Outside Christmas Lights and Rain & Snow
Gary Brown
We have outside Christmas lights this year for the first time. What
precautions need I take for rain and snow? They are plugged into
heavy duty extension cords that are plugged into a GFI outlet.
Thanks,
Gary
Dave A. Homeowner
Protect the connection between any plugs with a plastic bag and (dare I
say it?) duct tape.
Carpe Ductum
John Coggins
fires during the Christmas season. It's not that Christmas lights
are bad so much as the way people install them.
This morning, I drove past a neighborhor's house and saw an
extension cord coming from a window and running across the ground
into some bushes.
It seems odd that sensible people who would opt for safer low
voltage outdoor yard lighting would string a 120V cord on the ground
and figure it's okay because ... well, it IS plugged into a GFCI
(never mind that hot to neutral fault).
Is there some reason the industry hasn't responded with low voltage
Christmas lights? Looks like a huge failure for those in marketing.
dha...@my-deja.com
>What precautions need I take for rain and snow? They are plugged into
> heavy duty extension cords that are plugged into a GFI outlet.
Not much else -- you are OK if the extension cords are rated for
exterior use and the GFI outlet will protect anyone who plays with the
lights (kids, dogs, chipmunks, whatever). I've stringed lights outside
for years on a GFI plug. You should make sure that you've got a fuse in
each string. That way you are much less likely to over load.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Daniel Hicks
>
> Hi,
>
> We have outside Christmas lights this year for the first time. What
> precautions need I take for rain and snow? They are plugged into
> heavy duty extension cords that are plugged into a GFI outlet.
Protect any electronics such as for "running" lights with a plastic bag
around the electronics, positioned with the opening toward the bottom.
Prop up plugs so they aren't lying right on the ground (unless you live
in the snow belt where there will be no standing water). Just putting a
brick or some such under the plugs should suffice. Otherwise, try to
arrange things so no one will trip over the cords, etc, and be careful
when using a snowblower in the area.
If there are small children in the neighborhood who may come exploring,
though, try to avoid having anything on the ground, and tightly tape up
plug connections.
Robert Hancock
problems if there is a short or something. Now the bigger 120V
parallel-wired bulbs, I could see those causing problems.
Low voltage? That would require a transformer, which would mean charging
more than $2 for the bulb set! Horror of horrors! :-)
--
Robert Hancock Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from hanc...@nospamhome.com
Home Page: http://members.home.net/hancockr
"John Coggins" <cog...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:38601689...@earthlink.net...
> Every December I wonder whether there is a higher incidence of home
> fires during the Christmas season. It's not that Christmas lights
> are bad so much as the way people install them.
>
> This morning, I drove past a neighborhor's house and saw an
> extension cord coming from a window and running across the ground
> into some bushes.
>
> It seems odd that sensible people who would opt for safer low
> voltage outdoor yard lighting would string a 120V cord on the ground
> and figure it's okay because ... well, it IS plugged into a GFCI
> (never mind that hot to neutral fault).
>
> Is there some reason the industry hasn't responded with low voltage
> Christmas lights? Looks like a huge failure for those in marketing.
>
>
> Gary Brown wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > We have outside Christmas lights this year for the first time. What
> > precautions need I take for rain and snow? They are plugged into
> > heavy duty extension cords that are plugged into a GFI outlet.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Gary
>
mike
>
> This morning, I drove past a neighborhor's house and saw an
> extension cord coming from a window and running across the ground
> into some bushes.
>
>
umm, are you my neighbor?
how should my lights be powered? i have outside electrical outlets, but
don't have an outside
timer, and so i run the extension cord into my garage and have my timer
plugged in there. what
risks am i taking? would i be much better off using an outdoor timer and
leaving it all plugged in
outside? is the problem my extension cords running across the ground?
Tim Fischer
per...@eznet.net wrote:
> Protect the connection between any plugs with a plastic bag and (dare
I
> say it?) duct tape.
The consensus among Christmas-light 'experts' on the net (those with
displays in the tens and even hundreds of thousands of lights) says NOT
to do this.
The reason? If moisture gets into the plugs (and it probably will),
there's no easy way for it to get back out.
Simply avoiding plugs from getting submersed in standing water (by
raising them up) is preferable.
-Tim
Jeff Murden
"Gary Brown" <gbr...@thebrowns.ultranet.com> wrote in message
news:83okvj$58d$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
> Hi,
>
> We have outside Christmas lights this year for the first time. What
> precautions need I take for rain and snow? They are plugged into
> heavy duty extension cords that are plugged into a GFI outlet.
>
> Thanks,
> Gary
>
>