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Frequently Asked
Questions
We are very surprised at the amount of feedback that has been
received from The Merry Christmas Page. In fact, we have been asked so many questions
via e-mail that we decided to start a Question and Answer Page.
Some of the most frequently asked questions, thanks to all of the
feedback, are below:
Q)
What is the best string of lights to start with?
Q)
What lights work best for outdoor trees?
Q)
Is there a rough guideline for the amount of lights
that an average spruce tree will use?
A)
Full size C-7 and C-9 sets have the longest life, and the most durable
construction. These can be purchased in strings of 25 and connected
together in up to 6 string lengths (recommended), but on a 20 amp circuit,
I run up to 14. If you still wish to use mini lights, the maximum recommended
amount of lights that you can hook together is 350 to 400.
A)
For the best illumination of deciduous trees, use mini lights. Wrap
each branch of your tree starting at the trunk working to the end
of the branches, instead of stringing them around the circumference of
the tree. For coniferous trees, use the full size C-9 bulbs. When
decorating coniferous trees, here are two of the best methods:
1. Begin at the top and work down in a zig-zag pattern
2. Start at the bottom and work your way up in circles around the tree
A)
Approximate number of lights needed to decorate your tree:
3' Tree: 50-100 Lights
4' Tree: 100-150 Lights
5' Tree: 150-200 Lights
6' Tree: 200-300 Lights
7' Tree: 300-350 Lights,
35-40 Lights for each foot over 6'.
Please remember that these are only ROUGH guidelines. They will not work for every tree. Remember: It is always better to have more than not enough...
Q)
Which lights work best for
the outside of your house?
Q)
What is the best way to mount your lights to your
house?
Q)
Will rain cause a problem for the Christmas
light display?
Q)
We don't have an outlet on the outside of our
house. Should we run an extension cord from the inside of the house?
Q)
When do you recommend that I start putting up my
lights?
Q)
How do I figure out how many amps of electricity I
am drawing with my circuit?
Q)
Where can I get patterns for making outdoor
Christmas Figures?
Q)
The instructions on my mini lights state "If one
bulb burns out the rest stay lit." Why are all of the lights my string out?
A)
Use full size C-7 or C-9 sets. These sets are specifically made with
outdoor decorators in mind. At 125 and 175 watts per string, they produce
the largest illumination, and the longest life.
A)
Use plastic light hooks or clips, sold at major retailers and hardware
stores nationwide, to secure lights to the gutters of your home. These
hooks are secured to the structure of your house, and the lights
simply slide into place. If you have wood frames around garage doors
or windows, a staple gun can be used to fasten the lights into place. Where
a gable roof is present with metal facia, special shingle tabs can be
purchased to allow you to mount lights. These slide nicely below the
shingles, doing no damage. If none of these clips will work for your
situation, special sticky tabs can be purchased and affixed to any smooth
surface. These allow you to insert a nylon cable tie to hold the
lights in place.
A)
The rain may cause a bit of a problem with mini
lights. This will probably not happen though, unless you use indoor
lights outside. The manufacturers take care in weather-proofing the lights
to prevent shorts. With outdoor extension chords, don't wrap the connections
with anything. I find that wrapping the connection can trap moisture, causing
a type of electrical show that you really don't want!
A)
You can, but if you don't have an outlet on the outside of the house for Christmas
lights, I would hire an electrician. The electrician will install
separate circuits specifically for your lights. This way if you overload the
outdoor circuit you will still have power to the inside of your house.
If you run them off an inside plug, you run the risk of overloading it and
that WHOLE circuit will turn off.
A)
Try to start in late fall when the leaves on the
trees are just finishing their annual leaf dropping. This way you do not
freeze your hands in the cold. You will also have a longer day to work in.
A)
To figure out how many amps of power you are using, add the total
WATTS and divide by source VOLTAGE. Example: A string of 25 lights that
have 7 watt bulbs would be (25 Bulbs X 7 Watts = 175 Watts. 175 watts
Divided by 110 volts = 1.59 Amps.)
A)
One of the best pattern suppliers in the world is the "Winfield Collection".
The Winfield collection is one of the only reasonably priced mail order
catalogues that carry a wide variety of indoor and outdoor woodcraft patterns.
Best of all, the patterns are delivered right to your home! All you have
to do to get your free catalogue is call TOLL FREE 1-800-WINFIELD.They also now
have a web page and can be found at "http://www.thewinfieldcollection.com".
A)
If any part of string does not light attempt the following:
-Firmly push
each bulb into the base to secure it in the socket (occasionally bulbs will
loosen).
-Remove each
bulb and base from the socket. Straighten the wires which extend from the
bottom of the base,
then bend around the base. Insert bulb firmly into
socket.
-Check
to make sure the fuse in the plug did not overload (if there is one).
If it was
overloaded,
then replace the fuse in the first set and all of the sets will re-light.
The above should also be followed if half of your mini/icicle light string is out. How can half of your lights be on and the other half off? The answer is simple. Your light string is wired 1/2 and 1/2 in series. That means that if you have a break in the circuit, the half of the string in which the break occurs will appear "burnt out". The best advice anybody can offer is to follow the steps outlined above.
TIP: Replace burned out bulbs as soon as possible, as they will cause other bulbs to overheat and will reduce the life of these bulbs.
Q)
Why do my neighbor's lights look brighter? I
thought we had the same bulbs, so shouldn't they be just as bright?
Q)
The Christmas lights that I purchased contain a
fuse in the male-end plug. When I connect more than 5 strings together, the
fuse "burns out", preventing all 5 strings from illuminating. What can I do?
If you have a basic knowledge of simple circuitry, the best fix for this
problem is to remove the fused plug. After removing the fused plug, place a
non-fused replacement male end in its place. These can be purchased at most
hardware stores, and are very easy to install.
Q)
How do I take a high quality photo of my lights?
I have tried to take pictures in the past and they came out with a horrible
glare.
Q)
When where electric Christmas Lights first used?
Q)
When is it enough?
A)
Actually, there are a number of factors which determine your display's
`brightness`. If you are running a long extension cord, lots of energy
is lost to resistance in the wire. When running cords a large distance,
use 16 gauge wire or better. Also, the wire used in light strings is light
duty and is not capable of handling excessive amounts of current. Therefore, string as
few strings together as possible. Your neighbour may also have a different
brand of bulbs. The manufacturers sometimes dip the bulbs in a slightly different
darker/lighter coating. The darker the coating, the dimmer the bulb.
A)
The main reason that light manufacturers' install fuses
in the male end of Christmas lights is to prevent an overload. There are a
few ways around this problem. First, you could run numerous extension cords
to every fourth or fifth string of Christmas lights. This will break up the
electrical load travelling through the wires of the light strings.
Unfortunately, this can get costly, not to mention create a rather unpleasant
mess of extension cords.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have
little knowledge of circuitry, do not attempt to replace the fused plug. The
Merry Christmas Page is not responsible for any consequences resulting from
the modification of Christmas light strings.
A)
In the past decade, there have been a number of great color films introduced
to the marketplace that offer high speed - ISO 800 and higher - with very
little grain. The experts have found two particularly good films to capture
your holiday display. These include Fuji Super G 800 and Kodak Gold Max.
In addition, most photographers today rely on auto-exposure with their
point-and-shoot cameras. Unlike the light meters of old cameras, which were
often "fooled" by low-light situations, today's light meters in auto-exposure
cameras are able to give good readings even in low light. This is an important point because holiday lights usually look their best
when shot without added light. In fact, this is "Rule One" when it comes to
getting good pictures of lights: For most pictures of holiday lights,
turn off your strobe! Note the word "most." There are a few occasions
when you will want to add light, but for the most part, you won't.
A)
It is believed that the first Christmas lights were produced around 1880,
containing a carbon-type lamp. The Christmas lights which we are familiar with
today, were not developed until around 1923. It was in 1923 that the first
filament based light strings were manufactured.
A)
NEVER! Most people say that your display is only limited by your
imagination. We recommend you start small and let your display grow over
time. You don't have to jump in with a huge purchase of lights. It only
takes a few strings to start a long time tradition!
H
a
p
p
y
Hey, no problem... Just e-mail The
Merry Christmas Page.
L
i
g
h
t
i
n
g
!