How do three way lamps work

Once the bulb is screwed into the base, one turn of the switch will illuminate just the low-brightness filament usually a 30 or 50W filament.

The second turn will switch on just the 70W or the W element. When turning the switch a third time, both elements will work together to provide the brightest wattage of or depending on the bulb you bought. All electrical switches work by connecting the circuit to the load and then disconnecting it again.

When you turn the switch the first time on a 3 way bulb, the switch connects to a tab on the outer ring contact, which is the lower wattage part of the bulb. The light bulb then creates the low setting brightness output. When you turn the switch a second time, it disconnects power from that electrical contact and connects to the center contact which is the higher wattage element creating a medium brightness output.

When you turn the switch one more time, it connects power to both elements at the same time, which allows the bulb to create a high brightness output since both filaments are powered at the same time. Finally, when you turn the switch one last time, power is disconnected from all sources and the light goes out.

Three-way lamps are simple household or ceiling lamps that use sockets compatible with 3-way bulbs instead of standard 1-way bulbs. They can be table lamps or very common floor lamps like the examples you see here. A 3-way lamp is a lamp that has a socket and switch designed for 3 way light bulbs not to be confused with 3-level brightness touch lamps. Most common sized lamps will take a standard E26, A19, or A21 3 way light bulb.

Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. The next time you return home from the flea market with a lamp under your arm, here's how to tell whether or not its socket can take a three-way bulb. More From Bob Vila.

Creative Outlets: 5 "Energy Smart" Options. Published on November 19th, by Peter Young. Not only will they give you more control over the level of light in a given room, if used properly, they should save you money on your monthly electric bill.

So what is a 3-way light bulb? A 3-way light bulb is a bulb capable of producing three different levels of light. So how exactly do these bulbs work? Traditional 3-way bulbs have two different filaments that will produce light at increasing levels of illumination more light which correspond to increasing amounts of power used as noted in the picture above. Nowadays there are very efficient 3-way LED bulbs , and the innards are different, but the results are basically the same.

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