# What is a Type P light bulb?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-type-p-light-bulb/207309>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 14, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-type-p-light-bulb/207309 "2003-10-14T02:47:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Snetho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Snetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snetho)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-type-p-light-bulb/207309/1 "2003-10-14T02:47:48Z")

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I have a lamp that needs a new light bulb…it is calling for a 250W Type P bulb…I did a google and came up with this:  
[http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/lbe\_ic\_inquiry.html](http://www.lightbulbsdirect.com/lbe_ic_inquiry.html)

This doesn’t really help…what would happen if I used a regular (Type PS?)? I went to a hardware store and the guy there had never heard of a Type P bulb…

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**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-type-p-light-bulb/207309/2 "2003-10-14T02:57:23Z")

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The shape of the bulb is mearly decorative. As long as the base threads match you can interchange any shape that fits the fixture.