!#5: Christmas Lights - A Brief Look at the Different Types

!±8± Christmas Lights - A Brief Look at the Different Types

You know that you've had many different types of Christmas lights in your home. However, you might not know some of the differences between these types of lights, until now.

C7 and C9 Bulbs and Cords - Traditional Christmas Lights

Some of the most popular types of Christmas light sets are C7, C9 - they are the traditional Christmas lights that everyone remembers growing up. Their retro look has been making a comeback over the last several Christmas seasons. They can be used either indoors or outdoors. The 25 and 100 foot sets contain either replaceable or built-in fuses. They are glass and filament (incandescent) construction and can break if you drop them. (And I've noticed about a 30% loss rate when my 3 year old helped me install them 2 years ago around our flowerbed.)

Both C7 and C9 Christmas lights can be purchased pre-installed or separately for a wider choice of colors. The C7 and C9 Christmas bulbs are designed so that if one bulb fails, it only affects that bulb, and not any of the surrounding bulbs - even removal or failure. They come in a variety of colors, and the cords are usually either green or white with a common spacing of 12 inches.

One of the nice features of C7 and C9 sets is that you can alternate colors or set them up in any pattern you choose. You aren't limited to a pre-manufactured selection. These Christmas light bulbs commonly come in transparent, opaque (painted) and flashing. With the opaque bulbs, you can achieve pastel colors not available in any other style.

C7 bulbs are smaller, just over 2 inches, while C9 are about three inches long from base to tip of bulb. Also, C9 lights have a larger diameter base than C7 lights. Most of the time, C9 bulbs are a great choice for outlining buildings and other outdoor work.

Mini Lights

Christmas mini lights are smaller and spaced more closely than the C7 and C9 varieties. For the most part, mini lights bulbs are small and the sets come in wide variety of bulb colors, wire colors, and bulb spacings. Their incredible versatility is their biggest asset. You can use them for everything from Christmas to super-hero birthday party decorations.

Mini lights can be a little more trouble than C7 and C9 lights since they are wired in series. If one bulb is physically damaged or unplugged, its entire series or section of the set will not light. Their configuration, however, allows for a bulb to burn out and not break the circuit, it is only when a bulb is broken or comes out of the socket.

LED Christmas Lights

These Christmas light newcomers are loved and revered by some and not a replacement for the tried and true for others. They are based on Light Emitting Diode technology and are general housed in plastic casing which makes them durable for outdoor use.

The main assets of LED Christmas lights are their low energy usage which saves customers money when the December electricity bill arrives, their low operating temperature and the fact that they last longer than traditional Christmas lights. How much longer is dependent on the environmental conditions where they are used and how they are treated. Nothing can protect against harsh wintry winds and errant squirrels. But at least if you drop a set, you won't have to run for a dustpan. As a rule of thumb, UL and the LED manufacturers rate these sets for 90 days of outdoor seasonal use.

The final choice when selecting Christmas lights all too often just comes down to personal taste. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses, take an opportunity to try something new this season!