If there is a discrepancy, then it depends on a case. In some cases, it makes no difference, in others it does. The product 120 V should not be maximum allowed voltage or with the upper voltage tolerance smaller than 125 V.
Full Answer
What is the difference between a 12V and a 120V bulb?
At a higher voltage, for the same wattage, you want LESS current.Compare the filament in a 12V bulb to the one in a 120V bulb. If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison The higher voltage bulbs (125 or 130V) are for, duh, higher voltage.
How long will a light bulb last on a 125 volt?
As a general rule of thumb, a 5 volt difference will halve / double bulb life. Assume your house actually has 125 volts, and you install 1000 hour bulbs. The "120" bulbs will last about 500 hours, while the "130" bulbs will last 2000 hours. Power use ought to be about the same... a 60 watt bulb is a 60 watt bulb.
Why should you consider 130 volt bulbs instead of 120 volt?
Why should you consider 130 volt bulbs instead of 120 volt bulbs? Have you ever googled yourself? Do a "deep search" instead. This innovative search engine reveals so much. Type in your name, wait 107 seconds, brace yourself. If you buy 130V rated bulbs and use them below the rated voltage they will be dimmer, dissipate less power and last longer.
Can you plug a light bulb into a 120 volt outlet?
Nearly all indoor residential light fixtures and appliances in the U.S. run on line voltage. A 120-volt light bulb can typically be screwed into an indoor light fixture and operate correctly without further complication. Likewise, most appliances run on 120 volts and can simply be plugged into an indoor outlet.
Can I use a 120v bulb in a 125v socket?
You're fine on both counts. 120v household power in North America is +/- 5%, so 125v is effectively equal to 120v.
Do volts matter in light bulbs?
Low voltage lighting is more energy-efficient, but it requires low voltage bulbs to work. In that case, you should buy a bulb labelled 12 volts (12V). Many landscape lights and outdoor lighting fixtures require low voltage bulbs. For truly great energy efficiency, try using low-voltage LED bulbs.
What is 120v on a light bulb?
120 volts is commonly referred to as “line voltage” by electricians and other industry experts. Nearly all indoor residential light fixtures and appliances in the U.S. run on line voltage. A 120-volt light bulb can typically be screwed into an indoor light fixture and operate correctly without further complication.
Can you use a 120v LED bulb in a 12V socket?
They are measurements of voltage. Current is typically measured in Amps (A) or Watts (W). Never connect low voltage LED lighting directly to 120V AC household power......they operate on 12V DC.
Can LED lights run on 120V?
LED lights are designed to operate on low-voltage direct current similar to that supplied by batteries. To wire LED lights to 120-volt household current, a "step down" transformer is required to convert the alternating current into the lower voltage direct current.
What happens if I use the wrong light bulb?
Using a light bulb with too high of wattage can lead to overheating of the light bulb. This heat can melt the light socket as well as the insulation of the wires. Once that happens, you put yourself at risk of arc faults, and this is something that could even lead to property fires.
Is 120V considered low-voltage?
120V is known as high voltage, line voltage or standard voltage. This is the voltage that comes directly into most homes.
How many watts are in a 120 volt light bulb?
If you multiply the volts by the amps, you get the wattage. In this case, 120 volts multiplied by 10 amps equals 1,200 watts. This holds true for any electrical appliance. If you plug in a light and it draws half an amp, it's a 60-watt light bulb.
How do I know what base my light bulb is?
To know the base of a light bulb, identify if it is a screw type that has threads around the base, or a pin type that has 2 points of contact on the base. After that, measure the diameter of the screw base, or the distance between the two pins, in millimeters.
What happens when you put a 12V bulb in 120V socket?
Putting a 12v bulb into a 120v socket will destroy the LED and void the warranty.
Is 12V same as 120V?
There are a few major differences between the two, one being 120V requires and electrical license and 12V in Texas does not. Also, 120V is the power that runs through your house, where 12V is dropped down from 120V using a transformer, and is much safer to work with that 120V, especially in your yard.
Can I use a 12 volt bulb in a 120 volt circuit?
It will work fine, intill someone takes out that bulb and puts it into a 120 volt drop light, not knowing the differance. Yes it will work fine. The wiring is rated at 300 volts AC and DC.
What is the difference between 12V and 120V?
Also, 120V is the power that runs through your house, where 12V is dropped down from 120V using a transformer, and is much safer to work with that 120V, especially in your yard.
What is 120V in electrical?
120V (also known as high voltage) is full line power and when used for outdoor lighting is quite costly. The initial cost for the installation can be 2-3x the cost of 12V (also known as low voltage).
How do you know if you have high or low voltage lighting?
Low voltage lighting is powered by home runs that run back to a single transformer located on the property that is dropping the 120V from the home to 12V. There are no other power sources need throughout the system, just one outlet is used.
What is the difference between low voltage and high voltage?
Fixtures. Low voltage fixtures are much more attractive to look at , they tend to have a more aesthetic look to them. The fixtures often used for high voltage lighting are very large , bulky, have one look to them , and can be an eye sore.
Why is low voltage lighting better than high voltage?
There are many reasons that homeowners and lighting designers have moved away from high voltage to low voltage. Low voltage costs less to run, lower install cost, aesthetically pleasing fixtures, safer, and endless design uses. If you can think of it a low voltage lighting designer can probably make it happen.
Does Light It Right work on 12V?
At Light It Right we get calls all the time for repairs to 120V systems and we have to inform those callers that we only work on 12V systems - then the questions well what is that and what is the difference arise.
What is 120 volts?
120 volts is the standard voltage supply for American homes. This is the voltage that travels to your home from your local utility substation. 120 volts is commonly referred to as “line voltage” by electricians and other industry experts.
What voltage do you use for lighting?
Many US commercial buildings run on 277 volts, and in Europe, the standard voltage supply is 220 volts—a major reason why American appliances won’t work in overseas outlets. Some lighting systems require even more volts.
What voltage do you need for outdoor lights?
Meanwhile, 12 volts and 24 volts are commonly used for outdoor lighting and are referred to as “low voltage” lighting. A transformer (or LED driver for LEDs) is required to "step down" (reduce/convert) the standard 120-volt supply provided to your home into a 12-volt or 24-volt supply for your lights. In most cases, whether you need a 12- ...
Why use low voltage lights outdoors?
The reason low voltage lighting is used outdoors is because it’s safer. If the wire for a 120-volt light source (which would run underground or on a building’s exterior, if used outdoors) were to become exposed, it would be very dangerous for someone to come in contact with, possibly resulting in a dangerous electric shock. For a low voltage light source, this risk is significantly reduced and would result in little to no harm in most scenarios. The rule of thumb: if your lights are being used somewhere where the wiring could become exposed, and therefore hazardous, it is always better to opt for low voltage lighting if given the choice.
How many volts does a rope light need?
When it comes to LED rope light, or LED tape light for that matter, you may have the option to choose between a 12-volt or 24-volt light. The one you need depends on how long you need your rope or tape light to be.
Is low voltage lighting dangerous?
The rule of thumb: if your lights are being used somewhere where the wiring could become exposed, and therefore hazardous, it is always better to opt for low voltage lighting if given the choice.
What is 120V in electrical?
120V is known as high voltage, line voltage or standard voltage. This is the voltage that comes directly into most homes. In most municipalities, a licensed electrician is required to make all 120V connections. 12V, known as low voltage lighting, uses a step-down transformer to change your home's 120V electrical supply to 12V.
What is 12V light?
12V, known as low voltage lighting, uses a step-down transformer to change your home's 120V electrical supply to 12V. This conversion makes your lighting system safe to install and maintain, since the voltage level is significantly lower than a standard electrical outlet.
What connectors do landscape lighting pros use?
At Landscape Lighting Pro of Utah, we use only the highest quality, watertight, heat-shrink connectors to connect your lighting fixtures to the wiring that runs to the power source. They resist corrosion and stay secure.
When to use 120V outdoor lights?
120V outdoor lighting is most often used in commercial or security situations, when there’s a need to light large areas with a lot of light output.
Is 12V more efficient than 120V?
12V Is More Energy Efficient. Low voltage systems are more energy efficient than 120V systems. They typically use 20 to 40 percent less electricity than 120V, and that savings is even higher if you use LED lighting.
Is 12V better than 120V?
Beyond safety, there are other benefits to using 12V over 120V for your landscape lighting. They range from better light control to longevity to better efficiency.
Is 12V good for landscape lighting?
Hands down, 12V is the safest option to power your residential landscape lighting. Exposure to 120V can kill a person. That’s a huge electrical current. Exposure to the much lower 12V will give just a slight shock if you or a family member come into contact with it.
What is 125V in a light bulb?
The higher voltage bulbs (125 or 130V) are for, duh, higher voltage. Some folks (especially in the country or in industrial situations) experience slightly elevated line voltage for a number of reasons, and the higher voltage bulbs provide "normal" life while the regular bulbs burn out quickly.
How long does a 100 watt light bulb last?
According to the relationships above (which are probably not accurate for such extreme departures from nominal ratings), operating a 100-watt, 1000-hour, 1700-lumen bulb at half voltage would extend its life to about 65,000,000 hours or over 7000 years – while reducing light output to 160 lumens, about the equivalent of a normal 15 watt bulb. The Guinness Book of World Records states that a fire station in Livermore, California has a light bulb that is said to have been burning continuously for over a century since 1901 (presumably apart from power outages). However, the bulb is powered by only 4 watts. A similar story can be told of a 40-watt bulb in Texas which has been illuminated since September 21, 1908. It once resided in an opera house where notable celebrities stopped to take in its glow, but is now in an area museum [3].
What happens when a bulb is higher voltage?
The higher voltage bulb of a given stated wattage will use less current at normal voltage , but will also give out less light. The reduction in light output is proportionally greater than the reduction in current, resulting in a loss of economy.
What is a 5% reduction in voltage?
This means that 5% reduction in operating voltage will double the life of the bulb, at the expense of reducing its light output by 20%. This may be a very acceptable tradeoff for a light bulb that is a difficult-to-access location (for example, traffic lights or fixtures hung from high ceilings). So-called "long-life" bulbs are simply bulbs that take advantage of this tradeoff.
Do long life bulbs burn out?
It's not entirely true that "long life" bulbs are simply higher voltage bulbs. Regular bulbs are designed to burn out before they begin to darken seriously from metal deposition on the inside of the glass. Long-life bulbs will generally allow more darkening before burning out.
Is an incandescent lamp sensitive to voltage?
Incandescent lamps are very sensitive to changes in the supply voltage. These characteristics are of great practical and economic importance. For a supply voltage V,
Do high voltage bulbs produce less lumens?
At normal voltage the higher voltage bulbs will produce less than optimal brightness -- fewer lumens per watt. If you want a "long life" bulb (for, eg, a hard-to-reach location) it's better to buy a "long life" bulb (assuming your line voltage is normal).
How many Ohms does a 120V 240W lamp have?
If you have a single lamp, you can use Ohm's law to calculate its resistance from the voltage and power rating; so a 120V, 240W lamp would have a resistance of 120^2 / 240 = 60 Ohms
How many lumens does a 100W bulb have?
Consider a 100W light bulb designed to operate on 120V, which outputs 1530 lumens and has a life of 1500 hours.
How many Ohms does a lamp resist?
Resistances in series add up, but because of the different operating conditions of the filaments, the resistance of each bulb will be less than 60 Ohms . At room temperature with a cold filament, these lamps would have a resistance of between 3 and 12 Ohms.
How long does it take for a 240 watt bulb to blow?
if you hook up 240 to a bulb rated for 120 it will blow within a second..i know this based on experience
What color is a 2A 15000?
2A 15000 + Lumines it will be very white colour before it will flashover to bleu colour then you know the bulb ready to explode due the arc flashover inside the bulb.
Do bulbs melt filament?
I expect that most bulbs will simply melt their filament before they get to a nice steady state run condition...but some high wattage, low color temperature bulbs might actually run.
How many lumens are in a 120V bulb?
The reason they can do this is that bulbs are really arbitrarily rated in terms of voltage. they same physical bulb might be sold as a 130 V 850 hour, 115 W, 1000 lumen bulb, or as a 120 V 1700 hour, 100 W, 750 lumen bulb.
What happens if you use 130V bulbs?
If you buy 130V rated bulbs and use them below the rated voltage they will be dimmer, dissipate less power and last longer.
How much electricity does a 100W bulb burn?
I think I once calulated that to run for 800 hours, a 100W bulb that cost $1.00 or less burns about $20 worth of electricity. So getting a one long life designed to save $1 at the expense of burning thought two bulbs worth of electricity $45 of electricity vs $40 worth or electricity for the same light output is a bad equation.
What is 130 V?
130 V bulbs are intended as long life bulbs in 120V systems. They draw less current and actually last twice as long but give out about 10 or more percent less light per watt.
How many volts does a traffic light last?
They last longer, in some cases utility companies deliver a little more than 120 volts. Traffic light bulbs were rated at 130 volts. Now LED lamps are taking over the industry so it’s not much of a factor anymore.
Can you get incandescent bulbs anymore?
This is such a bizarre question now since you basically can’t get incandescent bulbs anymore, nor would you really want to for most applications. Back in the day (I’m talking 40–50 years ago) light bulbs were expensive and electricity was cheap and it made sense to use 130 volt bulbs. However the domestic (US) light bulb manufacturing was supplanted with mainly Eastern Europe bulbs that were far cheaper and electricity costs rose so that it really didn’t make sense any more to use longer lasting but much more expensive domestic light bulbs.
Does a 120V bulb last longer?
Assuming incandescent bulbs, a 130V bulb at 120V will last much longer, but will be much dimmer. So to get the same amount of light, you would need a higher wattage bulb, which would use more electricity. The extra electricity will cost more the cost of the bulb.
