What Bulb For helps you pick the right light bulb for a fixture, an appliance such as an oven or a refrigerator, or a garage door opener: the base and shape that fit (or how to tell the base by its look), how bright it should be, what color of light it gives, what to check on the box, and what it costs to run. The same cost calculator works out what an electric space heater costs an hour, a day or a month.
Each common bulb base has its own page as well, from GU10 and MR16 spotlights to G9, GU24, E12 candelabra, E17 intermediate and E39 mogul bulbs, and E26 vs E27: what it looks like, where it’s used, the bulbs it comes on and what it’s mixed up with. Common shapes have pages too, such as A19 vs A21, A15 bulbs, BR30 vs PAR30 and T8 vs T12 fluorescent tubes: how wide and long each size is, the bases it comes on and where it fits.
Then there’s looking after the bulbs you have: how long an LED lasts and what the hours on its box mean, why bulbs keep burning out, in the makers’ own words, why an LED can glow when it’s switched off, the EPA’s steps for cleaning up a broken CFL, where old bulbs go when they’re done, and which LED tube fits a fluorescent fixture.
It also covers Christmas light strings: how many sets you can connect, changing a fuse, replacement bulbs, using lights outdoors, what to check when half a string goes dark, what the lights cost to run, and the S14 bulbs in patio string lights.
Lamps and warmers have their own section: the bulbs for table and floor lamps, lava lamps, wax and candle warmers, salt lamps, night lights and 3-way lamps, each from its maker’s chart, label or product pages and safety and standards sources.
And it covers extension cords, power strips and surge protectors: converting watts to amps (1,500 watts has its own page), the gauge for what you’re plugging in and how far it is from the outlet, how many watts a cord can carry, the letters printed on a cord, indoor cords outside, space heaters, refrigerators and freezers, window air conditioners, generators, power tool and pressure washer cords, telling a power strip from a surge protector, joule ratings, plugging strips and cords into each other, a cord that trips a GFCI, and a cord that gets hot.
Bases, shapes and brightness come from manufacturer specifications and published standards, and each page lists its sources. Color temperature is a matter of taste, so the site doesn’t pick one for you.
Our other sites
What Bulb For is part of a small family of single-question sites.
- What Drill Bit: drill bits, pilot holes and hole saws.
- What Adapter For: adapters and fittings for hoses, pipes and faucets.