warm glow with a lot of red in it and a high colour temperature is cold light with a lot of blue in it. An old fashioned incandescent bulb has a colour temperature of 2700K, very warm white light.

1700K- 2400K

2400 - 2700K

3000K

6500K

Creates a romantic, relaxed feeling

Used in bedrooms & living rooms at home

 

Creates a warm atmosphere

Used in homes, restaurants & hotels

 

Used for both relaxation and in productive areas

Used in hallways & kitchen

 

Good for productivity and concentration

Used in industry & warehouses

 

By choosing the right bulb for your light and location you will enhance the desired mood or function for your room.

If you have any queries please don't hesitate to contact me.