Talk:3-way lamp
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3=-way CFL? edit
How do 3-way CFL lamps work? Three steps in the current level allowed by the ballast? --Wtshymanski (talk) 20:34, 15 April 2014 (UTC)
History - why is the brighter filament on the standard contact in the USA? edit
Does anybody know why these bulbs are wired this way, rather than the opposite?
As it is, the low filament is on the extra contact, and the medium filament is on the standard contact. As a result, a. using a regular bulb in a 3-way lamp requires 2 clicks of the switch to turn it on/off. b. using a 3-way bulb in a regular socket causes the medium filament to be used.
If the medium filament were on the extra contact, and the low filament were on the standard contact, the result would be that c. using a regular bulb in a 3-way lamp, every click of the switch would toggle on/off. d. using a 3-way bulb in a regular socket causes the low filament to be used.
The second case would be much better because (a) is extremely annoying (and there are *many* 3-way lamps all over the US used with regular bulbs) whereas (c) is how it should be. Whereas case (b) would rarely ever happen, while case (d) would allow you to use up a three-way bulb with the medium filament burnt out (much more common than the other way around).
Does anybody know why they are the way they are? Did somebody think case (b) was important? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 143.116.116.91 (talk) 21:28, 17 March 2016 (UTC)