Why do lamps take two clicks

Such bulbs are characterized by having two filaments, not one. When you twist the switch on a three-way lamp, the first click illuminates a single filament. The next click deactivates the first and illuminates the second, this one with a somewhat higher wattage. The final, third click illuminates both filaments at once, giving you the brightest light. Bob Vila Radio is a second home improvement radio tip of the day carried on more than stations in 75 markets around the country.

Click here to subscribe, so you can automatically receive each new episode as it arrives—absolutely free! Halogen capsules are found in halogen adaptors where the components are: adaptor base — replaceable capsule — decorative cover.

This type of lighting is commonly used in domestic environments. Linear halogen capsules are frequently used in floodlights and have an R7 cap at either end of the lamp.

GU fittings typically have two pins and are commonly found on halogen and more recently on LEDs. It follows that the larger the cap the great the wattage and heat the lamp can withstand. Therefore, GU4 and GU5. GU10 fittings are distinctive by their 'twist and lock' fitting action and are common in domestic applications.

The table below shows the more popular of these fittings; however we stock lamps in many other sizes and types including GY9. Fittings for single, double, triple and quadruple turn compact fluorescents vary greatly and can be hideously complex to identify. In fact, this compatibility is the entire reason why you have to flick the lamp twice. As mentioned earlier, three-way lamps come with three power settings. These correspond to the power levels on a three-stage bulb.

But a standard bulb only has a single power level. So, when you screw it on a three-way lamp, there has to be a way to translate the three levels to one. Therefore, the lamp skips the first level—low or high depending on the design—and turns on the light when you set it to medium, hence the two clicks. To see if your lamp is three-way, you need to look at the socket. With a standard socket, there are only two points of contact between the bulb and the socket.

When the bulb is installed, this contact directly touches the brass tab in the socket center. The second contact is between the threaded base of the bulb and the base of the socket. A three-way lamp comes with an extra contact, usually in the form of a small ring which is insulated from the bulb shell. This connects to a tiny tab located midway between the two other contacts. The medium-wattage filament is connected to the center contact while the low-wattage filament is connected to the middle contact.

One-way and three-way sockets are entirely interchangeable. By now, it should be pretty clear why sometimes it takes two flicks to turn on a lamp—because you have a regular light bulb on a three-way lamp.

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