3 way bulb socket (floor lamps) vs ordinary socket

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A 3-way bulb has two filaments, one brighter than the other. You cnanswitch on dim, bright, or bright+dim. The socket has an additional contact compatible with the additional contact on the 3-way bulb.

Reply to
Richard Henry
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The 3-way bulb has two base contacts -- one in the center like a regular bulb, and one is a ring around the edge. The socket has a matching contact in the center and one that's off center. You can screw an ordinary 1-filament bulb into a 3-way socket and it'll work fine except that it'll be on-on-off-off instead of dim-medium-bright-off.

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Tim Wescott
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Reply to
Tim Wescott

What is the difference between a 3-way bulb socket (found in floor lamps) and the ordinary incandescent bulb socket on the ceiling? I think they are the same size, ie u can stick an ordinary bulb in there and it would fit. But that's where the similarity ends. Can someone please tell me how it is constructed differently?

Reply to
Orc General

go to a hardware store and compare the bulbs and if you can also the sockets

Reply to
ryan wiehle

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