Lampholder: how to match the holder to the bulb
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A lampholder is the socket a bulb fits into: it holds the lamp cap and carries current to it. Holder and cap must be the same system — an Edison screw or a bayonet — and Panasonic's Anchor range, for example, rates its batten and angle lampholders at 6 A or 2 A with IP20 protection.
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What a lampholder is
Every bulb ends in a metal cap, and every light fitting has a lampholder to receive it. The holder grips the cap, makes the electrical contact and keeps fingers away from live parts. Caps and holders are specified together in one family of international standards, IEC 60061, which covers both and the gauges that check they fit and are safe, as the Wikipedia article on lightbulb sockets sets out.
LED replacement lamps are made with the same caps as the bulbs they replace, so the cap code alone decides whether an LED light fits an existing lamp holder.
Screw or bayonet: match the cap
There are two main systems for household bulbs, and a holder of one will not take a cap of the other:
| Cap | System | Where the Wikipedia article places it |
|---|---|---|
| E14, E27 | Edison screw — the cap screws in | listed as European sizes; Edison screws are used across continental Europe |
| E26 | Edison screw | the North American “Medium” size |
| B22d | bayonet, the “BC” — the cap pushes in and twists to lock | the standard domestic cap in the UK and other Commonwealth countries |
Check the code on the old bulb or its pack before buying a new holder, and on the holder before buying bulbs. Spotlight caps with pins form a third group with holders of their own.
Batten, angle and pendant holders
The holder’s body is chosen by how the light hangs. Anchor by Panasonic sells its lampholders in three styles — conventional, fancy and modular — and in two mountings:
- Batten type — fixed flat to a wall or ceiling, the bulb standing straight out.
- Angle type — fixed to a wall, with the holder set at an angle to its base.
A pendant holder hangs on a flexible cord below a ceiling rose, which carries the connection at the ceiling. Table and floor lamps have holders built into the stand — see table lamps.
Ratings to check
Panasonic marks its lampholders with a current rating — 6 A for its modular batten and angle holders and its fancy batten holders, 2 A for a plain batten holder — and with an IP20 rating. Under IEC 60529, IP20 means protection against fingers but none against water, so these are holders for dry, indoor fittings; a holder near a shower or outside needs a sealed fitting with a higher IP rating. Panasonic also offers holders with a plastic ring and with a metal ring.