Forum Discussion

onrecess's avatar
onrecess
Explorer
Apr 04, 2016

1156 bulbs or not

In case I'm not the only one.
After so many years of 1156 bulbs being identified at a glance, my porch light burnt out and I dropped one in. Yes, melted the whole lamp. There are bulbs the same size but less watts.

10 Replies

  • onrecess wrote:
    That's exactly what I did, put an 1156 instead of 1141. Had to get a new fixture.
    I just ordered a bunch of LEDs for my interior lights. They are getting so cheap, why not try them? I'm trying two different styles, the big and small flat arrays, I think 18 and 30 led? I have nice aftermarket lights over the dinette (eating/cards)and sofa (for reading) and the ceiling lights are usually like one fixture lit (and one bulb on that one) for a little light when watching tv. Figure I really can't be too disappointed.


    18 and 30 leds doesn't really mean much without knowing the led type. The 2 commonly used types when I replaced my incandescents were the 3528 and the 5050 leds. The 5050 is about 2x as bright as the 3528. There are newer types now.
  • wa8yxm wrote:
    There are two lamps, identical in size 1141 and 1156 The 19 and 26 watts respectively.

    The solution is LED lamps much less heat, much less current draw, much less wattage, same amount of light, sometimes more.


    That's exactly what I did, put an 1156 instead of 1141. Had to get a new fixture.
    I just ordered a bunch of LEDs for my interior lights. They are getting so cheap, why not try them? I'm trying two different styles, the big and small flat arrays, I think 18 and 30 led? I have nice aftermarket lights over the dinette (eating/cards)and sofa (for reading) and the ceiling lights are usually like one fixture lit (and one bulb on that one) for a little light when watching tv. Figure I really can't be too disappointed.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    There are two lamps, identical in size 1141 and 1156 The 19 and 26 watts respectively.

    The solution is LED lamps much less heat, much less current draw, much less wattage, same amount of light, sometimes more.
  • We switched out all of our incandescent bulbs with LED's two years ago and they are great. We do a lot boon-docking in the spring and they use much less power than the incandescent bulbs. I got them from Amazon. They are gold star led lights. I purchased an eight pack and reordered the rest after checking them out. Very happy with the upgrade.
  • Another vote for LEDs. Like many others I have replaced all my interior RV lights with LEDs. Slowly working on my house.

    You might like an LED bulb with 24 5050 LEDs or the equivalent. Have a look on eBay.
  • Need to compare lumens when going LED to get same light intensity.
    Ok to go even brighter with LED as produces about 90% less heat.
    1156 is maybe 400 lumens.
  • Incandescent is pure Fred Flintstone technology. A quality festoon LED replacement will pit out white light, more of it than an incandescent at a fraction of the amperage. PS They don't eat lens covers like a standard bulb. And they last a lot longer.
  • Bobbo's avatar
    Bobbo
    Explorer III
    Your porch light probably needed an 1141 bulb rather than the 1156. The bulbs look alike, and fit the same sockets because they have the same base, but the 1141 is dimmer and cooler.

    The 1141 is 18.4 watts. The 1156 is 26.9 watts.

About Technical Issues

Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,262 PostsLatest Activity: Jun 11, 2025