Which's guide to lamps!

[vera121]

The consumer association Which's guide to lamp bases?
http://www.which.co.uk/energy/energ.../five-tips-for-choosing-the-right-light-bulb/

 

[ericmark]

Seems a little off
BA = Bayonet cap then we get the diameter in mm for example 22 and then the pins for example D for double so should be BA22d for first one.
Second one as first but one contact so BA15s
Third god knows what that is?
Fourth again the E = Edison screw so a E14 and an E27 looks the same just the diameter changes.
GU10 that's near enough
MR16 refers the fact it is 2 inches and has a multi faceted reflector and has nothing to do with base, it can have a E27, E14, GU10 or G5.3 base.

 

[eveares]

Missing G9, 2D, DD, G4, GX53, tubes; amongst other lamp bases commonly found in the British home.

 

[JohnW2]

The consumer association Which's guide to lamp bases?
http://www.which.co.uk/energy/energ.../five-tips-for-choosing-the-right-light-bulb/....

No-one ever seems to get it totally right "MR16" refers to a lamp/bulb with a multifaceted reflector ("MR") of diameter 2 inches ("16" is the diameter in eighths of an inch). Whilst many MR16 lamps/bulbs (particularly those designed for extra-low-voltage, usually 12V, operation) do have the sort of base/fitting (probably GU5.3) shown in the Which? diagram, there is nothing about "MR16" that says that they have to, and some (particularly those designed for mains voltage operation) will have other bases/fittings, such as the GU10 shown in the diagram.

As has been mentioned, some of the other drawings of lamb/bulbbases in the Which? diagram are rather bizarre, and probably more likely to confuse than help someone who needed to consult such a source!

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

Exactly what you would expect from Which? - the magazine for people who can't.

 

[JohnW2]

Exactly what you would expect from Which? - the magazine for people who can't.

True, but rather sad.

Kind Regards, John

 

[vera121]

I think the E14 lamp representation is the best.

 

[JohnW2]

I think the E14 lamp representation is the best.

It's probably the one which is least like the real thing - but, as has been said, the "B15" one is also very confusing/misleading.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

I think the costing is also out, I have looked at lamps with integrated control gear in both CFL and LED and there is very little between the two. I looked at Osram web pages for outputs from CFL and got 58 to 70 lumen per watt it would seem the larger the lamp the better the lumen per watt and it is the same for LED lamps 60 to 86 lumen per watt there are larger and more expensive units which can go higher low pressure sodium vapour 100 ~ 197 lumen per watt but who wants one of them in their house. So in real terms there is little between a new CFL and LED lamp. I do think the CFL tends to degrade quicker than the LED but unless you select a single lamp and compare to another single lamp it is really impossible to show how much money is saved.

Their picture

is to be fair not far out, it does show how as one goes up in size the LED and fluorescent get closer. I have never used a 25W incandescent bulb to light a room these were only used to light pathways and the like so start at 60W and the LED at 10W is starting to get expensive. The problem with most of the so called energy saving lamps is to get good results one has to change how the lamps are used.

When I changed to energy saving I also renewed my light fittings and now have 10 lamps in new fittings all E14 instead of the original 2 lamps BA22d. So moved from 2600 lumen to 2200 lumen but the cost of bulbs and fittings specially since first Philips bulbs were useless I am looking at over £200 at 65 I can not expect to use them for more than 30 years so they need to save £7 per year without needing any more replacements just to break even. And that is not including the cost of extra gas to heat the house now we get very little heat from the lights.

What all the tables and charts don't show is the cost of going out to get the replacement bulbs or the cost to store all the old style bulbs which she bought in case one can no longer get them in the future.

 

[eveares]

mm for example 22 and then the pins for example D for double so should be BA22d for first one.

Never seen denotion for the amount of pins or the the lamp base has, although makes sense.

MR16 refers the fact it is 2 inches and has a multi faceted reflector and has nothing to do with base

That may be, but one tends to think of the GU5.3 base when the term "MR16" is used and is likely why Which worded it "MR16" rather than "GU5.3". Also most bulbs MR16 type bulbs consumers will buy for the home will be the GU5.3 base type, and thus so the term GU5.3 is omitted for simplicity reasons.

I think the E14 lamp representation is the best.

Can't think of a tapered base of the top of my head - if there even is one that is.

but, as has been said, the "B15" one is also very confusing/misleading.

Why not just call it Small Bayonet Cap / SBC?

 

[PBC_1966]

the E = Emerson screw

Edison Screw.

 

[JohnW2]

That may be, but one tends to think of the GU5.3 base when the term "MR16" is used and is likely why Which worded it "MR16" rather than "GU5.3". Also most bulbs MR16 type bulbs consumers will buy for the home will be the GU5.3 base type, and thus so the term GU5.3 is omitted for simplicity reasons.

As I wrote in my original post, most MR16s (at least, ELV ones) will have GU5.3 bases, but what you call 'simplicity' would probaly be better termed 'misleading' in the cases which deviate from that 'common' pattern.

but, as has been said, the "B15" one is also very confusing/misleading.

Why not just call it Small Bayonet Cap / SBC?

Indeed - but the confusion created by that diagram is that (unlike the BC/B22) it has only one end contact shown, so those who do not know might well wonder what on earth it is!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

I must admit years ago I used miniature Edison screw (MES) small Edison screw (SES) Edison screw (ES) and large Edison screw (LES) and to call SES E14 or ES E27 went against the grain. However I am told the USA did not go metric so today SES and E14 are no longer the same although close enough to fit.

I got use to using BAY15d, BA15d, and BA15s (all classed as SBC) as far easier than remembering the part numbers which would also include things like coloured glass when in the motor industry and the same caps are used with mains lamps. Today car bulbs are as bad as house bulbs with 85 volt head lamp bulbs becoming common.

As to MR16, Ballast, Driver, and Low Voltage using the words to describe other than what they originally referred to is bound to cause problems. I have E27, E14, GU10, GZ10, and G5.3 bulbs which are all classed as MR16 compatible, i.e. 2 inch diameter although very few have the multi-faceted reflector, I have electronic ballast units which can't be used with LED lamps, I still cringe when some one calls a constant voltage power supply a driver, and sticking a lamp marked low voltage in a 230 volt supply should not be a problem.

 

[Iggifer]

This is american, and even it's better

 

[ericmark]

the E = Emerson screw

Edison Screw.

Sorry corrected darned spell checker again missed it. I also called it GU5.3 instead of G5.3.