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Author
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Topic: Christmas lights and the lack of advancements :)
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Shredder565
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posted November 27, 2007 08:04
I was just thinking this the other day.
For some reason, in the last two years, we've been experiencing LOTS of blown fuze's on Christmas Lights. We've never had so many problems, with as many as one blown fuse every week.
Have they made any advancements in the Christmas light world that do not need a fuse to work?
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Posts: 54 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Nov 2007
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Stereo
Solid Nitrozanium SuperFan!
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posted November 27, 2007 08:07
One word: LEDs.
Try the LED Christmas lights: they have a greater life expectancy, and take less energy - which also means that they are less likely to overcharge your electrical outlets.
Plus they come in various forms and colors; some even change colors!
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Eppur, si muove!
Galileo Galilei
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Richard Wolf VI
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posted November 27, 2007 08:33
Fibre optics are nice too.
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TheMoMan
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posted November 27, 2007 10:13
Shredder565 _________________________ I would be looking at the house wiring and if renting getting to hell out. One Christmas tree full of lights should not throw such a big load as to blow fuses. Now if the curcuits in that house are unbalanced then there would still be cause for concern. Repeatedly blowing fuses is a warning, (SOMETHING IS WRONG!!!!!!) Are you getting the message.
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
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Shredder565
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posted November 27, 2007 10:58
Well, in this case, it's not the Christmas tree, but the bushes out front. I'd say there's about 5 strung together on one side, and maybe 7 or 8 strung together on the other side. These are the big C7 ( I think that's the denomination) bulbs .
And it's only the lights, no other light in the house goes out. Would that still be a problem?
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GrumpySteen
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posted November 27, 2007 11:51
Shredder565:
Have they made any advancements in the Christmas light world that do not need a fuse to work?
I may be paranoid due to watching my family's house burn down two days before Christmas when I was 12, but I would be very suspicious of lights with no fuse or circuit breaker. A household electrical plug can deliver more than enough current to melt the wiring used on decorative lights (regardless of type) and cause fires if the wires short out.
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TheMoMan
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posted November 27, 2007 11:54
Shredder565 _____________________________________ Now we are getting some where, I know it would be more work but if you spilt up the load, between two or more outlets that are on seporate branches (Fuses) the scary part goes away. Always consider a blown fuse as a warning that the house wiring is being overloaded.
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
Posts: 5071 | From: Just South of the Huron National Forest, in the water shed of the Rifle River | Registered: Sep 2002
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Shredder565
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posted November 27, 2007 14:15
quote:
Originally posted by TheMoMan:
Shredder565 _____________________________________ Now we are getting some where, I know it would be more work but if you spilt up the load, between two or more outlets that are on separate branches (Fuses) the scary part goes away. Always consider a blown fuse as a warning that the house wiring is being overloaded.
Unfortunately, we are short on outside plugs. We have one two-fer on the left side of the house on the porch....it usually houses 5-7 lights total. One set on the top plug, the other on the bottom.
On the other side, I think we have one outside plug hidden in the bushes somewhere, but other than that, we use one twofer on the left side of the garage, and another on the right side too plug in about 10 light sets altogether, depending on how many I decide too put up.
This isn't counting the plastic Santa, white plastic Christmas tree, and one snowman.
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The Famous Druid
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posted November 27, 2007 14:15
Lets see... it's late November... well past time for a...
Christmas?
BAH! HUMBUG!
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TheMoMan
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posted November 27, 2007 16:31
Shredder565 _________________________ A long time ago I built a heavy duty extension cord for using both windings on our 5kw genset, when on job sites. Two twofers in one metal box with a fifty foot 10/4 heavy yellow cord. then at christmas time I can plug in four 15amp power strips at the metal box end and plug in the other end to the air compressor outlet (four conductor 220)
Now when it is show time I turn on the air compressor breaker and all the christmas lights come on at once. Check the big box hardware stores (home depot, Lowes, and Menards).
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
Posts: 5071 | From: Just South of the Huron National Forest, in the water shed of the Rifle River | Registered: Sep 2002
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christmasqueen
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posted November 15, 2009 20:21
Hi. As someone who puts up 16,000 lights on my house each year, I know about blown fuses. I have 3500 C7s on my roof with 4 separate outlets near the roof. In the beginning, I regularly plugged them back into each other--BAM! You can get away with plugging 8 strands of C7s in together, and about 10 or 12 of the mini-lights. Remember, though, that your BEST and sturdiest light set should be closest to the main plug, since ALL the electricity for all the strands is passing through it. With LED lights, you can plug up to--FORTY-THREE strands together. Amazing. Even the mini-lights of old only pull 4 watts each for a 100-light strand. I have our electrician put in a new outdoor outlet about once every few years to spread the load out. Still, our older home (1950) has only 100 amp service, and all of those lights, plus about 20 150-watt red and green spot lights, do nicely each year. I do recommend you have an electrician put in another plug or two outdoors. It costs about $150 an outlet, which seems like a lot, but remember they have to drill all the way through the outside wall of the house.
Just this year I've also seen SOLAR Christmas lights, but wow, are they expensive! Good luck with the display! It's always a hassle, but it's always worth the finished product!
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Ashitaka
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posted November 16, 2009 00:43
Solar chritsmas lights? wher did you get them? How much?
This seems like a really good idea for smaller instalations.
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Callipygous
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posted November 16, 2009 02:12
christmasqueen, welcome to the forums your majesty, I hope you enjoy your time here.
It sounds like you might consider building your own power station soon. Is your display visible from space? ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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TheMoMan
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posted November 16, 2009 02:59
____ Wow will you look at all of them lights. Here in Mid-Michigan a local TV station gos around filming well lit house for showing, So displays are very elaborite. I have included a link to their station and as Christmas nears they will set up their Video on demand links.
http://www.wnem.com/index.html
____ One home owner from Midland has his sound and light show run by his computer.
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
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The Famous Druid
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posted November 16, 2009 03:41
Ah yes, 16,000 computer-controlled lights, animatronic Santas, and multi-channel sound effects.
What better way to celebrate the birthday of a carpenter who was born in a barn?
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Grummash
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posted November 16, 2009 08:55
Shredder565 - A lot of people went to a lot of trouble to deliver your electricity as safely as possible to the INSIDE of your house. You shouldn't be interfering by trying to take it OUTSIDE the house.
christmasqueen - Welcome to the forums. Now, you do have your own wind turbine to generate lots of nice clean electrickery for all those lights... don't you???
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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TheMoMan
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posted November 16, 2009 10:37
____ Shredder565, Well I suppose that you could go retro and use Candles and/or RailRoad Lanterns. Just be sure to set them away from the house, and do not use high volatility fuels.
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
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GrumpySteen
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posted November 16, 2009 11:16
TheMoMan wrote:
do not use high volatility fuels.
Where's the fun in that? If they can't broil a turkey, the decorations aren't bright enough.
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tweety
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posted November 16, 2009 14:00
This is the good about being Jewish. We get to light real fire every year for 8 days/nights. None of this modern, somewhat safe, electric torch stuff. Nope, good ol' fashioned fire. Like the gods intended.
Now, if you're Jewish and like my family (blood and in-laws), you set the menorah up on the kitchen counter, being sure to *not* clean up the pile of bills that you've skillfully built up over months. Then, you light your candles and leave them to burn unattended. Now, that's the way to celebrate a holiday, with lots of hope and wishful thinking.
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Mr. Geek 2U
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posted November 16, 2009 15:42
Hello Mr Shredder!
I will tell you what. If I kept on blowing a fuse on a string of c7 lights, I would very quietly, after the childrens have gone to bed, take the lights out to the trash and say, "Whew! I am glad these lights did not burn my house down! Thank you fuses for the warning!"
Then, when the childrens wake up tell them that Santa asked for the lights because he needed more stars to guide his sleigh!
Merry Happy Non-Denominational Religious (No offence!) Solstice Observation Season!
Mr. Geek 2U!
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Grummash
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posted November 16, 2009 16:59
quote:
Originally posted by tweety -
Nope, good old-fashioned fire. Like the gods intended.
Wow - tweety, you have introduced me to a new idea.... I have encountered Liberal Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, Hasidic Judaism, Lubovitch, but Polytheistic Judaism???? That's a new one!
Of course, it is only a figure of speech and I am only teasing, but I do believe that polytheism can be a pathway to easier acceptance of other cultures, when compared to monotheism.
YMMV etc....
note to self - don't do any jokes around YMMV and YHVH - that would be in poor taste.....Oh...Damn! ![[blush]](graemlins/blush.gif)
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...and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this earth with envious eyes...
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The Famous Druid
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posted November 16, 2009 17:21
quote:
Originally posted by Grummash:
I have encountered Liberal Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, Hasidic Judaism, Lubovitch, but Polytheistic Judaism???? That's a new one!
Or very old
quote:
note to self - don't do any jokes around YMMV and YHVH - that would be in poor taste.....Oh...Damn!
As long as you don't mention the 'H' word (a well known jewish festival in late December). We wouldn't want the American Family Association to declare a boycott of GeekCulture.com.
relevancy note: last year the AFA fcomplained that 'Gap' ads in December didn't mention Christmas. This year the ads mention both Christmas and Ha***kah, so the AFA declared a boycott. WTF????
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Grummash
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posted November 16, 2009 17:36
TFD - well, you have flagged up another gaping hole in my knowledge.....
My ignorance is becoming embarrassing!
Still - my desire to fsck the AFA up the A**E brings me some comfort in those times when I am shown to have a weaker grasp of the key issues than I think I have.
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...and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this earth with envious eyes...
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