Category: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a gilbert plug on a set of mini lights?
Hi, great question. Unfortunately, the answer is no for a couple of reasons. Mini lights should really not be cut because they are wired in series and their bulbs are rated for a specific current draw. The better choice is to find a string of lights whose length most closely matches your project requirements, or…
Will your C7 or C9 bulbs work in my cords?
Short answer: Maybe. Longer answer: We used to be able to answer this question with a resounding yes when the question was about the style of bulbs that come as threaded bulbs and threaded sockets of the style that folks have been using to install lights around their rooflines for decades. Now, there are a…
Can you mix C7 and C9 bulbs together (in the same cord)?
Short answer: No, they won’t fit into the same cord because they have different-sized bases. Longer answer: This is a great question, especially since we’ve had a larger number of first-time Christmas lights customers this season. We have heard this question in this form several times over the last couple of months along with the…
How many light strings do I need to wrap my tree?
We’ve all seen tree trunks wrapped for Christmas, for weddings, and events. They are truly glorious. LED light strings with specifications allowing 100’s of feet of light to be run on a single outlet has revolutionized the density and number of lights that can be installed. But how many light strings will I really need?…
How well do salt and lights mix?
Short answer: Ocean saltwater breezes combined with sun and high temperatures are hard on Christmas lights and light strings. Installation on or near a beach will shorten their lifespan. Longer answer We love nothing better than beaches, warm evenings, and a string of lights. They make a perfect recipe for good times with friends and…
Get This Look: Deck Out Your Ride
Summer parades are just around the corner. Twelve-volt string lights make lighting a car for a night time event quick and easy. We love how 5 strings of multicolor, and single strings of warm white and red lit up this 1960’s era Cadillac for a Christmas parade. Find these colors and others in our 12…
Customer Question: Can I mix incandescent and LED bulbs on my C7 and C9 stringer wire?
Here is a question I received today from John in Coloma, MI: Hello…. Yesterday, I received my shipment of various-colored traditional “old school” C9 and C7 bulbs from an on-line order that I placed on your website approx 1 week ago. I am very satisfied with my order. These bulbs are placed on a special…
How many gilbert (vampire) plugs do I need to order?
Gilbert plugs are part of many of our Get This Look materials lists. They are required when custom C7/C9 cords made with 18 SPT-1 or SPT-2 lamp cord style cords are “cut to fit”. Short Answer: These plugs work ONLY with a C7 or C9 traditional parallel-wired cord like the cords in this category. They…
Get This Look: Wrapping Trees with Lights
We love this customer project. Using a 100-foot C9 cord and 100 traditional incandescent (glass) bulbs. The 12-inch spacing makes this combination a good fit for larger trees. Since the lights look equally well installed along a roofline, the dual-use makes planning the entire display simple and cohesive. Not just for Christmas, this project is…
Can I run steady burning and twinkle (C7/C9) bulbs in the same cord?
Yes, you can mix C7 and C9 twinkle and steady-on bulbs in the same cord if they are standard 20 or 18 AWG socket cord. Check to confirm they are the same style as the bulbs and cords shown in this bulbs and cords category. This question is closely related to our blog post about…
Get This Look: Lighting a 20-foot tree
How do you light a 20-foot tree? How many lights do I use for a 20-foot tree? You’d be surprised how often we hear this question and it’s not always from Mall Managers and Park and Recreations folks. People across the US have REALLY BIG trees that they want to light up. We heard this…
Can I run Incandescent and LED light strings together? (…in series with one another? …end to end?)
Short Answer: No Longer Answer: This is a common question. We are going to answer it in this post for light strings that are PRE-WIRED. We’ll answer this question for traditional C7/C9 cords that take either LED or glass bulbs in another blog post. The types of lights referenced in this article are what you’d…
Changing a Christmas Light Bulb
This is a question for our new “first time users” series. We receive this question several times during the season and thought a video would help with the answer. This quick pull, line up and replace process works for all incandescent Christmas tree lights (mini lights) and craft lights with glass bulbs. Be sure to…
How many lights for a 20-foot tree? Which type of lights? How many can I string together?
Here is a customer question we received via email today: I need enough LED outdoor lights to light a 20 foot Colorado Spruce. How many strands can be strung together? Which ones are safe for outdoor use? Customer Question October 25, 2020 First, all of our LED light strings or C7/C9 18 AWG Christmas light…
How long do incandescent Christmas tree lights last?
Short Answer: Incandescent Christmas lights (the glass kind with filaments) last about 3000 hours. Longer Answer: Because incandescent Christmas lights generate heat by heating up a tiny filament, their lifespan is not as long as their LED counterparts. Expect about 3000 hours which is about 125 days or a little over 4 months of operation…
Are Christmas lights in series or parallel?
Short answer Christmas lights are wired in both series and parallel configurations depending on their style and application. Slightly longer short answer Series Wiring Traditional incandescent and LED Christmas tree mini lights wired on a 2 or 3-harness are wired in series. For reference, you can find them in categories like these: Incandescent mini light…
How do you know if your Christmas lights are LED?
Or How do I know if my LED Christmas lights are incandescent or LED? Short Answer While it is sometimes confusing to tell them apart, there are a few differences between LED and incandescent Christmas lights. Knowing the signs will help you identify your style of light strings if it isn’t immediately obvious. Look for…
Are LED lights waterproof?
Good question. Let’s dig into it a little. Short Answer: LED Christmas lights are, in fact, NOT waterproof. Longer Answer: When I hear this question, I usually ask questions about applications and the questions behind the question to get to the real and helpful answer. Here are a few of the questions behind the question:…
Parade of Lights: lighting cars for parades
The weather this past weekend was absolutely perfect for the Fort Worth Parade of Lights. John has a Model A and since we’re friends he texted me about lights. 😀 His car runs on a 6-volt system so we decided his best option to supply power 1000’s of lights was to use a battery and…
Why is half my light string flashing on and off?
There are a couple of reasons your Christmas light string is flashing on and off. You have a red-tipped flasher bulb installed in a socket. The flasher bulb will only cause the circuit it is a part of to flash on and off. If your light string has multiple circuits then that’s the reason only…
Why are half of my Christmas lights out?
We hear this question from folks who are puzzled that their lights worked fine last season but are half out when they pull them out of storage. Or their lights suddenly half go out during installation. What gives? Incandescent Christmas tree lights (aka mini lights) are wired in series so if your lights go partially…