How it connects
Screwed clockwise into the socket; the brass shell threads make one circuit contact and the center tip bottoms on the socket's center contact. Not sealed.
Male and female halves
Male screw base (on the fuse/breaker); the female is the Edison fuse socket/holder. This entry is the male side.
Usually connects to
- Female E26 medium screw lampholder or compatible E27 socket
- Edison-base fuse socket or holder
- Type S rejection adapter, as described for the fuse arrangement
- E26-to-other-base adapter
Common sizes
- E26 medium Edison: about 26 mm major diameter, 7 TPI, roughly 3.6 mm pitch.
- Plug fuses span 0.3–30 A at 125 V; plug breakers are typically 15/20 A.
- Related sizes: E12 candelabra, E17 intermediate and E39 mogul.
Where it is used
older residential fuse panelsplug fuse replacement circuit breakersfuseholdersresidential and commercial lightinggeneral-service incandescent, CFL and LED bulbspool and landscape lampslamp fixtures; screw-in fixtures and adapterslight bulbs
Variations
- Type W ordinary plug fuse
- Type T/TL time-delay fuse
- Screw-in breaker, such as Bussmann BP/MB
- E26d double-contact three-way bulb base
- E26/24 or E26/50 × 39 dimensional designation
- Related E27 European base
How to recognise it
Short cylindrical fuse or breaker with a brass or nickel lamp-size screw thread and a center tip contact below an insulator; top face shows the amp rating, often a mica window or a reset button.
Often confused with
| Confused with | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Type S (rejection) fuse base | Type S has a smaller, rating-specific thread and needs an adapter in an Edison socket; Edison base is the full lamp-sized thread fitting any rating. |
| E26 lamp base | Same thread; lamp bases carry a bulb, fuse bases have a short body with a rating window or breaker button. |
| E27 (European Edison screw) | E27 is 27 mm major diameter vs 26 mm; they physically interchange in most cases, so check the marking or region/voltage. E27 is about 1 mm larger, used in Europe on 230 V, and usually interchangeable in practice. Check the marking. |
| E26d 3-way base | 3-way bases have an extra ring contact between the shell and the center foot. |
| E39 mogul base | Much larger, about 39 mm diameter. |
Also called
Edison base plug fuseType W / Type T plug fuse basemedium screw base fuseE26 fuse baseEdison medium screw (MES in some US usage)Standard US bulb baseMES/ES (medium Edison screw)
Good to know
Type S fuses do not use an Edison base; Type T fuses do.
Related connections
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