What does PAR mean in flood lights?

parabolic aluminized reflector
PAR stands for “parabolic aluminized reflector.” These bulbs have a lamp, reflector, and pressed lens inside the lamp to provide directional lighting. They have a shorter body than BR light bulbs with a bowl shape. PAR light bulbs have soft light, but with a more defined edge than BR bulbs.

What’s the difference between BR20 and R20 bulbs?

Don’t worry about it because the two are interchangeable! R20 is the name for the incandescent bulb while BR20 is the name used for LED bulbs. In case you were curious, “BR” is short for “bulged reflector” which means the back of the bulb is a reflector and the front of it is bulged out.

What is PAR20 lightbulb?

What are PAR20 Bulbs? Parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR) 20 bulbs control light more precisely. They produce about four times the concentrated light intensity of general service A shape incandescents, and are used in recessed and track lighting. Therefore, a PAR 20 is 2.5 inches in diameter.

Are PAR20 and R20 interchangeable?

Either way, the bottom line is that a PAR20 and R20 bulb are the same size and can be used in similar situations, but the PAR20 will be better when more focused light is desired and an R20 will be better for more diffused light and general lighting situations.

Is PAR 16 the same as GU10?

Yes, a PAR 16 bulb will fit in a MR16 GU10 fixture because they both have 2 inch widths. The MR16 GU10 fixture 2.10 inches long whereas a PAR16 lamp is 3.15 inches long. In short, a PAR16 lamp will fit in a MR16 GU10 fixture but part of the bulb will be exposed.

What’s the difference between PAR30 and PAR38?

Now the bad news: PAR38 and PAR30 refer to the physical characteristics of the bulbs. PAR = Parabolic Aluminized Reflector, 38 = thirty-eight eighths of an inch, or 38*1/8″=4.75″. 30 = thirty eighths of an inch, or 30*1/8″=3.75″. As you can see, PAR38 has a larger diameter than a PAR30 bulb or can.

How do I know what size flood light I need?

The number following the letters in a recessed light bulb indicates size: it’s the diameter of the light bulb in eighths of an inch. So, a BR30 is 30/8 inches, or three and 3/4 inches. An MR11 is 11/8 inches. So, you can swap out a PAR30 for an R30 or a BR30 – they are all the same size.

What’s the difference between R20 and PAR20?

An R20 bulb is commonly used for regular room lighting, or to provide soft illumination for a specific area. A PAR20 bulb is best used when a crisp, focused beam is desired. This type of bulb works well to illuminate artwork or specific points where diffuse lighting is not wanted.

What’s the difference between PAR20 and PAR30?

PAR20: 20 denotes, the exact measurement from brim to brim of LED lights, that is to say, 20/8 inch in diameter, approximately 64mm; PAR30 is standing for 30 denotes, 30/8 inch in length near to 95mm, PAR38.