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You Should Know Something About 3-way Light Bulbs


3 way light bulbs can offer 3 different levels of brightness---white light, warm white light, and warm light. They have a second electrical contact that can power the second filament to provide more lighting options with the same bulb, it's an extension of the standard single-filament bulb.

They offer three instead of only one level of light to choose from. However, using 3 way bulbs need matching sockets. It must be used together with a 3-way socket to emit 3 light levels. If you put it in an ordinary socket, it will only emit a single level of light.




How do 3-way light bulbs work?

E26 base 3-way bulbs and sockets work by first supply power to low-wattage elements or filaments (30W or 50W or 100W element). Then it will send power to the medium power element or filament (70W or 100W or 200W element), and finally to both at the same time. You may notice that the third number is the sum of the other two numbers added together.

Standard 1-way bulbs work by simply using a single on or off setting and one filament, 3-way bulbs offer 3 brightness settings and 3 power wattage options. 3-way bulbs have the same screw-in base just like standard bulbs.

Once the bulb is screwed into the base, the first turn of the switch will illuminate the low-brightness filament (usually a 30 or 50W filament). The second turn will switch on the 70W or the 100W element. When turning the switch a third time, both elements will work together to provide the brightest wattage.






Where should I use a 3-way light bulb？

It is recommended to use three street lights in areas where people tend to spend a fair amount of time doing a variety of activities, such as the living room or bedroom. We can adjust the brightness according to different needs, for example, we can turn the light to a lower level when we are watching TV in the living room, but when we are reading doing a task that requires viewing it clearly, we need to turn the light to a higher level to protect our eyes.


Why did my 3-way bulbs stop working?

If you have a bulb in a 3-way socket that's going off-on-on-off, one of 3 things is happening:
The bulb may be a standard bulb rather than a three-way bulb.
The lower-wattage element in the three-way bulb may have burned out.
The contact for the lower-wattage element may be defective.