Pros illuminate do-it-yourself light installation

Installing Christmas lights may seem like a hassle, but what if there’s no money left after Christmas shopping to hire a professional? It’s easy to do it yourself if you know a little about electricity and design.

Make a plan. The first step is planning where, what type and what color of lights. “It’s easy to go online and look at photos to see what attracts you,” says Heath Redding with Handsome Holiday Heroes in Eureka Springs.

It’s also important to measure the roof line and any other areas where lights will be placed. When measuring, take the lead on the strand of lights - the portion of the strand without lights - into account.

That measurement will determine how many strands of lights are needed or what length of strand will need to be purchased.

Know your lights. Homeowners who want a professional-looking light display should consider lighting guidelines used by professionals. Use C9 bulbs for roof lines. These larger lights are ideal for showing off the outline of a home, says Redding. “A lot of times people use mini lights, and they’re just not bright enough.”

Slightly smaller C7 bulbs will do in a pinch. C9 and C7 bulbs can also be replaced individually if a single bulb goes out.

Mini lights are better for trees, Redding says, while net lighting should be used for shrubs and bushes. “It has a clean, organized pattern and it’s easy,” he says of the net lights. Icicle lights are ideal for gutters.

“If you want a custom display, like red and white alternating on the same string, you can purchase strings and bulbs separately,” says Hillary Zody with Christmas Lights Etc., an online retailer based in Georgia.

Decide if you want LED or incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs draw 80 to 90 percent less wattage than incandescents, says Zody, but they are more expensive.

When stringing a lot of lights, LED bulbs have an advantage. You can put 100 LEDC9s per unit of power to 25 incandescent bulbs, according to Amanda Ragar with Christmas Decor of Northwest Arkansas. In mini lights the numbers are even more dramatic - 1,000 LEDs per unit of power to 400 incandescents. That means more lights hooked up to fewer outlets with a decreased likelihood of blowing a fuse.

LEDs also have the advantage of being less apt to break since they are made from heavy-duty plastic.

It also is important to look for the Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) label, adds Ragar. Also:

Understand how electricity works. Some basic knowledge of electricity is required.Otherwise, breakers can be blown and homes are at risk of electrical fires. Christmas Lights Etc. has an installation guide on its website, christmaslightsetc.com.

Typically a maximum of 210 watts can be connected using 22-gauge wire or a maximum of 420 watts using 20-gauge wire, according to UL specifications. To determine total watts, look for the label near the UL tag on the light strand. Multiply the number of bulbs times the wattage per bulb to get the number of watts per string, Zody says.

Homeowners should also calculate amps. Divide the number of watts you want to use by 120 volts - the standard for residential outlets in the United States - to determine how many amps the lights will use.

Household circuit breakers are 15 to 20 amps, meaning they can take a load of 1,800 and 2,400 watts respectively. Experts tend to recommend not exceeding 80 percent of full capacity, so homeowners can use 1,440 watts per 15 amp breaker or 1,920 watts per 20 amp breaker, according to Zody.

Choose the right ladder and know how to use it. Every homeowner should have a ladder that will reach the tallest point on their roof line safely. Also, be sure to ask for help from a friend, family member or neighbor when using the ladder, says Ragar.

It’s important to have someone who can help hold the ladder during the ascent and descent.

Use a timer. “A timer or controller is recommended as they help save power by precisely controlling when lights go on and off,” says Zody. “Photo cells [or twilight sensors] are nice, but will keep lights on during hours when no one may see them.”

Once the installation is complete, make sure all the lights work by turning them on for a test run, Zody adds.

Light-installation tips Here are some other basic tips from our experts for installing lights.

Always use extension cords and lights rated for outdoor use.

Don’t overload extension cords. Stay within the recommended wattage.

Make sure the outdoor outlets have a ground fault circuit interrupter (usually labeled “GFCI”) to monitor wet or exposed wires.

Tape up all the connections between strands of light using electrical tape.

What you’ll need Supply list for installing Christmas lights.

  1. LED or incandescent Christmas lights.

  2. Clips for fastening lights to eaves, gutters and overhangs.

  3. A ladder.

  4. Extension cords.

  5. Electrical tape.

  6. A timer or controller.

  7. A tape measure.

  8. An extra person to help out.

HomeStyle, Pages 36 on 12/07/2013

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