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Fluorescent Light Sockets
Light bulb sockets in general. At BuyLightFixtures.com, we always want you to get the best possible quality lighting products available. We do that not only with our light fixtures but also with the accessories and parts that you need to repair existing ones. Light bulb sockets include all the different variations there are available. These are merely a way to make the connection safely to an electrical current that will supply any light sources. There are so many different ways to connect a lamp bulb, and the lamp base has everything to do with the connection. The lamp sockets are made for certain types of lighting, and all of these started somewhere when the original Edison light bulb was created. The most popular one is the E26 Edison screw base which has been used for incandescent lighting all the way up everything that you see today. It’s the easiest way to implement any new lighting because the base is so pervasive everywhere. People often refer to this as a regular household light bulb with a medium base, and that’s a general way people can talk about it. As long as you have a screw-in type of bulb that operates on 120 volts, you can put in a bulb almost anywhere. There are some things to keep it into consideration though. If you have anything that’s operating on a ballast whether the lamp screws in or not, you need to be aware that not everything is used in that socket. There is a simple common sense rule, but one that needs to be stated on occasion as some people think that when they see a standard socket, that they could screw almost anything into it. That’s not always the case.
Fluorescent bulb sockets. One of the other extensive categories of light bulb sockets is fluorescent lighting. And although there are a few that make up the majority of what’s out in the marketplace, there are many other odd sizes or different applications used for particular types of fluorescents. One of the things to keep in mind as to whether you have a medium bi-pin which is typical of any linear fluorescent. These are rated at high voltages and can work in almost any type of office lighting fixture that you see used today. Sometimes these are also called lamp holders, and that is part of their function which is keeping the actual bulb in place. It’s more than just an electrical connection; it’s a way to keep something solidly in place. This subset of light sockets also includes things like compact fluorescent which often has a two pin or 4 pin base.
Various types of fluorescent sockets. There are several different kinds of fluorescent light bulb sockets which include the standard medium bi-pin, but there are also high output light sockets and very high output sockets. These all perform a different function, and the bases on the lamps are entirely different. Most people will have the primary medium bi-pin socket which is used on everything from T12 to T8 lamps. This would be anything that you might see in an office for overhead lighting and the sockets from time to time get old and brittle and break. When that happens, that can cause some problems, and when you see that breakage, it’s best to change out the sockets at that point. There’s also the single pin socket which is used in a lot of slimline lamps particularly the eight-foot version. The sockets of that type generally have a stationary and and a spring loaded and so it’s easy to put them in by doing a simple push on one side and then setting it in. It stays in place by the tension that the spring creates.
Saving energy with LED. We get a lot of questions from people who are making a switch from fluorescent lighting to more efficient LED tube lighting. They often ask whether they need to change the sockets in the existing light fixtures. The answer to that is that it all depends but it’s probably best to replace the sockets when going to an LED light bulb. Most people need an un-shunted socket, and sometimes the existing sockets can be rewired but like most sockets they may have some age on them, and it’s probably better to buy a new socket harness which we sell that has all new sockets. There’s also a question as to whether you have a socket that is speeding power from only one and in the other side is strictly a fluorescent lamp holder keeping the lamp in place with no electrical connection. That’s another thing to be aware of if you’re going to LED, what kind of light are you using such as a single ended power feed or something that is fetid from both ends. This will tell you how you should wire any new sockets. Although the sockets themselves have no energy-saving capability, using them correctly with LED lighting will help you get to a system that’s going to save you money over time and get a good payback. Why not change the sockets when you’re replacing the lamp so that you don’t have to deal with it in the future. There’s never been a better time to take a look at saving energy with LED lighting, and if you want to know how much are going to save by installing a new set of LED lamps and sockets, you can use the energy-saving spreadsheet that we have on our website. On the left-hand column, you’ll see a link to our energy-saving spreadsheet which is a free download. All you have to do is enter the appropriate information from your current system and the new LED lighting that you would purchase from us. This would include all the equipment and the sockets, and you can see your payback and energy savings that you could receive.
Which one do you have? Sometimes people get confused as to which one may have, and it’s easy for us to determine if you could send us a picture of the one you have by email or text. We want to make sure you get the right fluorescent socket because it’s not just the electrical connection but sometimes the size can be different as well. Some are shorter, some are longer, and there are no industry standards through various manufacturers. There are some that most manufacturers follow in design such as Leviton and that’s one of the most popular ones that we carry or something that is an exact equal. There is an inexpensive item, but they can make a difference as to how well your lighting system performs. If you have new light sockets, you will get better performance and lamps coming on more predictably.
We also have HID bulb sockets. HID light bulb sockets are another subcategory of the very high voltage sockets that have to be able to withstand a very high momentary pulse of voltage to start the HID lamp. You can’t use a standard socket with those type of light bulbs. Even though they look very similar and some of the HID lamps will screw into those standard bases, the voltage pulse will ruin a standard light socket. You always see a designation for HID use and the very high rating that it has. They’re often a little more money than the standard sockets of course, but they are made for a specialized purpose for everybody safety and proper operation of HID lighting.
How can we help you today? If you are a high-volume user of this type of product, give us a call, and we can get you some special pricing that will relate to ordering these in mass quantities. We always want to make sure we get you the best price possible on these quality lighting accessory products, free shipping on larger orders too! You can either call or email us with any of the information that you have and if you have a question about what light socket you have. Once again, if you’re unsure, it’s always good to send us a picture by either email or text, and we can get you the proper answer because we’ve seen just about everything that’s on the market today.
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