Why Is The Bayonet B22 Light Fitting Used In The UK?

In the UK, light circuits are protected by an earth, unlike in many other countries. The electrical laws in the UK are among the strictest in the world, and the B22 light fitting has an earth built into it. B22 lights are also used worldwide as a remnant of the British empire.

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Which countries use B22?

Many countries use the B22 light fitting as they follow UK electrical standards.

Many of the countries using the b22 light fitting were former members of the British empire and the commonwealth.

Countries include:

  • United kingdom
  • Australia
  • India
  • Ireland
  • New Zealand
  • Africa
  • Some Middle East countries

Oddly Canada is the exception to the rule, and they prefer to use the Eddison screw light fitting, possibly due to the large French population of Canadian nationals.

What size is the B22 bayonet?

The name gives the game away. The bayonet is 22mm.

This was one of the most common sizes of bases available for the “type A” light bulbs so prolific in the Uk.

The bayonet fitting has two lugs at the base that connects with the live and neutral connections in the fitting.

Is B22 the same as A60?

The A60 will fit your B22 socket type light fittings. The A60 was designed for a softer light with a low & watts output.

Several bayonet bulbs are available that will be used for the traditional B22 light fitting, so you do not need to change your light fittings to accept new bulbs.

How do you fit a bulb into a B22 light fitting?

With clean hands so as not to leave oily fingerprints on the outside surface of the light bulb, hold the bulb firmly and twist until the two sidebars slip into the cutouts of the B22 fitting.

With gentle pressure, push down slightly and twist when you feel the bulb has come to a stop. The light bulb is fitted.

To remove it’s just the reverse process.

However, incandescent light bulbs are fragile, so be careful you do not apply too much pressure when pushing down or squeezing the light bulb to prevent the bulb from shattering.

Are bayonet light fittings being phased out in the UK?

Well, incandescent light bulbs are being phased out, which were the primary user of the B22 light fitting. However, there are plenty of LEDs lights with bayonet fittings and with so many countries using the B22, it will be a while if ever you see the B22 is phased out completely.

What light bulbs are being banned in the UK?

Halogen. In an effort from the government to start preserving energy, the halogen light bulb is being phased out.

The government announced its plans to phase out halogen and remove the bulbs from retailers’ shelves with a total sales ban by 1st October 2021.

The UK government decided that halogen bulbs used far too much electricity, and consumers would gain from alternative light technologies such as LED.

Can you still buy fluorescent tubes in the UK?

Everyone forgets that fluorescent tubes use bayonet fittings!

From September 2023, you will no longer be able to buy a fluorescent tube in the UK. The UK government is getting tough on climate control by banning certain types of lighting while China and India billow out thousands of tons of carbon without consequence!

Nevertheless, The world has to address the issue of global warming, so lighting is being changed in the UK as what may seem a token gesture.

Will anyone miss the flickering fluorescent tube that has always been difficult to dispose of? It is doubtful.

Are spiral light bulbs being phased out?

While there appears to be an all-out assault on the B22 light fitting, another bulb that uses the B22 light fitting is the compact fluorescent light, aka CFL, vanishing from the retailers’ shelves.

The bulb contains argon (an inert gas) and mercury vapour, so it seems reasonable to be removing mercury vapour from the shelves of stores.

Which is better, CFL or LED?

It’s all about efficiencies and market forces when it comes to light bulbs, and the LED bulb is coming out on top in terms of efficiency.

A 16.5-watt LED is the same brightness as a 20 watt CFL and a 75-watt incandescent bulb.

It’s clear that everyone will be changing over to LEDs to light their homes and offices very shortly. But are LEDs all they’re cracked up to be, or is there something lurking in the background that will see a new light source come onto the market?

What are the problems with LED lights?

Is the LED light the panacea to lighting? Are there inherent problems you will be confronted with when the LED light is your only choice?

  • LED bulbs overheat when not ventilated correctly and can be a fire hazard.
  • There are issues with the manufacturing process concerning poor soldering techniques rendering some LED bulbs somewhat dangerous. 
  • Manufacturers are moving away from standard fittings to force sales of new fittings that will bolster their profits.
  • The good news is the LED does come with compatible B22 fittings, for now!

These are just a few examples of potential problems that the government is walking us into. More importantly, some severe issues need further investigation.

Did you know there is a correlation between LED lights and cataracts?

How long will you still be using your B22 light fitting?

Progress never stops marching forward, so it seems as if the universal B22 light fitting that has served the nation so well for decades is finally on its way out.

When will you need to change over your b22 light fittings? A good answer is when you can no longer buy bulbs with a bayonet fitting, coming sooner rather than later.

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