How Many Amps Does a Light Bulb Use? (Answered)

A light bulb plays a very important role as a source of light in our everyday life. You can’t imagine a single moment without a light bulb.

Almost everywhere you go, you will find that your path is being enlightened by a light bulb. As a light bulb is a piece of electrical equipment, it requires electricity to run.

Let us discuss how many amps does a light bulb use and look into some of the interesting facts as well.

How many amps does a light bulb use?

Depending on the type and amperage of the light bulb that you are using, a light bulb typically uses about 0.01 – 12.5 amps. This number depends on the power of the bulb and the voltage of your area. If a light bulb consumes more power, eventually the number of amps will increase as well.

Currently, there are different types of light bulbs available all around the world. Some of these light bulbs provide greater brightness and some of them may provide better efficiency.

Let us take a look into some of the common light bulbs and know how many amps they use:

LED bulb:

A LED bulb is famous for its power-saving capability. By using a small amount of power, it can provide luminous brightness in the area around you. Depending on the size of the LED bulb, it may use around 0.01 – 0.125 amps.

Incandescent bulb:

An incandescent bulb is a traditional light bulb in this current time replaced by an LED bulb. Though, it is widely used due to its reliability and less cost.

This light bulb uses around 0.07 – 12.5 amps based on its size and depending on how much voltage does it require.

Standard light bulb:

A standard light bulb base comes in different variants. But, the main similarity that it has is the base it uses, which is an E-26 base.

A standard light bulb can be found both as LED and incandescent. Based on the type of the light bulb and how much power and voltage it consumes, a standard light bulb uses around 0.01 – 7.5 amps.

Fluorescent light bulb:

The fluorescent light bulb started the era of energy-efficient light bulbs before the LED light bulb came into our life. It is easy to recognize in some cases due to its twisted shape.

Fluorescent light was so powerful that it could provide 5 times more brightness compared with incandescent light. A fluorescent light bulb uses around 0.04 – 1.8 amps based on the power it consumes.

Halogen bulb:

Halogen bulb is common in most regions. Depending on its power consumption it may use around 0.2 – 8.4 amps.

Light bulb amperage chart:

Do LED light bulbs use less amps?

Yes, LED light bulbs use less amps. Using less power, a led light bulb can provide 6 times better brightness than an incandescent bulb, which consumes more amps.

As led light bulbs use modern-day technology, it is designed to provide the maximum brightness at the lowest power consumption possible. Thus, you can say that led light bulbs use fewer amps compared to incandescent light bulbs.

How to calculate the electric current drawn by a light bulb?

Sometimes you may ask yourself that how much does your light bulb draws from the electricity grid. As electric bulbs use electricity to run, there are certain steps to calculate how much electricity does a light bulb draw.

Let us help you know the steps to calculate that:

Find out how much power does your light bulb consume:

To calculate the electricity drawn by your light bulb, you should find out how much power does your light bulb use. All light bulbs have a certain rating of how much electricity it uses.

It is written as ‘X’ watts on any light bulb, where X is referred to as a digit. You can check the bottom of your light bulb to find out the power rating of your light.

It is generally written in the base of the light bulb or in some cases is written on the light bulb glass. If you can’t find it on the light bulb, check the light bulb packaging.

The rating is written on the package in the description. If you are still unable to find it, check the internet by the light bulb model number or contact the shop you bought it from. You can get the information from these sources as well.

Identify the voltage rating in your area:

The voltage of an area depends on the region. Mostly, voltages stay between 110 – 240 volts almost everywhere in the world depending on the electrical grid of your area.

In the United States, the voltage reading is mostly between 110 – 130 volts. You can take 120 volts as per the voltage in your area if you are living in the United States.

But it is better to check in with your region’s electrical regulation using the website for better and accurate information.

Use the electric current calculation formula:

After you find out the power of the light bulb and voltage in your area, you just have to use the electric current calculation formula. You will need to divide the power by the voltage.

The result you will get is the electric current drawn by your light bulb in amps.

How do you reduce the current in a light bulb?

In many cases, you may want to reduce the current in a light bulb. Whatever the reason is, there are some simple ways to reduce the current in a light bulb.

Let us help you know the ways to do that:

Use a low power rated light bulb:

Using a low-power electric bulb can be very useful in reducing the current in a light bulb. Replace your current light bulb with a low power rated light bulb and you will find that you have reduced the current of your light bulb to quite an extent.

Use a higher voltage rated light bulb within the range:

If the electricity supply in your area has a higher voltage rating than your light bulb, you should purchase a light bulb of the same power rating but with a higher voltage rating on it.

Thus, you will reduce the current in your light bulb. But be careful while buying the light bulb and check the voltage range in your area.

Connect the light bulb in a series connection:

If you connect the light bulbs in a series connection on your switchboard, you can reduce the current in a light bulb.

It is simple physics that when you connect electrical components in a series connection, every component on it will receive less current than the previous one.

This term series connection means that you will have to connect the light bulbs one by one with your other appliances on an electrical connection. As a result, the current will reduce in the light bulb.

If you don’t know how to do that, it is better to call an electrician to do it for you.

Use a current limiter:

A current limiter is electrical equipment that reduces the current flowing through your lines to the light bulb. You can attach this separately on the light bulb as well.

If you use this, you can supply less current to your light bulb and can run it without any problem. But as a result, you may not get an adequate amount of brightness from your light bulb if the current limiter is attached to it.

How many volts does a light bulb use?

A light bulb uses around 110 – 240 volts. In the United States, a light bulb uses between 110 – 130 volts depending on the power supply distribution in your area.

Light bulbs in different regions are rated differently in terms of voltage consumption based on the country’s electric power grid.

What is the current flow in a bulb?

The current flow in a bulb means the flow of electrons through the light bulb, which is making it functional. When you connect the light to an electric socket, it must use some electricity to work and that is where current flow comes in.

This current flow is measured in amps and the amount is dependent on the power of the light bulb and the voltage of your area.

Final Thoughts

A light bulb uses around 0.01 – 12.5 amps. The exact amount of electric current drawn by a light bulb depends on the power of the light bulb and the voltage of the area you live in. Still, the numbers may fluctuate based on the light bulb’s efficiency in real-time use.